XP downgrade for Sony Vaio VGN-NS20E

[jmcdermott]

Has any one out there managed to successfully downgrade (or should i say upgrade) a Sony Vaio VGN-NS20E/PGC-7154M from vista to xp?

So far i have searched the web for a lot of hours, but am not even getting past the sata driver stage during the begining of the windows install.

The BIOS is very limited and does not have any options for sata, and i have tried all the drivers i could find on the intel site.



(on a plus note Ubuntu:Gutsy Gibbon installed with no problems and runs perfectly, had to tweek sound a bit but every thing else perfect.)

[MatthewL]

I have found Sony's very difficult to degrade from Vista to XP, I have done 2 of these at work and it took well over a week of playing with each. To get drivers I had to check other models and use drivers from these, eventually got there with it but it was a pain, wouldnt do it again though.

[RabbieBurns]

When i downgraded my tgn-tz from vista to xp, all the drivers i needed were on the sony site. Im sure if you have a look there will be a section for your machine.

Only thing that doesnt work for me is the fn+fx keys for some reason. Even works in ubuntu fine but not in XP.

[Galway]

Try slipsteaming SP3 to an XP disk, with any drivers you require, should do it.

[nephilim]

the trouble is windows XP doesnt recognise SATA HDDs in the sony laptops for some reason, had to do alot of working to get it done on my personal one!

[PiqueABoo]

Only thing that doesnt work for me is the fn+fx keys for some reason

T'other half has that problem with a new work Toshiba... and talking of.. I understand some Toshiba models have been causing similar XP/SATA troubles.

[nephilim]

The main issue I found myself was it depends entirely on how old the XP install disk is. For example I have an XP Pro SP2 disk that doesnt find ANY SATA drive, yet I have another one (more recent) that finds some but not others, and I have an SP3 disk that locates almost all (Sony being the massive exception to that rule!).

Anyone else found that?

[RabbieBurns]

tried here?

Vaio : Support : Windows XP Downgrade

[Michael]

The easiest solution is to create a XP SP3 slipstreamed disc and use nLite to include any required drivers.

[jmcdermott]

Tried using a XP SP3 disk, same issue have tried nearly every driver from the intel website for sata drivers still no luck, will not be purchasing any more sony laptop here any more.

Seems my only solution is to run Ubuntu with a Virtual Xp install just to run sims.

Thanks everyone for your input.

[RabbieBurns]

Tried using a XP SP3 disk, same issue have tried nearly every driver from the intel website for sata drivers still no luck, will not be purchasing any more sony laptop here any more.

Seems my only solution is to run Ubuntu with a Virtual Xp install just to run sims.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Is there not a sata driver in the bundle on the sony site?

[Gibbo]

Try this:

http://nwex.co.uk/downloads/toshsata.zip

It's for a Toshiba but I've had it work on other brands.

[superfletch]

I had the same problem as this with a Sony Vaio, eventually I took an image from another XP laptop and duplicated it across onto the Vaio installing device drivers afterwards - as RabbieBurns said already the Sony Website was very good indeed for the drivers (once I'd used the serial number to join club Sony Vaio).

Like the OP - I wouldn't buy them again.

[willgimmence]

Did you manage to get it working?

Still trying here - not got past the installation of the SATA driver at the F6 prompt part when installing XP.

[everton4europe]

I managed it using nlite to slip stream in the sata drivers i needed then it worked a treat.