topic Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B in PCs & Accessories

XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

peter.andaluz — Fri, 27 May 2005 09:19:22 GMT

Could someone tell me if its true that this machine will not take an installation of xp pro due to its internal architecture?

we bought one tried to upgrade it to pro to connect it to our servers and some hardware doesnt work.

regards in advance
Peter

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

hldomster — Fri, 27 May 2005 09:51:50 GMT

All VAIOs should be upgradable to XP Pro, but you lose all initial programs installed buy sony. You can download drivers and utlities packages from VAIO-Link for your laptop. You should've bought a VAIO with XP Pro presinstalled, like the FS195B. By downloading the drivers and utilities packs your hardware should work, I think.

good luck!

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

peter.andaluz — Fri, 27 May 2005 09:53:41 GMT

Our company that does the upgrade tell us that sony themselves have said that the machine is not upgradeable to pro which seems so bazaar.

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

kee-lo_ — Fri, 27 May 2005 11:52:20 GMT

LOL Sony really have supassed themselves this time.
It can work, but some things won't work.
The only reason they don't want you to do it is because they don't support OS changes

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

TygerTyger — Fri, 27 May 2005 12:16:08 GMT

Just to clarify: When KL says that don't support it, he doesn't mean they just aren't in favour of it. They will not lend technical support to any OS other than XP home. IIRC from what others have said, if you ring them up asking for support with XP Pro they ask you to do a system restore and put the original XP Home OS back, although since they generally ask you to do that anyway it doesn't make too much difference I suppose.

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

kee-lo_ — Fri, 27 May 2005 12:27:35 GMT

Yeah thats right, they just don't give help with it.
If you want to use XP Pro, they don't mind, they just can't help

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

Stephanius — Fri, 27 May 2005 13:15:38 GMT

What you can do is upgrade to XP pro instead of doing a 'clean' install.

That means you use a retail XP pro CD to add the XP pro features to your XP home installation. This means that you will also keep all drivers and applications that are preinstalled.

For this to work, you require an XP pro version that matches your XP home version in language and service pack. You can not use an XP pro disc with another language or without Service Pack 2, since that is preinstalled.

To perform this procedure, just insert the XP pro disc, then select update and follow the on screen instructions.

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

kee-lo_ — Fri, 27 May 2005 14:36:23 GMT

You can also slipstream it to suit your requirements if SP2 is not on the CD and you have it installed.

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

peter.andaluz — Sat, 28 May 2005 06:05:10 GMT

I must admit having looked at the laptop yesterday its the chipset drivers that are causing the problem. What appears on the intel website for the 915 express chipset doesnt help. if you run the chipset driver on drive d that sony supply it doesnt complete the chipset installation it gives the message microsoft bus driver needs to be installed. I couldnt find anything to install on that only kb articles and white papers that dont give a meaningful solution.(not to me anyway).

any ideas on what I do next?

regards in advance.
peter:smileycry:

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

Akita — Sat, 28 May 2005 12:03:08 GMT

Hi there,
This is most disturbing news, when i bought my notebook i informed the saleman that i would wanting to upgrade and why. i asked what the difference was between the FS11B and the next one up, and apart from three hundred quid he said it had window Xp pro but i wouldn't realy need that as it wasn't a full version and i'd have to upgrade it anyway.
no where was i told that when you upgrade to pro on any model would you have problems. have i been missled? need to know asap so i can return this for a model with xp Pro installed.
tell me if i have got it right, i really need to have a laptop with xp pro installed if i want it to work right.
regards Akita

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

kee-lo_ — Sat, 28 May 2005 12:31:57 GMT

Peter: I am so sure someone posted the link, I can't find it though.................

Atika: Unless you need advanced networking and domain server access you really don't need to get a new laptop for XP Pro.

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

Akita — Sat, 28 May 2005 13:44:40 GMT

Peter: I am so sure someone posted the link, I can't find it though.................

Atika: Unless you need advanced networking and domain server access you really don't need to get a new laptop for XP Pro.

sorry to sound so bumb but what is advanced networking? would that only be used in a buissness enviroment? it's nothing to to with networking at home is it?
thanks.:smileygrin:

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

kee-lo_ — Sat, 28 May 2005 14:10:45 GMT

Yes the extra features in XP Pro are not really needed at home.

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

iSix — Sat, 28 May 2005 19:24:47 GMT

I haven't had a problem installing XP pro on mine (I *hate* xp home and all the junk sony install).
I'll be installing freeBSD on a second partition next week and dual-boot the two.

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

seb21__ — Sat, 28 May 2005 22:22:56 GMT

LOL, You wouldn't need the most features of XP Pro. What you want do with your PC. For Home using, XP Home is more than enough.

I'll be installing freeBSD on a second partition next week and dual-boot the two.

Hehe, I wish you fun with the installation. Don't forget that Unix, Linux, Gnu and CO. only recognize 32MB RAM of your NVIDEA graphicscard. The Intel GM graphic could have problems with OpenGL. One my PCG-FR it works only in Software Mode which is really slow.:smileytongue:

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

mvanwambeke — Sun, 29 May 2005 07:29:06 GMT

If you do change OS, don't delete the hidden partition with the recovery information. I might always be usefull in the future.

And make a backup of the folder c:/drivers and of c:/ultils
You can always download them as well, but just to be on the safe side ...

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

iSix — Mon, 30 May 2005 17:54:46 GMT

You wouldn't need the most features of XP Pro

I do

Hehe, I wish you fun with the installation. Don't forget that Unix, Linux, Gnu and CO. only recognize 32MB RAM of your NVIDEA graphicscard. The Intel GM graphic could have problems with OpenGL. One my PCG-FR it works only in Software Mode which is really slow.:smileytongue:

I've not had a problem with another notebook with integrated intel graphics... I'll have to see how it goes.

If you do change OS, don't delete the hidden partition with the recovery information.

Already done, bit pointless really. If the HDD dies, how are you going to recover from a recovery partition on that disk?

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

seb21__ — Mon, 30 May 2005 18:02:06 GMT

I've not had a problem with another notebook with integrated intel graphics... I'll have to see how it goes.

That would interest me. The Radeon IGP makes me problems there.:smileygrin:

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

peter.andaluz — Tue, 31 May 2005 10:06:51 GMT

I have been told that the machine cannot be upgraded to pro as the home version is SP2 and the upgrade version is SP1 so when you try to upgrade it just says that you cannot upgrade as a newer version is installed.

Please help I am tearing my hair out on this one and Sony are as much help as a brick.

Question is whoever upgraded or put the full install of pro on which drivers did you use to get the thing working?

regards in advance
Peter

Re: XP Pro and VGN - FS115B

Stephanius — Tue, 31 May 2005 10:13:50 GMT

I have been told that the machine cannot be upgraded to pro as the home version is SP2 and the upgrade version is SP1 so when you try to upgrade it just says that you cannot upgrade as a newer version is installed.

Please help I am tearing my hair out on this one and Sony are as much help as a brick.

Question is whoever upgraded or put the full install of pro on which drivers did you use to get the thing working?

regards in advance
Peter

As I told you above, you need an XP pro disc in the same language version and service pack as the existing home installation that you want to upgrade.

It does not have to be labeled as upgrade version, it will give that option anyway.

The easiest way to get one of those is to go into a shop and buy a new XP pro retail box that does include SP2.