Sony Vaio Troubleshooting Manual
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- User manual (169 pages) ,
- Manual (88 pages) ,
- Quick start manual (2 pages)
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Summary of Contents for Sony Vaio
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Page 1: Troubleshooting
4-675-412-11.book Page 1 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Guide to: Troubleshooting Using the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc © 2003 Sony Corporation 4-675-412-11... -
Page 2: Notice
Notice This product contains software owned by Sony and licensed by third parties. Use of such software is subject to the terms and conditions of licence agreements enclosed with this product. Software specifications are subject to change without notice and may not necessarily be identical to current retail versions. -
Page 3: Table Of Contents
The window I have just closed is still on the screen ........................15 About peripherals....................................16 I cannot print ....................................16 My mouse does not work................................18 About writing to DVD ..................................19 Using the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc ..........................21 Introduction ......................................21 Reading the documentation................................22... - Page 4 4-675-412-11.book Page 4 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Contents Saving the VAIO Info Centre on your computer .......................... 23 Recovering the operating system ..............................24 Notes on performing a system recovery ............................24 Starting the recovery ..................................25 Using partitioned drives ................................26 Recovering the system without changing partition sizes.......................
- Page 5 4-675-412-11.book Page 5 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Contents Why should you register your VAIO product?.........................39 How can you register your VAIO product? ..........................39 Accessing the VAIO-Link services..............................39 How can you access VAIO-Link? ...............................39 When can you access VAIO-Link? .............................40 VAIO-Link contact numbers ..............................41...
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Page 7: Welcome
4-675-412-11.book Page 7 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Welcome Congratulations on purchasing a Sony VAIO computer. Sony has combined leading-edge technology in audio, video, computing and communications to provide you with state-of-the-art personal computing. Here are just some of the features your VAIO computer has to offer: ❑... -
Page 8: Introduction To This Guide
This guide covers the following important areas: ❑ If you have any problems with your VAIO, solutions are offered in this booklet in the form of a Troubleshooting Guide. There are more troubleshooting topics in your Hardware Guide. Always read these sections before contacting VAIO-Link. -
Page 9: Troubleshooting
4-675-412-11.book Page 9 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Troubleshooting This section describes how to solve common problems you might encounter when using your VAIO computer. Many problems have simple solutions. Further topics are covered in the Hardware Guide for your computer and on the VAIO-Link website (www.vaio-link.com). -
Page 10: About The Computer And Software
AC power supply only. ❑ Check that you are using the supplied Sony AC adapter. ❑ Check cables for signs of wear and tear (which can occur if the cable is twisted around the AC adapter during transport). -
Page 11: When I Turn On My Computer, The Message 'Press
To do so, proceed as follows: Turn off the computer. Remove any peripheral devices connected to the computer. Turn on the computer and press <F2> when the Sony logo appears. The BIOS setup menu screen appears. Press the arrow keys to select the Exit menu.To Resume, To Enter Setup' Appears -
Page 12: My Computer Does Not Shut Down
4-675-412-11.book Page 12 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM My computer does not shut down ® You are recommended to shut down your computer using the Turn off Computer command on the Windows Start menu. Using other methods, including those listed here, may result in loss of unsaved data. If the Turn off Computer command does not work properly, proceed as follows: Shut down the computer by pressing <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Delete>... -
Page 13: My Computer Or Software Program Is Not Responding
4-675-412-11.book Page 13 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM My computer or software program is not responding ❑ If you suspect one application is locking your system, you can try to stop it, as follows: Press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Delete> simultaneously. The Windows Task Manager screen appears. Scroll down until you see an application with the status Not responding. -
Page 14: About Optical Discs
4-675-412-11.book Page 14 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM About optical discs My disc drive tray does not open ❑ Make sure the computer is turned on and press the eject button on the disc drive. ❑ If the eject button does not work, try pressing <Fn>+<E>*. ❑... -
Page 15: About The Display
4-675-412-11.book Page 15 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM About the display My screen does not display anything ❑ Desktops: Check that the computer and display are plugged into a power source and they are both turned on. ❑ Notebooks: Check that the battery pack(s) are inserted properly and that they are charged. If using AC power, check that the connection to the mains is secure. -
Page 16: About Peripherals
The default setting for the printer port mode is correct for most printers. If you cannot print, try changing the printer port mode, as follows: Restart your computer. When you see the Sony logo, press <F2>. The BIOS setup menu screen appears. Use the keyboard’s arrow keys to select the Advanced menu. - Page 17 4-675-412-11.book Page 17 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Press <F10> and save the new configuration. Your computer restarts. ❑ If you still cannot print, try resetting the printer connection, as follows: Click the icon of the printer installed on your computer. In the Printer Tasks menu, which has now expanded, click Set printer properties.
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Page 18: My Mouse Does Not Work
❑ If you are using a PS/2 mouse, you must connect it before you turn on your computer. ❑ If you are using an optional Sony USB mouse, check that the appropriate driver and software are properly installed. ❑ Check that the mouse is plugged into the mouse connector. -
Page 19: About Writing To Dvd
Are you using the correct DVD recordable media? Please check which DVD recordable format is compatible with your VAIO built-in DVD recorder: DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+R / DVD+RW. Please note the possibility that some brands of DVD recordable media do not work. - Page 20 4-675-412-11.book Page 20 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM ❑ Perform a system recovery on the VAIO. Make sure you aware of the consequences of this action beforehand. See “Recovering the operating system” on page 24. ❑ If you are still unable to record to DVD, contact VAIO-Link directly.
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Page 21: Using The Vaio Recovery And Documentation Disc
VAIO. ✍ You can only use this disc on the Sony computer it came with and not on any other Sony PC or other manufacturer's PC. Introduction From the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc, you can access the user guides, install applications and perform a complete recovery of your system. -
Page 22: Reading The Documentation
Guides are provided in PDF format, which you can easily browse through and print out. When you have finished reading the guides and click Exit to close the VAIO Info Centre, you return to the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc options screen. -
Page 23: Saving The Vaio Info Centre On Your Computer
So that the documentation is always available for your reference, for example, when travelling, you can save the VAIO Info Centre on your hard drive. In this way, you do not have to insert the disc every time. To save the documentation on your hard drive, proceed as follows: Insert the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc into your computer's disc drive. -
Page 24: Recovering The Operating System
Before you attempt a system recovery, make sure that your computer is connected to the AC power supply. Notebooks should not be running on the battery only. ❑ After the recovery is performed, you are recommended to remove the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc from the drive before restarting the computer. ❑... -
Page 25: Starting The Recovery
Click Go! under the option Recover the operating system to begin the recovery process. A warning message appears. Read the instruction and click OK to proceed, or Cancel to return to the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc options screen. If you clicked OK, the system restarts. -
Page 26: Using Partitioned Drives
4-675-412-11.book Page 26 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Using partitioned drives In My Computer you may have noticed the availability of two drive partitions (C: and D:). Your hard disk drive comes from the factory with 2 logical partitions. This does not mean that your computer contains two physical hard disks. When you start using your computer, your C: partition (also referred to as C: drive) contains all the files required by ®... -
Page 27: Recovering The System Without Changing Partition Sizes
4-675-412-11.book Page 27 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Recovering the system without changing partition sizes To completely restore the original software, drivers and settings on your computer without changing the partition sizes, choose the first option and apply a Default System Drive Recovery. Performing this recovery means that you will lose all the data stored on your C: drive, but data on your D: drive will remain. -
Page 28: Recovering The System With Modified Partition Sizes
4-675-412-11.book Page 28 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Recovering the system with modified partition sizes To have the option of changing the partition sizes before completely restoring the original software, drivers and settings on your computer, choose Custom Drive Recovery. Changing the partition sizes of the two hard drives means that you will lose all the data stored on both your C: drive and your D: drive. -
Page 29: Manually Changing Partition Sizes
4-675-412-11.book Page 29 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM Manually changing partition sizes Choosing Change Partition Size and Recover allows you to manually select the size of your C: drive, leaving the remaining gigabytes to the D: drive. Meanwhile, all current partition sizes are deleted, the hard disk is reformatted, and all the original software is restored as with a standard system recovery. -
Page 30: Resetting The Default Partition Sizes
Resetting the default partition sizes If you changed the partition sizes since you bought your Sony computer, choosing Factory Default Settings Recovery allows you to reset the hard drive to its original size. Meanwhile, the current partitions are deleted, the hard disk is reformatted, and all the original software is restored as with a standard system recovery. -
Page 31: Aborting The System Recovery Process
Aborting the system recovery process Before the actual recovery process begins, the VAIO System Recovery Utility makes it easy to cancel any settings you may have made. Most screens remind you about the loss of data that will incur and you can either go back to the previous screen (press Back), or abort the recovery setup altogether. -
Page 32: Installing All Applications
Most of the software applications that are bundled with your VAIO computer are already installed. Those that are not, can be found on the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc along with a backup of most of the preinstalled applications. Selecting the option to install all applications will automatically choose all the software that needs installing. -
Page 33: Installing Individual Applications
The installation is complete. You do not have to restart your computer. ❑ See the Software Guide for descriptions of the software and instructions on how to use Sony software. ❑ See the printed Specifications sheet to see what applications are available. -
Page 34: About Utilities And Libraries
The installation starts and the system automatically reboots. The installation continues after the system restarts. Wait until the installation has finished and the options screen for the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc has reappeared. The utilities and libraries are installed. -
Page 35: Installing Drivers From The Hard Drive
When your computer is delivered, all the drivers needed for the built-in hardware components, as well as for Sony mouse devices and keyboards, are already installed. What is more, the system automatically detects these drivers. Similarly, when you connect a new hardware device to your computer, your system will usually automatically detect and install its driver. -
Page 36: Sony Support Options
The printed part of your documentation includes the following: ❑ The Guide to Troubleshooting and Using the VAIO Recovery and Documentation Disc (this guide). ❑ A Getting Started brochure, where you will find a brief description of the items in your box and how to set up your computer. -
Page 37: Vaio Info Centre
❑ Go to the online help files that accompany your software for instructions on using the software. ❑ VAIO-Link website: If you have any problems with your computer, you can access the VAIO-Link website for troubleshooting. Go to: www.vaio-link.com ❑... -
Page 38: Customer Service
All registered customers who are covered by the VAIO guarantee will be entitled to use VAIO-Link services. ✍ € Please note that if your VAIO is older than 1 year when you contact VAIO-Link for support by telephone, each case is subject to a fee of 20 (or the equivalent of). -
Page 39: Registering Your Vaio Product
How can you register your VAIO product? ❑ You can register your VAIO product on the Sony VAIO-Link website (www.vaio-link.com) by clicking VAIO User, then Register your VAIO. The process of registration involves you responding to specific questions regarding your contact details, product details and some ancillary information. -
Page 40: When Can You Access Vaio-Link
4-675-412-11.book Page 40 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM When can you access VAIO-Link? You can access our World Wide Website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For phone support, VAIO-Link is available during the following hours: ❑ 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, local time;... -
Page 41: Vaio-Link Contact Numbers
4-675-412-11.book Page 41 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM VAIO-Link contact numbers Below you will find the specific contact numbers for phone and fax. Details and updates of these are provided in the registration information and on our website. Country... -
Page 42: Vaio Hardware Repair Services
While the majority of issues are resolved via the Internet or over the phone, sometimes resolving the problem might require intervention or repair. Our Customer Support Analysts will establish whether a repair is necessary. Prior to calling VAIO-Link and in order to allow a better service, please ensure that the following guidelines are followed: ❑... - Page 43 4-675-412-11.book Page 43 Friday, April 11, 2003 3:01 PM...
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