Windows 7/8 Conflict fixes. Boot Freeze & Eject Button

[Oliver]

Hi everyone,

All VGX-XL systems suffer issues when upgrading Windows Operating System with either instabilities, loss of some keyboard function, boot freezes and loss of physical eject button functionality.

However, all these issues can be overcome. If you are using Windows x86 (32bit) then all these issues can be overcome with just software fixes, if you are using Windows x64 (64bit) then it requires some hardware modding to fully restore all functions.

Below are links to both, the splash screen freeze fix and the eject button/keyboard functionality fix.

Fix for Sony VAIO VGX-XL BIOS boot screen freeze

Fix for Sony VAIO VGX-XL loss of physical eject button and keyboard key functionality

If you have a US model, i.e. a VGX-XL1 XL2 or XL3, please read this first.

Instabilities such as "Media Centre stopped working", and the super famous “windows has encounter an unknown error” are very likely when upgrading Windows without doing a clean install of a Windows Operating System (Sony must have put some real bad programs in the retail software). The only known fix for these issues is to do a clean install of windows.

[foz]

followed both the tuto's and both working as they should
very easy to follow and works as you said
thanks for your hard work Oliver
foz

[Oliver]

Glad to know both tutorials are working and you found them easy to follow. I noticed a few little spelling mistakes I've made in the eject button guide I wrote today, I'll fix them when I get chance, at least it didn't stop you from successfully following the tutorial.

It had been a while since I've last had to fix an eject button

Cheers for the feedback,

Oliver

[vinthebutcher]

Reboot fix worked for me, much thanks again, going to try eject fix tomorrow.

Loving this forum!

[darren]

Hi,

does anyone have a link to how to rewire the eject button please, I'm on win8 64 bit?

thanks

[Oliver]

Hi Darren,

Thanks for joining us and welcome to the community.
Sorry we do not have any rewire guides for the VGX-XL systems, however the closing thing that I know about is this YouTube video guide to hard-wiring on a random pc..



.. I hope it helps.

Are you sure you really/want(64bit)? The jury is still out on how much it might improve performance. All the original Sony drivers like the eject button, tv tuners and so on are all 32bit drivers.

If you do decide to hard-wire your eject button, please let us know how you get on, and ideally take a few pictures or even video the process, I would be very interested and I'm sure others would be too.

Cheers,

Oliver

[apolloxl201]

Hi.


I had that Logo Freeze several times. And kept re-installing Win 7 to no success.

Was opening my window to throw the unit in frustration when I chanced upon this link, forum and thread.

And now I am happy owner of the fabulous elegantly designed XL series.


Thanks dear Oliver and God Bless the forum!

[Oliver]

Thanks, it's nice to hear such positive feedback, the forum is very much a team effort, we are blessed with great members

[Woody]

Sept 18, 2013 21:06:41 GMT darren said:

Hi,

does anyone have a link to how to rewire the eject button please, I'm on win8 64 bit?

thanks

Hi Darren,

I looked into this a while back and it is not straightforward on the low-profile (laptop) slot-loading optical drives we have on our VGX-XL's.
The main issue is that the contacts on the drive can often be on a plastic coated ribbon cable (which also holds the access LED), which by it's very nature is almost impossible to solder onto (it simply melts!).

You may have to put up with losing the eject function or ditching Win 8 in favour of Win 7 (32 bit) if you want full functionality.

One possible solution is to see if the later Win 8 pre-loaded VAIO laptops had the eject function and try to get the appropriate programmes from one of those.
However, I don't know if they used the same solution? Don't know if anyone out there has a recent VAIO and can check?

I was going to see if I could do this myself by trawling through the VAIO support site and grabbing the appropriate files, but in the end I decided I was happier with Win 7.

Best wishes,

Chris

[sylas25]

Oliver help Me. I don`t know Who`s file is Vaio action setup and Sony shared library. I install Sony Utils DLL, Video Shared Library, Vaio Control Center and Vaio Event Service. I wanna fix eject button. Please help me.

[Oliver]

Hi sylas25,

I know that it is defiantly possible to clean install win7 and get the eject button working, as I have done it, but this was some time ago.
I know some people seem to have trouble getting the eject button working, you have to follow the guide exactly.
Here is that guide again, it needs to be installed in this order...

1. Download the Sony Utilities package for your particular VGX-XL (Official download - sites list)

2. Unrar, the file. I use 7zip

3. Fully Install the following Sony Utilities exactly in the order given below, if you fail to do this correctly, it is likely that you will be unsuccessful.
Utils Installer 1 SonyUtils DLL
Utils Installer 2 Sony Shared Library
Utils Installer Sony Video Shared Library
Utils Installer VAIO Control Center
Utils Installer VAIO Event Service
Utils VAIO Action Setup
4. Now restart your VAIO VGX-XL one last time and hopefully you will have been successful

This process may take some time, but it's worth it because you should have a fully functional and stable machine by the end of it.

Did you install it all it all in the correct order?

[sylas25]

I install but maybe not correct order. First I install souny utils DLL, next folder utils from sony site, then installed vaio control center and event service, sony video shared library, I don`t finding action setup and sony shared library. I find this 2 apps and installed but eject not working on windows 7. I uninstall all apps from Your list and install in correct order.

[sylas25]

Oliver You download one by one file from Sony site??? On my Vaio is not working eject button fix. I have:
1. sony utils dll
2. Sony Shared Library
3. Original Utilities Package (I zip into a folder and install) I download Video shared library ver. 3.0 and not install without ver. 2.0
ver. 2.0 is in utilities pack. In utilities pack are a control center, event service and vaio update 2.
I reboot system, go into uninstall program and I see MP3 shared library (what is this???) I don`t not install this.
4. Sony Video shared library 3.0 (now I make install this)
5 Sony action setup (download from other site, becouse on this site not this file, or I`m blind)
Installed one by one I reboot system.
And nothing, what`s wrong I do??
Meybe You give Me file 1,2,3,4,5. I`m stupid or I don`t know.

[Woody]

I think it is because you installed the original utilities package, which contains all sorts of stuff.

You need to go back and uninstall everything from the date you installed them and try it all again.
They need to be installed in the exact order, otherwise they do not work.

They do work well when done in order, I have even done this on other VAIO desktop's and laptops and they always work on these as well. Just start over, download each file separately from the VAIO support site, take your time and it will work.

I tend to split the install programs into separate folders, and label them 1st, 2nd, etc.

You should end up with something like:

1st - SOASNU-01298604-UN
2nd - SOASSL-01298203-UN
3rd - VideoShared_3.1.00.10240
4th - SOAVCC-01304902-UN
5th - SOAVES-01302701-UN
6th - SOAVAS-01311704-UN

Hope this helps!

[sylas25]

Thanks Woody for a list of drivers but I search on sony site but no results.

[Woody]

Nov 17, 2014 18:59:17 GMT sylas25 said:

Thanks Woody for a list of drivers but I search on sony site but no results.

That's strange, they are all at: www.sony.co.uk/support/en/content/cnt-dwnl/VGX-XL202/list for the 202
 
and at www.sony.co.uk/support/en/content/cnt-dwnl/VGX-XL100/list for the XL100 I think you have..

..did you click on 'show all downloads'?

[Oliver]

I think the XL100 drivers will have different names to the list Woody gave because Woody's list is based on the exact driver names for the XL201. The XL100 driver set will be something like what Woody has, but not exactly the same.

Basically download all the drivers I gave in the list, then put them all in a folder and label them in order of 1 to 6 like Woody did.
Then install in the correct order.
Let us know if it works.

BTW if you have already installed some of the drivers, I'd uninstall them and start again.

Good luck

[Woody]

Nov 17, 2014 20:38:37 GMT Oliver said:

I think the XL100 drivers will have different names to the list Woody gave because Woody's list is based on the exact driver names for the XL201. The XL100 driver set will be something like what Woody has, but not exactly the same.

Yes, that's why I said 'something like' in my list a few posts back.. ..but as I said above all the appropriate XL100 drivers can be found at www.sony.co.uk/support/en/content/cnt-dwnl/VGX-XL100/list

[Oliver]

I know I spotted that Woody, I was trying to emphasise in case sylas25 didn't.

I was worried that sylas25 was unsuccessfully trying to find the exact drivers you listed.

Great advice about listing the order of drivers and keeping them in a folder. I wish I did that as it would save me time when I decide to reinstalled windows or upgrade from Win7.

[sylas25]

Thanks Woody for a name of files. I search in google and find all files. Everything works fine. Eject and On screen display for Volume meter and mute hihi. I find apps for XL100. This is link for download www.helpdrivers.com/notebooks/Sony/VGX-XL/VGX-XL100/. Oliver Thanks for this forum. This is realy great idea for a help with problems with Sony vaio desktops. I still problem with sound on tv via HDMI but I Hands up with this problem. I connected 2 speakers with subwoofer to headphones jack and it`s great. Sorry for My english, I hope You understand what I writing to You.