SONY VAIO PCG-F540 Laptop and Win2K

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Alphacowboy

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
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I just bought a New Sony VAIO laptop that comes with winblows98 and so I formatted the HDD and installed Win2K, problems is I can't find drivers for it, any ideas? Sony does sell the PCG-F540K with 2000 but I got mine off a no lemon at Best Buy... the el'cheapo CTX died so they gave me a new system, anyway BB doesn't carry that model! Sony has no drivers on their site for this laptop at all, any links or help would be a great help!
 
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Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
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Really? and all the little appz for battery power too? I'm just really miffed at sony for not keeping all these small applications(like the jog wheel) and drivers on their website. Is it REALLY that hard for them? arghh!!

thanx alphacowboy, i'll check out that site:)
 
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Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
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Its like that or i'll have to buy the darned restore diskettes off someone with the win2k version of my laptop.

I tried installing a dual boot of win2k yesterday. Win2k installed just fine, but i was stuck at 800x600 @16bit color. Jeez god that was ugly on the screen, also drivers for half the stuff was missing:p
 
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superbaby

Senior member
Aug 11, 2000
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Sony notebooks are like that. If you don't use the OS that came with the system, you won't have the cool nifty (and sometimes critical) apps that make the notebook run.

I've tried to do this to 2 Sony notebooks, F538 and Z505SX and it never worked. There was always some driver missing or some functionality missing. IMHO, buy the Win2k model, at least all the drivers and software will work 100%. Sony notebooks are more like set top hardware gadgets, you can't play with the config too much =)

If you are lucky, you might be able to get the Win2k recovery disks for the Win2k version OF THAT MODEL. If you do, then you might be able to get a good, complete install of Win2k. Otherwise a plain install off that Win2k Pro CD on your desk WILL NOT WORK!
 
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Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
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Yea, its quite annoying. I have the 505js (win98se) model. The 505jsk model(win 2000) model is exactly the same hardware, except that it has win2k installed:(.

i guess i have to hope i can somehow buy those #@% recovery disks. I'm sure as hell not going to buy the same laptop twice to change o/s.
 
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Alphacowboy

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
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crazy isn't it! I gave up on the gadgets and just installed the vital stuff! Any idea what I should use for a DVD software under 2000, can I download it with out having to pay for it?
 
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Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
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hmm ouch, i think any of the big name players like intervideo windvd 2000 2.2 or powerdvd should be win2k compatible. I could be wrong though ehhe, i still don't have all the necesary drivers to upgrade to win2k.
 
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Beeker25

Senior member
May 28, 2000
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I was able to get the NeoMagic MagicMedia256AVP drivers for Windows2000. I have aF540 Notebook as well. I emailed NeoMagic and they emailed me the drivers back. They work perfectly. Those are the only drivers that I have been able to get so far, I am still looking though. If anyone has any leads, please post them up here, I will do the same. If anyone needs the NeoMagic MagicMedia drivers, let me know, I will send them to you. I am going to try drivers.com now to see if I can find any there.
 
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Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
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yup, only prob is getting drivers for all the other things the laptop has:( but yea, for very very basic functionality, neomagic drivers:p
 
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Beeker25

Senior member
May 28, 2000
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That is what I am trying to figure out to. Which are the correct modem drivers? Do you have a link? I don't really need them because I have DSL, but it would be nice to have them. I think that 1 of the unknown devices might be the infared port and the other may be the Advanced PowerManagement, youknow, all of the battery scope & monitering stuff. I am trying to find someone with the Restore CD's for Win2K , but have had no luck yet.Those Techg Support people at Sony are real BASTARDS!!!! I wish that they would just release the drivers, they won't even sell them!! I would have bought the Win2K version, but I could not find one when I purchased my notebook. All of this hassle would have been worth the extra $100.
 
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Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
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Well i looked at the other laptops on sonys support sites, they do seem to releaese all the software and drivers you re need to change o/s, but they are pitifully slow at releasing drivers for our 505 models, doesn't make sense since the drivers obviously exist.
 
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superbaby

Senior member
Aug 11, 2000
464
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People you will never succeed in your quest to manually upgrade that Sony notebook...

I peronsally have never been able to find drivers for "PCI Mass Storage Device" for either of my Sony notebooks. I e-mail Sony, I e-mail the distributor, I post on AnandTech (haha) and no results. They just don't exist for us to download!

That's the problem with Japanese companies, they don't believe in updates - if they have to issue a fix, it means there was a problem with the product, which means some people's reputations and honor are gonna get busted... sigh... hierarchial cultures :). While Sony says they WILL release drivers, that's not just what you want - you want that software that works with the hardware to provide the functionality you need! Remember - Sony's are NOT like our desktops... you use them like a set-top device and be happy with it... :)
 
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Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
4,601
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Hmm, but if you check the site for more recent models, there are full updates for win2k, bios/applications/drivers.
 
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Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
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I'm not going to look them up rightnow, but you just go through links from sony.com go to laptops then go to support. there should be drivers for each product. They don't have them for my model because its too new i guess(and they are #%@ too slow) buti've checked older models and they have all the req software and stuff.
 
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