SOLVED - Sony Vaio Laptop XP drivers needed

wazza

Been asked to sort out a Sony Vaio VGN-N38E/W laptop.

Originally it had Vista home software. It now has windows XP installed and the drivers for ethernet, network and wireless etc are missing. It has SP2 installed using a disc. It cannot connect to internet because the wireless driver is missing and by plugging in the network cable nothing happens. Due to missing drivers? The owner is going to get a USB wireless adaptor tomorrow so that we can connect to the internet (fingers crossed).

Doing a search on the net (on my laptop) i have found that this model was supplied with vista so only had drivers for vista. Had a look at Sony website but the link does not work.

Does anyone know where i can get XP drivers for this laptop?

If i manage to connect to net and do windows update, will it have in the optional section drivers for this laptop?

spysect

This is the link for the Drivers for Windows Vista:
http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/preinstalled/index.aspx?l=en_GB&m=VGN-N38E_W

Although, by looking at the drivers for Vista listed on the Sony Website, you can distinguish which model and manufacturer the wireless card, graphics, etc is from and just directly download it from the Manufacturer's Website? i.e. An Intel Wireless Wifi Driver, try looking for it on www.intel.com.

Although you can restore back to Windows Vista using the Recovery Utility inside the Sony Laptop, I think its F8 to access the Utiity just after you turn the computer on.

wazza

thanks

the trouble is he hates vista and want to use xp hence xp being installed.

i think the recovery partition has been deleted because it does not show up

wazza

after a lengthy search on the internet i managed to find the XP drivers. Now got the majority of features working. The only problem is that i have no sound device/driver. That has disappeared. Any help?

missile

If you tell us what sound card you have we may be able to help you. Check details in \device manager

wazza

under device manager - sound video contollers there are codecs and legacy audio drivers. Does not have any manuf name, just says manufacturer-standard system devices

when i play a cd or dvd i get a message no sound device found, missing or in use elsewhere or something like that

in my device manager only the PCI device has a yellow question mark. No info on what it is.

looking in control panel - sound and audio device properties it says no audio device

dkpoole

A suggestion from a recent issue of, I think, PC World magazine was to use the Sony US website as they offer XP drivers for their new laptops
The model numbers are a bit different but by comparing the spec you can work out which drivers to use

wazza

Thanks for the info, managed to find xp drivers for the Sony laptop. Installed the ones i needed but still no sound.

Do you think i need to update the BIOS? This laptop was originally designed for Vista. In the BIOS there is no detailed sections that you would see on a nrmal pc/laptop. It is very basic.

dingoo

Wazza

I deleted Vista on a LAPTOP (same as yours VGN-N38E) I had (hate it) only to find there are no drivers!

I have only found the wirless one - Can you PLEASE link me up to the drivers you found

Thanks

dingoo

dingoo

Hiya m8

Ive come right all sorted .. the trick is to go to the Sony US site look for the model VGN-N385E and change os to XP, all the drivers worked for me!

Hope the audio works for you too!

dingoo

wazza

dingoo wrote: »

Hiya m8

Ive come right all sorted .. the trick is to go to the Sony US site look for the model VGN-N385E and change os to XP, all the drivers worked for me!

Hope the audio works for you too!

dingoo

i take it you visited http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VGNN385EW&SelectOS=7

is your sound working?