Vaio clean XP pro install - driver query

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Adrian Boliston wrote:
> I have done a clean full reformat install of XP pro on my FS215Z (it
> came preloaded with XP home and masses of other rubbish), but as I
> sort of
> guessed, it is now lacking the drivers for things like display
> adaptors etc. I used my retail XP pro upgrade CD, but it's the
> original version a couple of years old.
>
> What I want to avoid at all costs is ending up with loads of useless
> unwanted applications that the laptop came loaded with when when I
> purchased it, as I just want the drivers necessary to get it fully
> functioning again.
>
> Perhaps I should just go to the component manufacturers own sites and
> download each driver eg Nvidia for display adaptor, Intel for the lan
> driver etc, or am i better downloading something from sony?

Go here, read the notebook FAQs:
http://pub173.ezboard.com/bunofficialsony

You purchased a Sony product and it is likely that you will have to play
Sony's game if you want a fully-functional laptop. The Sony Vaio laptop
support site is http://ciscdb.sel.sony.com/perl/select-p-n.pl

Q

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Andrew" <usenetMYSHOES@bizaveMYSHOES.com> wrote:

> Adrian Boliston <adrian@boliston.co.uk> wrote:
>> I have done a clean full reformat install of XP pro on my FS215Z (it
>> came preloaded with XP home and masses of other rubbish), but as I
>> sort of guessed, it is now lacking the drivers for things like
>> display
>> adaptors etc. I used my retail XP pro upgrade CD, but it's the
>> original version a couple of years old.
>
> OK - make sure you do all the Windows Updates and the age of your CD
> shouldn't matter.
>
>> What I want to avoid at all costs is ending up with loads of useless
>> unwanted applications that the laptop came loaded with when when I
>> purchased
>> it, as I just want the drivers necessary to get it fully functioning
>> again.
>
>> Perhaps I should just go to the component manufacturers own sites
>> and download each driver eg Nvidia for display adaptor, Intel for
>> the lan driver etc, or am i better downloading something from sony?
>
> You may not have a choice. I recently tried to download a Sony video
> driver for a laptop, and on the manufacturer's website it said I
> needed to get it from Sony. Still, I don't think you have to worry.
> If you download just the drivers from the support site, you'll avoid
> the bloat. I put XP on someone's Sony laptop a couple of weeks ago
> (XP Pro actually) and did exactly that, getting all the drivers I
> needed from Sony, and it wound up being a very clean install, no
> bloat.

Thanks, I got the drivers from sony's support site. Now I just need to figure out
how to get rid of the startup screen asking me if i want to boot to xp pro or xp
home. As I have deleted XP home it seems a bit silly having this startup screen!