Wireless Switch Setting Utility working?

[t3R1]

Has anyone managed to get the Wireless Switch Setting Utility to work properly on SZ clean install XP?? I'm using the latest Wireless Switch Setting Utility version 3.3 but I don't have the Enable 5 GHz Wireless LAN option. Has anyone solve this problem? Thanks in advance.

[indigo]

I have an SZ18 and like you am using the wireless utility version 3. After spending one day with my laptop (trying to reinstall the original program), Sony HK says they do not a solution for this and will make a report to Japan and will keep me informed.

[t3R1]

The weird thing about this is Wireless Switch Setting Utility works fine in a semi restore windows and even I upgrade it to version 3.3 one. Only in clean install windows it wouldn't work properly. So I think there is no problem with version 3.3 one and there must be something we need to install or fix in clean install XP. Any idea?

[Guillermédico]

Originally Posted by t3R1

The weird thing about this is Wireless Switch Setting Utility works fine in a semi restore windows and even I upgrade it to version 3.3 one. Only in clean install windows it wouldn't work properly. So I think there is no problem with version 3.3 one and there must be something we need to install or fix in clean install XP. Any idea?

t3R1, the lack of 5 GHz (802.11a) WiFi support is a known issue for the "new" Wireless Switcher software. See this thread for further information:
Spysweeper destroys Wireless Switcher!
In particular, read my post #6. For most users, 2.5 GHz WiFi (802.11b and 802.11g) is adequate.

Having said that, I just got word that my medical center will be installing 802.11a throughout its 4 campuses. So now I too am very interested in finding a solution to restore the equivalent of the original Wireless LAN Switcher software that came with my SZ160P and which had both 2.5 GHz and 5 GHz capability.

[XantaxNZ]

I have done something similar on my new FE laptop, and managed to get everything sony working prefectly

I figured out a way to extract the installation files from the recovery CD, not just the ones floating around in easily accessable folders, but the application installers that the recovery disk itself uses when reformatting your drive.

Assuming that you have the drivers installed in the correct fashion, and have Sony / Vaio control centre installed, this should work.

Firstly:

Download kcap from here, and extract the executable file to C:\Windows.

Make a folder on any partition where there is free space, ie: C:\Kcap

Pop in the recovery DVD that you burnt using the recovery disk tool (If you haven't done this you are a nutter)
Go start -> Run: cmd.

Now, we need to firstly extract the file apps list from the recovery cd's .pac files, which are sort of like .cab archives, but are sony's flavour. To do this, you need to type the following in the command window. As an example, I have labelled my DVD drive Z:

(Also, SZ users have 2 recovery DVD's? I'm not sure which DVD the appropraite files will be on, but extract the apps list from both DVD's and work out which one has the wireless switching utility on it )

kcap z:\sony.pac c:\kcap

Hit enter, and wait for your HDD led / DVD Drive to stop blinking away. Kcap doesn't notify when things are done, or how long they will take, but just be patient and all will work accordingly.

Take a lookie in the folder specified (Ie: c:\kcap) and there should be a series of folders in there. Open the first folder with the prefix "JPBL" and open the file "Apps.lst" in notepad.

Look for a line similar to this:
"Wireless Switch Setting Utility" SP-008423-07.apr

The last bit of the line indicates what .pac file the application is hiding in. This file will be in one of the two APR folders on the vaio recovery DVD.

Locate the .pac file (Ie: In my case, I would be looking for SP-008423-07.pac) and then chuck it into your command window as follows:

kcap Z:\APR\SP-008423-07.pac c:\kcap

This will generate a new folder in the directory that you specified. Take a look in the BIN folder, and run the installer.

And hopefuly, if all went well for you, an installer for the Sony wireless switch utility should pop up! Note, that the utility on the cd will only work correctly if you have the SONY PROVIDED driver for your wireless lan installed, otherwise the application will not be able to control the radio settings for the wireless lan adaptor. (Ie: Don't use the intel driver!)

This technique also works for any applications listed in the apps.lst file. On a side note, drivers are not compressed into .pac files.

Hope that helps!

[t3R1]

XantaxNZ, I've tried your way but I couldn't find those files. In my SZ recovery DVD there's only 1 .pac file and inside it are drivers and there's no folder with prefix "JPBL". I think Sony may keep them in other file types. I found few big files with .i01, .i02, .i03 and .img extension. Any idea how to extract these files?

[Guillermédico]

I spent an hour on the phone this morning with Sony tech support after unsuccessfully trying myself to reinstall my original Wireless Switch Setting Utility (containing 2.5 GHz WiFI, 5 GHz WiFi and Bluetooth options) from both my recovery partition and from my recovery DVDs.

The tech support guy had me go through the same reinstallation steps I had already done, along with a few other things (like uninstalling the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection driver in Device Manager). Nothing worked, however, which, in the end, left me without any Wireless Switcher icon in the taskbar.

Finally, the Sony technician had me do a System Restore, which simply brought back the "new but impaired" version of the Wireless Switch Setting Utility (i.e., the one that has 2.5 GHz (802.11b and 802.11g) WiFi and Bluetooth only but does not include the checkbox found in my original Wireless Switcher installation for 5 GHz (802.11a) WiFi).

So I am back to where I started earlier this morning.

[XantaxNZ]

t3R1, you have 2 Recovery DVD's?

[t3R1]

XantaxNZ
Yes I got 2 and only 1st dvd has 1 file with .pac. Any idea? Do you have the Enable 5 GHz Wireless LAN option after clean install?

Guillermédico
I think Sony tech support is idiot and I never thinked of asking them for help. One of the reason I bought this notebook because it has 802.11a which I need but now can't use it.

[XantaxNZ]

t3R1 - I do have the 5ghz option working 100% fine, I connected to a 802.11a network a few days ago.

And hrmmmm, are you sure that there are no other .pac files on the recovery cd?