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.

[featured_spectre]

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.

[featured_spectre]

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?

[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.

[willgimmence]

Great - could you give me a link to the required sata driver please? I just need the ones I need to slipstream - I can manage with the rest!

 

Thanks very much

Edited April 3, 2009 by willgimmence

[jmcdermott]

I gave up, windows 7 works great so think i will just wait for the first release until then Ubuntu 8.10 works perfectly straight from the first install no driver issues or stability problems.

[willgimmence]

Have finally got it working! Wahoooo.

 

I slipstreamed these SATA drivers into a Windows XP SP3 disk - Downloading - ICH9M EM SATA AHCI Controller zip

[srochford]

The Sony site has a link for the SATA drivers and if you download them they're just the standard Intel SATA drivers. Do you have (eg) a USB floppy drive you can put them on for the F6 bit? This might be quicker than the nLite process (although if you're going to do this more than once it's worth building the CD with all the drivers on!)

 

If you can't get the Sony drivers to work then google for f6flpy32.zip - this should get you to the download you need on the Intel site (it downloads an EXE which will then expand on to a floppy disc and give the appropriate drivers)

[willgimmence]

The Sony site has a link for the SATA drivers and if you download them they're just the standard Intel SATA drivers. Do you have (eg) a USB floppy drive you can put them on for the F6 bit? This might be quicker than the nLite process (although if you're going to do this more than once it's worth building the CD with all the drivers on!)

 

If you can't get the Sony drivers to work then google for f6flpy32.zip - this should get you to the download you need on the Intel site (it downloads an EXE which will then expand on to a floppy disc and give the appropriate drivers)

 

I tried all that - you have to slipstream them.

[Neverwana]

Hi everyone -

 

1) I would like to echo other requests in this thread - can someone please provide a *direct* link to the SATA drivers for the TZ model?

 

2) The Sonystyle website does *not* have them. They have an intel executable that does not extract INF files.

 

3) The Floppy zip option mentioned does not work unless you still have a floppy disk drive.

 

4) The Euro UK sony site does not have the model mentioned which I've got - TZ2000

 

5) I was told the Intel site has them. If someone could point me to where, or tell me what to search, I'd appreciate it.

 

I've spent the last two full days trying to find these damn INF SATA driver files.

 

You must have the actual INF driver file in order to slipstream onto an XP install disk using NLite.

 

Thanks

Edited May 28, 2009 by Neverwana

[RabbieBurns]

my TZ27GB/B isnt listed on the uk site either. It was bought in japan. Have you tried installing XP on it yet? When I did mine XP install found the HD controller no problem.

 

Edit: to elaborate, what i mean is that the xp install didnt require me to specify a 3rd party driver. It just found the HD and continued.

Edited May 28, 2009 by RabbieBurns

[RabbieBurns]

its confusing they have different model numbers for different regions. Is yours one of the wee 11.1" things?

 

Windows XP Downgrade Drivers and Applications for VGN-TZ2 Series (Individual drivers) : Sony Asia Pacific

 

Thats the drivers for mine. Maybe something there might work?

[Neverwana]

Alright guys, since nobody else took the time to do this, I will do it.

 

DEALING WITH AND GETTING AROUND THE SATA DRIVER ISSUE WHEN TRYING TO INSTALL WINDOWS XP ON YOUR VAIO TZ MODEL - OR ANY OTHER MODEL FOR THAT MATTER

 

There is a thread titled this on notebookreview.com but its far too complex.

 

The process was mentioned by a few people in this thread, but their "one liners" with zero information made the suggestions fairly useless.

 

So here goes: Yes - the proper suggestion is to "Slipstream WinXP Service Pack 3".

 

But how does one do that?

 

1) Download and install NLite from here: nLite - Deployment Tool for the bootable Unattended Windows installation - Download

2) Download Windows Service Pack 3: Download details: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers (just click the download button - make sure you save it to your desktop)

3) Get a blank DVD-R or CD-R

 

Load up NLite

 

1) First screen with Language showing on it, click next

2) "Locating Windows Installation" screen, click browse to your CD drive where you've put your Windows XP disk.

3) Popup will appear: "Select where to save the CD installation files..." Browse to a newly created folder on your hard drive and select it. (This is where it will put the entire WinXP + SP3 combo, which you'll later burn to a blank DVD)

4) It will then copy the contents of your WinXP disk to that directory.

5) When it finishes, just click "Next".

6) Ignore the "Available presets" page and click next

7) On the next screen click the "Service Pack" button and the "Bootable ISO" button. Click Next.

8) Next screen you can identify the location of the service pack 3 file, which is on your desktop. Click "Select" and browse to it. It will combine the SP3 and WinXP on your hard drive, in the directory you created.

9) Put your blank DVD R or CD R in the drive.

10) Go to the next NLite screen. Under "mode" click "Direct Burn". Then click "Make ISO" button. It will burn Windows XP + SP 3 onto the disk.

 

Use that disk when you boot up your machine, boot from the disk, and it will completely load WinXP for you.

 

Problem solved. Someone post this all over the web please. im too lazy after 3 days of trying to find someone else who wrote it.

[RabbieBurns]

Those instructions insinuate that whatever driver you are missing is in XP SP3. When I downgraded to XP I used a SP3 slipstreamed CD, so that is probably why I didnt encounter any problems.

 

This thread will get listed by google in a matter of hours, so hopefully it will be a top listed for any others needing to find the answers.

[Neverwana]

Those instructions insinuate that whatever driver you are missing is in XP SP3

Well, at least the one SATA driver that is impossible to find anywhere on the internet, and which nobody has a link to on the Intel site. So yes - XP service pack 3 has the elusive SATA drivers needed. This is for those who keep running into the 0x0000007B error when the install disk is trying to initiate the install during boot up.

 

Maybe I should make a new thread with this post. Its on page 2 of this thread and only page 1 gets linked-to and elevated in Google...