Win 7 fresh install guide for Vaio F series

[ilfuca]

I share with You the steps I've made to install a fresh Win 7 on A Vaio VPCF11Z1E (EU model)

1 Before anything else be sure to make Your recovery disks If You haven't already done them. It's very important to actually do them since we'll need them later. You will use them for a future installation of the bundled utilities You may require.

Not strictly regarding this guide but if You have another drive You can try them to see if they work properly

2 If You're installing on the original drive don't format the recovery partition (you never know..), if it's a new drive than You can use it all. Still don't format the original one as You may need it for warranty purposes.

3 Go to the sony site and download all the original drivers and also the updates (to date only 2), and save them in an external HD or pendrive.

4 Insert the Windows 7 DVD and install Windows 7 in the desired partition, be careful since the first 9 gigabytes of disk are used to restore the note at it's initual configuration (if it's the original drive). Choose the version that corresponds to the serial number in your possession.

4b If You don't have a win7 DVD look at this link LEGAL Windows 7 Download Links (Just like Vista before!!!)

5 Once inside the new system will notice that some devices have already been recognized by windows but still You have to install the following drivers in this order and reboot the system anytime it's required:

- Chipset drivers (restart)

- Sata drivers (click on install.bat)

- Nvidia-Driver (restart)

- Then go to Device Manager (start and right click manage on computer)
- select the ethernet card (double click or right click and properties)
- click Update Driver
- search software driver in folder
- browse to the folder "Ethernet Driver (Marvell) 11.10 (TF2) 11.10.6.3" that You should previously unzip.
- Update the driver to the newer version. (restart)

- Wireless Lan Driver (Intel in my case, should be Atheros for the US)

- Bluethoot-driver (Broadcom), the bluetooth is already recognized prior to this installation but it's needed to automatically enable all the devices (like audio bluethooth).

- Again Device manager
- double-click on "base system device" (PCI bus 3, device 0, function 1)
- click on "update driver"
- search for the driver software on your computer
- browse to the folder "Memory card reader writer (Ricoh) (MS) 6.13x64" that You should previously unzip.

- Also in device manager
- select the device "sd card reader" with the icon of the blue memorycard and again either double click or right click/properties
- click on "Update Driver"
- search the driver software on your computer
- browse and give him the folder "Memory card reader writer (Ricoh) (SD) 6.13x64" You previously unzipped.
- After installing that device will disappear and appear a new one under "IDE ATA / ATAPI"

- Then You also have the driver-CPRM (memory card reader writer SD_CPRM) which should only serve to those who use encrypted SD, if needed repeat the above procedure.

- Finally also in Device Manager
- select "unknown device" (Intel PM55 Express Chipset LPC Interface Controller - 3b03)
- cick update driver
- search for the driver.....
- browse to the folder "SFEP Driver Sony 8.0 10Q1 O 7 8.0.1.1" again previously unzipped.

At this point you should have no more icons with exclamation point in Device Manager, if you have an i5 I believe You should also install a driver for the onboard video adapter but I'm not really sure about that.


6 It remains to update your sound card, so click the downloaded update from SonyStyle and upgrade, the installation is "silent" so you will not see anything after unpacking and nothing will be reported when finished.

7 At this point there are only the special keys on the Vaio, which are now only partially working so install in this order:

- vaio control center
- vaio settings utility
- vaio event service
- sony shared library

Always remember to reboot every time you are asked and not superimpose installations.

8 Ok got to this point, you have your laptop working perfectly. We havent nstalled Vaio Color Settings, Vaio Power Management, Vaio Smart Network and VAIO care, if you want You can install them as well but they are not really necessary for the proper functioning of the machine.

9 Here is a big trick! I guess You don't want to pay for programs like corelwinDVD and roxio image creation since You already got them bundled? And do You want to install the alps touchpad driver (to enable multitouch) Well it's time to use You recovery disks, well go get them!

It's quite easy you need sonyextractor http://www.mediafire.com/?xm2zjz2yn5t to unzip the .mod files in the dvds

The bad new is that you have to unzip them one by one to see what they are.

To speed it a little up I've searched in the dvds all the *.mod files and pasted them on the drive so that I had them all toghether and ordered them for size, then expect office trial to be the bigger one and so on it should be faster than browsing all the dvd directories. You'll find quite a lot of stuff there, maybe 80 .mod or even more.

To actually use sonyextractor right click on it and run it as administrator, otherwise It's not going to work

10 If You want You can download Windows Live from here: http://download.live.com

11 A nice Windows Update et voila!


Hope this helps You

[Skye2]

Thanks for the info. I wish the Sony Vaio Notebooks came with a Win 7 disk instead of a restore disk.

[Hein]

Perfect post for a clean install.

[scottdeagan]

Thanks ilfuca - your instructions worked perfectly for me.

[Joe Bleau]

Thank you ilfuca, that was quite informative.

This was made a few months later & maybe it's faster & easier IMO & w/o the need to download an iso nor fix any errors in Device Manager: Vaio_F Series Windows 7 64-bit Clean Install Guide Using OEM Recovery Discs.

[cenahum]

Hi all
First of all, I would like to say thank you very much.
I have 2 Sony Vaio - one is VPCEB1 and the other is a new one VPCCA17FX.
I had a problem with the new one, since it comes with Windows 7 Home Premium and I bought an upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate but I give to employee to do the job and he does a desaster in it also he formated my computer and he does not performed a backup or any kind of prevention, so now I will need to do a clean install in it and my question is:
Can I perform a clean install and can I have an original windows in the end?

Any help will be welcome and apreciate

Thank you very much for your atention and time

Roberto