Trial & tribulations - Sony VAIO VGN-FZ104E

We'll see.
If so, I can easily move this around, so fear not

That sounds like a scam to me.
AFAIK, Microsoft offers customers a downgrade from Vista to XP (obviously losing the Vista licence in the process but who cares...), for free!
You could also have tried getting a model with XP instead of Vista (they still exist, due to large demand), in case there is one with the same HW...

USB is supported "out-of-the-box" if you're using XP SP2.
Sound probably needs the HDA hotfix (KB888111) installed to work.
The DriverPacks will install this hotfix if it is not present.

Have you already tried the DriverPacks?

Ususally it goes like this:
You slipstream them into your source using the BASE, then you install with that modified source and see what device drivers are missing, if any.
Then you report that here, along with the logfiles and your HWIDs, so we can see what's up.

The DriverPacks will do this.
You need to use the DPMS with Text Mode enabled.

If you current OS does work (I presume XP got installed on the machine now? Wonder what type of guy that is who sells a preinstalled OS but doesn't bother to include proper drivers... --> sounds even more like scam), then the drivers must have been installed, else it wouldn't boot up...
Obviously, any bootable media must include the drivers themselves in order to find and access your HDDs.
Those boot discs will NOT use the drivers from the OS on your HDD to work.
If you come to think of it, how whould that work? If it cannot see/access the HDD due to lack of drivers, how whould the boot app "extract" them from there?
Same as leaving your keys in the car and slamming the door shut --> no way to obtain keys...

You're more than welcome to try out the DriverPacks, if you haven't already.
In theory, that should solve most if not all of your current problems

Coming up next - useful links:
• If you like this project, please support it with your donation!      • Grab your HW info (HWIDs) here!     
• If you are a newbie, be sure to check out the DriverPacks tutorial!     • Here's how to create your own DP!

Hi Helmi and TigerC10,

Thank you for your replies.

Helmi: From your reply I infer that downloading and installing the DriverPack will solve everything???? I am not sure what the DriverPack is but I assume the URL's posted by TigerC10 will lead me straight to where I can download the DriverPack from?  Can you kindly confirm my assumption and guide me if I have mis-understood your reply.

BTW, thanks to both of you for the extremely helpful and friendly replies.

Regards.

hi

tutorial, see signature
the tute has all links.

method one makes a searchable BIG driverfolder, called $OEM$, which is what some use method one for.

Many thanks Jaak and TigerC10,

Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it    Will go through Jaak's tutorial and then will go through your link in detail. I hope I'll get past this ordeal soon???

P.S
Am about to go through Jaak's tutorial but one quick question: Do I have to download all of the 11 DriversPack or ???   I understand that I will certainly be needing the DriverPacks BASE to slipstream them.

Last edited by morland (2007-08-12 11:34:00)

Hey, if you haven't noticed it already, you're posting on the DriverPacks official forum!
I am wondering a bit how you got here if you haven't heared about the DriverPacks itself before

If you scroll to the very top, the link on the very left will take you to the DriverPacks many page, you can DL the required packages from there!

Yes, you do need the BASE no matter what.
You can then either DL and use all DriverPacks or just pick those that you want/need.
They are categorized by general HW classes.
In your case, you will need the DPMS and you will also need to enable the option for Text Mode drivers (thet tut should cover that, too).
According to your first post, you will also want the DriverPack Sound A as well as the 3rd party DriverPack Modem (you will find that one not on the main page but in the 3rd party DriverPack subforum on this board! Just scroll down a little on the index page).

If you do not have to worry about space because you opwn a DVD burner, I suggest DLing all the packs (including 3rd party DriverPack) so you get as much HW covered as possible.
There's no downside in using them all apart from having to DL more and needing more space on the disc (ok, installation will take longer, but it would probabaly take even longer if you have to manually install all those drivers ).

Coming up next - useful links:
• If you like this project, please support it with your donation!      • Grab your HW info (HWIDs) here!     
• If you are a newbie, be sure to check out the DriverPacks tutorial!     • Here's how to create your own DP!