Guide for Installing Windows 8 on an unsupported Win7 VAIO + How to restore wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so it is controlled via Windows 8 settings, without the need of installing VAIO SmartNetwork / VAIO Link
Bought my VAIO VGN-AW11Z/B a few years back. I've progressively upgraded the OS as they came along... Vista to Win7 and finally to Windows 8.
Firstly, there is no support for my model... which given its price tag at the time in 2008 [touching the 2k mark]. I found to be a little disappointing as considering what's inside, it's still reasonably powerful even by today's standards. However, as this was a few years old model I kind of accepted/anticipated this would be the case... if not with a big old frustrated frown on my face lol.
Anyway the good news, for me at least, is that windows 8 has now been installed flawlessly on to my old VAIO. Well, I say flawlessly... flawlessly after literally weeks of tweaking, uninstalling - reinstalling etc. etc. etc. But, it is now on the computer flawlessly... I upgraded to 8 over the Christmas period as I knew I would have a lot of spare time for the first time all year. I'm a freelance designer by trade so I really can't afford for my equipment to go crazy on me during work time. So I took the opportunity of the Christmas break.
I won't give a blow by blow account of every action I took as overall a lot of the process was trial and error. So hopefully this will be a big help to everyone who finds this post and shares/d the same predicament as myself.
This guide is for unsupported models... if your model qualifies for an official upgrade pack, lucky you.
VAIO Windows 8 Installation Guide…
1. Back Up your important work/personal files.
2. Create an Outlook.com account (this account is free and you can use it for a number of benefits)…
A. Sync all settings between your Win8 devices through your Outlook.com account < my fave’ feature
B. You get Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook of course, PowerPoint) FREE! (online versions)
C. Your Outlook.com account is basically used in Windows 8 as your user profile but sort of on the cloud as opposed to it being in a fixed location like with your Win7 set up (hence the syncing ‘A’)
3. Find your respective VAIO online in the Sony support centre. Get the drivers for 7 (I also downloaded the Vista and in some instances even XP ones)
4. If you have any software like iTunes, Origin, Steam or subscription based software disassociate the accounts and perform a proper uninstall of all that software. Trust me it will drive you bananas if you try and re-install same said software in 8 if you haven't done this step... this was a mistake I made (because I wasn’t fully concentrating as I’d been sat at my VAIO for hours by this point) preparing stuff for the pending install - it took me almost a day to sort everything to get beyond this error.
5. Clean Install Windows 8 - basically don't upgrade (you get two options at install, upgrade & clean install) I tried upgrade at first and it was a horrible experience - don't bother putting yourself through it - totally not worth it in the end. Clean is just well, so much cleaner
6. Windows 8 will now install
(As a clean install)
7. Your computer will restart many, many, many times
(You may think it's broken it's not 🙂 let it do its stuff).
8. Step 8 & aptly Windows 8 is now installed - you will for sure 100% find the following issues, I did:
----
A. Network Cards (Bluetooth + Wi-Fi no longer recognised)
B. Graphics card no longer recognised
C. Sound card no longer recognised
D. Webcam + Microphone non responsive
E. The handy multi card reader slots will also not work
----
: -) I fixed these issues and I'm happy to say are all now upgraded to the Windows 8 OS
These issues took absolutely ages to figure out how to fix, so …
Point B is fixable via the VAIO drivers
Windows will initially patch a generic graphics driver on to your card.
The card will also appear as a Windows Generic Display Device.
Everything will appear massive as a result
--- Update the drivers for this last as it is the least of your worries for the moment
Points C and E are fixable via the VAIO drivers – simple to do
Which leaves A & D.
Before you address this issue, from your drivers, install the following…
Event Service
Ethernet Driver
Firstly as much as it may, or may not, pain you – with me it was a case of not. Do not attempt to install any of the ‘Sony Smart Network / VAIO link’ whatever it’s called on your particular system. Do not install the VAIO update software. Do not bother with the firmware – when I installed 8 these were patched in automatically – so, thanks Microsoft.
Now, here is a trick I found buried on a forum just after Christmas. The thread wasn’t even talking originally about VAIO, just some random comment…
Smart Network Win7 software does not work on Win8 do not even bother attempting to install…
To restore wireless functionality for your VAIO. Upon installing Windows 8 – Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will be dead. The procedure is simple and also involves no software.
1. Shut Down
2. Remove the battery… leave it out for 30 mins and just walk away
3. Plug battery back in
4. Press Power
5. As if by magic all the wireless networking now works
How this works around the software I have no idea but it works so who am I to argue on that.
Now that’s all the major parts dealt with. Basically over the next few hours keep on forcing windows to update as it will keep checking through your system and will eventually update everything you need.
The next thing to install VAIO wise is this:
Setting Utility Series
Install this on its own – when you bring up the charms menu (Win+C) press the settings you now have brightness control back for your monitor.
Last but not least…
Install the graphics driver and finally restart your machine
The sole bug I have with my graphics card is it will not run the Netflix App natively in the metro environment so the compromise is I have to watch it through a browser which quite frankly after all that effort – I couldn’t give two hoots about.
Of course there is also the issue of Fn keys… to restore these (you will notice above we already installed the Event Service and restarted – you have to install in the order… event, utilities, shared library… you also have to restart after each install)
Download Utilities Driver – Install then restart
Download Shared Library – Install then restart
Fn Keys will now work… : -)
This ends the install and upgrade procedure for non-supported Win8 upgrade kit VAIO computers.
Thanks.
Message was edited by: PauloFranc
just reduced the font size of my post as it was really big. Also regarding the graphics card, unfortunately no update exists from Sony or Nvidia, which is a shame. I tried a patch yesterday that I found on a driver update site this caused havoc so I'm leaving the graphics card alone as there isn't any problems with it, other than the driver itself is from 2009. As it stands everything is working perfectly on it. The biggest differences I've noticed since upgrading to Windows 8 are firstly It runs much cooler than it used to secondly of the 4GB of RAM on Win7 before anything was being used it was eating up 1.68 GB of resources now a mere 500MB is being used so it's also noticeably faster than it used to be. Essentially it's like having a new laptop all over again. p.s. my processor isn't an i3 it's a dual core T9400 32 bit 2.53 GHz. Different processor I know but still the steps I've listed should, I imagine, apply across the board. Thanks again.
