Sony Vaio Recovery Esoteric Numbness

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

I've arrived end-game with this pcvrz24g. I did a system recovery.
There are numerous glitches. Sony email support leads me to many Sony
articles to fix these problems, but, all are useless.

I have no gigapocket, no recovery wizard, no encoder, no mpeg
functionality, and the application recovery cd is uncooperative. I'm
simply working to rebuild the system to a healthy state.

With this stated here's the short of my research. The application
restore cd contains the wealth of drivers and applications. Since these
cds don't run freely on there own initiative several articles point
out to methods that will assist in unfolding the applications. I've
used two utilities that would unzip, extract, from the Sony.Pac image
all this wealth. These two utilities are the kcap.exe and the
unpack.exe utilities. Following the routines stated in this article
http://www.siliconpopculture.com/sonytr/viewtopic.php?t=23&highlight=extract+pak
it's a strait-forward cmd command. The unpack utility doesn't
work and that may be because of its age, 1999ish. From this comment:
http://p200.ezboard.com/funofficialsonyfrm26.showPrevMessage?topicID=22.topic

I don't know. With the kcap I get firstly, this flash 'kcap version
2.0 nolock. And if I fiddle with it, secondly, I'm invited to enter a
password for the extraction process. In short, I'm unable to open
this sony.pac image.

I've searched the net for methods to extract and versions that may
work of unpack.exe and kcap.exe to no avail. Is there a sane procedure
to fully explore the recovery application CD? I've done four system
restore procedures with the pcvrz24g. The final process in all
instances of the restore is when booting into XP there is a window
begging to advance into the application process. One is prompted for
Yes, and No. In all four experiences after this ardrous restore with a
factory clean install of XP and so forth...if I click on yes no
activity. No response. If I click on No. No is execpted. Yes is
rejected. If there's a current utility, a process, for access, and,
extracting, the Sony.Pac Image on the application restore cd please let
me know.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

<parvardigar@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1108174450.656744.60110@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> I've arrived end-game with this pcvrz24g. I did a system recovery.
> There are numerous glitches. Sony email support leads me to many Sony
> articles to fix these problems, but, all are useless.
>
> I have no gigapocket, no recovery wizard, no encoder, no mpeg
> functionality, and the application recovery cd is uncooperative. I'm
> simply working to rebuild the system to a healthy state.
>
> With this stated here's the short of my research. The application
> restore cd contains the wealth of drivers and applications. Since these
> cds don't run freely on there own initiative several articles point
> out to methods that will assist in unfolding the applications. I've
> used two utilities that would unzip, extract, from the Sony.Pac image
> all this wealth. These two utilities are the kcap.exe and the
> unpack.exe utilities. Following the routines stated in this article
> http://www.siliconpopculture.com/sonytr/viewtopic.php?t=23&highlight=extract+pak
> it's a strait-forward cmd command. The unpack utility doesn't
> work and that may be because of its age, 1999ish. From this comment:
> http://p200.ezboard.com/funofficialsonyfrm26.showPrevMessage?topicID=22.topic
>
> I don't know. With the kcap I get firstly, this flash 'kcap version
> 2.0 nolock. And if I fiddle with it, secondly, I'm invited to enter a
> password for the extraction process. In short, I'm unable to open
> this sony.pac image.
>
> I've searched the net for methods to extract and versions that may
> work of unpack.exe and kcap.exe to no avail. Is there a sane procedure
> to fully explore the recovery application CD? I've done four system
> restore procedures with the pcvrz24g. The final process in all
> instances of the restore is when booting into XP there is a window
> begging to advance into the application process. One is prompted for
> Yes, and No. In all four experiences after this ardrous restore with a
> factory clean install of XP and so forth...if I click on yes no
> activity. No response. If I click on No. No is execpted. Yes is
> rejected. If there's a current utility, a process, for access, and,
> extracting, the Sony.Pac Image on the application restore cd please let
> me know.
>
> Thanks
>

I'm not sure about the PCV-RZ24G, but the Recovery Disks I created for my PCV-RS720G consist of 1 CD (bootable/startup) and 1 DVD
(contains everything else).
And I keep any updates I download from the Sony support website on a separate CD.

The System Recovery is supposed to restore the system to the state the PC was in as shipped from Sony; nothing more (e.g. later
updates).

When I pop in the recovery startup CD, it prompts me to reboot the machine with the CD in the drive to begin the recovery process.
If I pop in the recovery DVD, it brings up a window with all the applications the Sony Vaio shipped out with, and I get to select
the individual applications I want restored.
I have not proceeded further as I don't wish to mess up my working system.
I've owned a Toshiba laptop for almost 7 years and never had a need to use the system recovery disks, and I hope my Sony is the
same.

I think Symantec Ghost is the way to go.
You get back an image of the system as of the time you imaged the harddisk.

I would think any programs to unpack the files on the CD/DVD should be on the recovery CD/DVD.
How else would the recovery program unpack the files?


If I were in your shoes, here's what I'd do.

Try to get the Sony OEM Win XP Home restored using your Sony Vaio Restore Disks.
If you can't, I've seen some local computer stores selling Win XP Home with SP2 for about $80.

If you have to use a MS Win XP CD to restore the OS, forget about Giga Pocket and the other Sony software on the Vaio forever.
And remove the Giga Pocket hardware from the Vaio.

You can get a good PVR like the Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB2 for about $100 after rebates.
Now you have a almost generic Pentium 4 PC that should give you less software problems and an extra empty slot.

The Sony Vaio hardware isn't all that bad.
But I have a problem with their proprietary drivers and software.
The very least Sony could have done is to bundle Sony Vegas instead of Click To DVD with the Vaio.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On 2/13/2005, DVDUsr managed to type:
> <parvardigar@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1108174450.656744.60110@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>> I've arrived end-game with this pcvrz24g. I did a system recovery.
>> There are numerous glitches. Sony email support leads me to many Sony
>> articles to fix these problems, but, all are useless.
>>
>> I have no gigapocket, no recovery wizard, no encoder, no mpeg
>> functionality, and the application recovery cd is uncooperative. I'm
>> simply working to rebuild the system to a healthy state.
>>
>> With this stated here's the short of my research. The application
>> restore cd contains the wealth of drivers and applications. Since these
>> cds don't run freely on there own initiative several articles point
>> out to methods that will assist in unfolding the applications. I've
>> used two utilities that would unzip, extract, from the Sony.Pac image
>> all this wealth. These two utilities are the kcap.exe and the
>> unpack.exe utilities. Following the routines stated in this article
>> http://www.siliconpopculture.com/sonytr/viewtopic.php?t=23&highlight=extract+pak
>> it's a strait-forward cmd command. The unpack utility doesn't
>> work and that may be because of its age, 1999ish. From this comment:
>> http://p200.ezboard.com/funofficialsonyfrm26.showPrevMessage?topicID=22.topic
>>
>> I don't know. With the kcap I get firstly, this flash 'kcap version
>> 2.0 nolock. And if I fiddle with it, secondly, I'm invited to enter a
>> password for the extraction process. In short, I'm unable to open
>> this sony.pac image.
>>
>> I've searched the net for methods to extract and versions that may
>> work of unpack.exe and kcap.exe to no avail. Is there a sane procedure
>> to fully explore the recovery application CD? I've done four system
>> restore procedures with the pcvrz24g. The final process in all
>> instances of the restore is when booting into XP there is a window
>> begging to advance into the application process. One is prompted for
>> Yes, and No. In all four experiences after this ardrous restore with a
>> factory clean install of XP and so forth...if I click on yes no
>> activity. No response. If I click on No. No is execpted. Yes is
>> rejected. If there's a current utility, a process, for access, and,
>> extracting, the Sony.Pac Image on the application restore cd please let
>> me know.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>
> I'm not sure about the PCV-RZ24G, but the Recovery Disks I created for my
> PCV-RS720G consist of 1 CD (bootable/startup) and 1 DVD (contains everything
> else). And I keep any updates I download from the Sony support website on a
> separate CD.
>
> The System Recovery is supposed to restore the system to the state the PC was
> in as shipped from Sony; nothing more (e.g. later updates).
>
> When I pop in the recovery startup CD, it prompts me to reboot the machine
> with the CD in the drive to begin the recovery process. If I pop in the
> recovery DVD, it brings up a window with all the applications the Sony Vaio
> shipped out with, and I get to select the individual applications I want
> restored. I have not proceeded further as I don't wish to mess up my working
> system. I've owned a Toshiba laptop for almost 7 years and never had a need
> to use the system recovery disks, and I hope my Sony is the same.
>
> I think Symantec Ghost is the way to go.
> You get back an image of the system as of the time you imaged the harddisk.
>
> I would think any programs to unpack the files on the CD/DVD should be on the
> recovery CD/DVD. How else would the recovery program unpack the files?
>
>
> If I were in your shoes, here's what I'd do.
>
> Try to get the Sony OEM Win XP Home restored using your Sony Vaio Restore
> Disks. If you can't, I've seen some local computer stores selling Win XP Home
> with SP2 for about $80.
>
> If you have to use a MS Win XP CD to restore the OS, forget about Giga Pocket
> and the other Sony software on the Vaio forever. And remove the Giga Pocket
> hardware from the Vaio.
>
> You can get a good PVR like the Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB2 for about $100 after
> rebates. Now you have a almost generic Pentium 4 PC that should give you less
> software problems and an extra empty slot.
>
> The Sony Vaio hardware isn't all that bad.
> But I have a problem with their proprietary drivers and software.
> The very least Sony could have done is to bundle Sony Vegas instead of Click
> To DVD with the Vaio.

Hint: if you buy a generic WinXP disk from your neighborhood store to
do a reinstall or repair installation, continue to use the original
activation code from the sticker on your computer, not the one on the
new CD.

I did the opposite (I was confused by my lack of organization...) and
really messed up Norton Antivirus. It has its won activation scheme and
was traumatized by the change of the Win XP code.

I now run a different AV program, since my Norton AV 2003 is no longer
supported by Symantec, and I only figured out the real cause of the
problem much later, after replacing NAV...

And of course, this might happen to other programs too...

HTH,
Gino

--
Gene E. Bloch (Gino)
letters617blochg3251
(replace the numbers by "at" and "dotcom")

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

You are not probably using the KCAP expansor right.

The format is kcap sony.pac c:\sony if you do not inform the
destination directory you get the no lock message