Sony Vaio FW issues

Hello. I have some problems with my Sony Vaio FW laptop.
1. the fan is strangely always running
2. can't shutdown via the GNOME menu
3. brightness doesn't work (xbacklight says "No outputs have backlight property")
All of the above worked on a previous Arch installation and in Ubuntu >= 9.04.
I have:
- acpi-cpufreq, cpufreq_ondamend, sony_laptop in MODULES()
- @acpid, cpufreq in DAEMONS()
- my user is a member of the following groups: network, video, audio, scanner, power, users, dbus, avahi, hal, vboxusers,
- my video driver is 'radeon'; xfree86-video-ati and gnome composition works perfect.
Am I missing some vital daemon or configuration? Please help.
Last edited by napsy (2010-03-12 16:33:48)

I had acpid as marked as asynchronous in DAEMONS. When I removed the @ and rebooted the issue with the gnome menu and brightness was fixed. But the fan is still strangely very active. I've read somewhere that the radeon drivers don't work well and get the GPU going 100% all the time. But didn't go into details.

Similar Messages

[SOLVED] ACPI power issues with Sony Vaio Pro 13

tl;dr backstory:
Sony VAIO Pro 13 (SVP13215CDB) laptop was working great (Win 8.1).
Installed Win10 Tech Preview. A week later, it started going to sleep randomly and on certain key-presses (perhaps after performing Sony Vaio Software updates. I'm not 100% sure). I wiped all partitions installing Win7 in legacy mode. It still went to sleep randomly.
I restored to factory default Win8.1 with Sony Vaio software up-to-date. It still went to sleep randomly.
Took it to an electronics repair shop, to see if they could fix it, and they said it can't be fixed in any way without replacing motherboard, but that's basically a new laptop.
So I turned to Arch Linux.
I have completed the basic install from the Wiki, and it no longer sleeps/shuts down randomly, but it will gracefully shutdown when certain events/keypresses occur.
I installed acpid and used "acpi_listen >> acpi.log" to determine what causes the system to perform a graceful shutdown. Here is the result of acpi.log (each line was a shutdown event):
button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000 # Unplugged power adapter.
button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000 # Running on battery and idle. Perhaps battery percent update caused this?
button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000 # Plugged in power adapter.
button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000 # Fn-F1 Touchpad Disable
button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000 # Fn-F5 Brightness Down
button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000 # Fn-F6 Brightness Up
button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000 # Fn-F7 LCD/External Display
button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000 # Fn-1 (Weird. It has no extra function).
As you can see, they all seem to trigger the same shutdown event.
I have seen on other posts that these ACPI signals can be disabled or assigned to other commands, which would be an acceptable workaround if it stops my laptop from erroneously shutting down. Is this doable?
Also, I was not able to reflash the Sony VAIO firmware when using Windows, as Sony's package software is amazing wouldn't allow flashing an equal or lesser firmware version. Perhaps there is a way in Arch to force a reflash if I can get my hands on the firmware blob?
Thanks .
Last edited by SafeToRemoveACPI (2014-11-25 22:55:55)

linux /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=<UUID here> rw quiet acpi=off
Like this?
I did that, and it disabled my laptop keyboard entirely. In doing so, it disables the key-presses that would normally shutdown the laptop, including the power button. So the only way to shut it down is a hard shutdown via long-press of the power button. Thanks, though.
Update: Issue Solved. I will update post tonight. Flashing the BIOS again resolved the ACPI issues.
Last edited by SafeToRemoveACPI (2014-11-25 22:54:13)

Brightness not adjustable in Windows 8.1 Sony Vaio (formerly sleep issue)

AAAAAARGH. Whenever I hear the word VAIO my blood pressure rises. Model: VPCYB13KX/P (P=Pink) but the problem seems to be a universal oneMajor problems: cannot change brightness at all, closing the lid puts computer in non-responsive but 100% CPU state (judging by the CPU cooler fan turning on to max and enough heat radiating from the base of the laptop to fry an egg)OS: Windows 8.1 upgraded from a clean install of Windows 8 64 bit So, in my case I clean installed Windows 8 followed by 8.1. Vaio "care" (if that's what you want to call it) and all the ancillary junk was installed as well (much of it removed in trouble shooting). Before I did trouble shooting I had four major problems:1 FN keys (F5/F6) did not adjust brightness at all (still broken, and officially broken for the VPCYB series according to http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/support-info.pl?info_id=1380)2 FN keys (F3/F4) did not adjust sound (fixed, not sure when)3 Brightness could not be changed AT ALL (broken, fixed and now broken again by solution to sleep problem)4 Closing the laptop's lid would cause the computer to go into a "frozen" but active state out of which it couldn't be woken up (fixed by steps at end of post)5 Complaint during boot about missing file (see http://community.sony.com/t5/Windows-8/iolorgdf32-program-can-not-be-found-Skipping-Autocheck/td-p/161333 for someone else's description of problem) (not fixed; not bothered to try... seems like a minor problem compared to everything else)6 mf110u DLL missing dialogue box upon startup (see http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-windows_update/mfc110udll-missing-windows-8-pro-updates-wont/9596536f-a405-4b1e-b8cf-b06e28b7fea4?msgId=28e1af2b-d536-4258-aea2-a1155cc6464b) (fixed) Re: 3 brightness. Before the sleep fix (billed as a brightness fix) was applied I was able to adjust brightness using the Windows brightness controls (one in the new interface and one in the desktop/traditional interface). Now I can't. Re: 5 and 6 My guess is that #5 and #6 have to do with the Vaio Care software (which seems to be someone else's software repackaged?). This laptop has been a support headache from day one, even under the 'clean' OEM Windows 7 Home Premium with Vaio drivers and software being the culprits 95% of the time (terrible QAQC). Until very recently I had problems with the wifi cutting out daily in Windows 7 Home Premium (only fixed when I clean installed Ultimate and used non-Sony driver for wifi... I should've stuck with 7 Ultimate and not boethered with 8). What others have been told would correct their brightness problem fixed my sleep problem (I can close the lid now) but it broke my brightness adjustment ability. I'm now stuck at 100% no matter what I do. PS These are the instructions for how to fix the brightness problem (and, to reiterate, it broke my brightness solution but fixed my sleep problem): 1.Launch Task Manager
2.Terminate two tasks
•esrv.exe
•esrv_svc.exe
3.Delete “sony_acpi_battery_input.dll” Under “C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Care\ESRV\sony_acpi_battery_input.dll”
4.Restart PC So, if anyone has a suggestion about how to get brightness working without breaking sleep please let me know. If I don't have any success fixing this I'm simply going to downgrade the laptop to Windows 7 Ultimate again and transfer my Windows 8 licence to my home built desktop machine (I was going to pick up a second licence but maybe I won't bother since I'll only need one).

I did try that IIRC but no luck. I've simply given up and gone back to Windows 7 because I don't have the luxury of devoting time to re-installing software when I've got toddlers screaming for my attention and work taking up the rest of my time. I haven't installed a single piece of Sony software on my Windows 7 install and so far only two things were not working: brightness control and a broken wifi driver. I fixed the driver (Sony doesn't provide a fix for the faulty wifi driver for the VPCYB13KX, nor does Microsoft) by installing a driver from the web (care of Atheros.cz). And, i haven't bothered to go after the brightness control because it's not as pressing an issue as the faulty wifi driver. Plus, I don't have any of the Sony bloatware slowing things down (installing an SSD at the same time may have had something to do with the speed up ;-). Plus, in many ways going back to Windows 7 simplifies my life big time since it is a computer that's being used by two people and Windows 8.1 makes accomodating the work flow of two separate people in one account difficult. Tangent... And, it means that at least one computer isn't subject to the prying eyes of Microsoft Live. I am becoming really leery of the amount of information that private companies (which means there is zero transparency) are able to collect and sell about private individuals through Windows 8.1, Mac OS X 10.9 and Google OS. If you happen to allow the wrong settings these OSes are able to track and store phenomenal levels of personal information (which police would never be able to find out about you without a warrant, let alone store in perpetuity). And, who knows if these OSes even honour your opt-outs. Or, if through coding errors they still continue to collect the data anyway.

Sony Vaio Tap 11 Pen Pressure issues?

Hey everyone, I have a Sony Vaio Tap 11 and for some reasno the Pen Pressure feature isnt functioning within Adobe Products, I have tested it in another program and it worked fine, just not in Adobe products. Any suggestions?

I remembered coming across threads on issues with Sony Vaio, that they were about other models had been unclear to me.
But does Mr.Cox assessment
If the driver isnt' reporting pressure correctly, then it won't work in Photoshop.
The other 2 apps you mention use a different API for pen pressure -- so probably the older API is broken in your driver.
You'll probably have to go through Sony for driver updates.
from this thread
http://forums.adobe.com/message/4856888#4856888
not probably also apply in your case?

[SOLVED] Sony Vaio Keys don't work (probably udev issue)

Hardware: SONY VAIO VPC-EH2L1R
Linux distribution: archlinux, XFCE
udev versions: 177, 178 (core), udev-git 20120123-1 (AUR)
keyboard driver: evdev
At least a week earlier I had some of Sony Vaio Keys working: Volume control (Fn+F2: mute, Fn+F3: down, Fn+F4: up) and Brightness control (Fn+F5: down, Fn+F6: up). Other Vaio Keys (Fn+F1: touchpad switch, Fn+F7: switch video mode, Fn+F12: suspend) never worked.
At some point (I think after updating to udev-177-1) Brightness control keys stopped working. Volume control keys still work.
Brightness control still works directly via acpi.
I know this may sound like this bug, but that solution doesn't work for me - neither updating to udev-git nor manually loading the keymap.
My keyboards are:
[ajaxas@r2d2 ~]$ /lib/udev/findkeyboards
AT keyboard: input/event0
module: input/event1
which are actually:
[ajaxas@r2d2 ~]$ cat /proc/bus/input/devices
I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=ab41
N: Name="AT Translated Set 2 keyboard"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio0/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/platform/i8042/serio0/input/input0
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event0
B: PROP=0
B: EV=120013
B: KEY=402000000 3803078f800d001 feffffdfffefffff fffffffffffffffe
B: MSC=10
B: LED=7
I: Bus=0010 Vendor=104d Product=0000 Version=0000
N: Name="Sony Vaio Keys"
P: Phys=
S: Sysfs=/devices/LNXSYSTM:00/device:00/PNP0A08:00/device:02/SNY5001:00/input/input1
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd rfkill event1
B: PROP=0
B: EV=13
B: KEY=1f16cf0000 c00000000 10010000000000 200000000 600e00102c00 380000240300400 e000000000000 0
B: MSC=10
Now, the funny thing is that (I think) udev loads my keymap correctly:
[ajaxas@r2d2 ~]$ cat /sys/class/dmi/id/{sys_vendor,product_name}
Sony Corporation
VPCEH2L1R
Here is this keymap module-sony (which worked until recently!):
[ajaxas@r2d2 ~]$ cat /lib/udev/keymaps/module-sony
0x06 mute # Fn+F2
0x07 volumedown # Fn+F3
0x08 volumeup # Fn+F4
0x09 brightnessdown # Fn+F5
0x0A brightnessup # Fn+F6
0x0B switchvideomode # Fn+F7
0x0E zoom # Fn+F10
0x10 suspend # Fn+F12
- but here is where it starts getting curiouser and curiouser.
My Volume control keys seem to be mapped to input/event0 (keyboard itself):
[root@r2d2 ajaxas]# /lib/udev/keynap -i input/event0
scan code: 0xA0 key code: mute
scan code: 0xAE key code: volumedown
scan code: 0xB0 key code: volumeup
and these scan codes correspond not to my keymap (0x06, 0x07, 0x08), but to /lib/udev/keymaps/force-release/common-volume-keys:
[ajaxas@r2d2 ~]$ cat /lib/udev/keymaps/force-release/common-volume-keys
0xa0 #mute
0xae #volume down
0xb0 #volume up
So I assume, udev uses force-release rules before other keymaps and maps my Volume control keys to input/event0 (how? I couldn't find the rule!), which is more or less fine with me, but!
My Brightness control keys, mapped as 0x09 and 0x0A in the keymap, are reported by udev as:
[root@r2d2 ajaxas]# /lib/udev/keymap -i input/event1
scan code: 0x10 key code: brightnessdown
scan code: 0x11 key code: brightnessup
If I change my keymap file (0x09 -> 0x10, 0x0A -> 0x11) and load keymap manually, nothing changes. And when I reboot with this changed keymap, udev reports this for my Brightness control keys:
[root@r2d2 ajaxas]# /lib/udev/keymap -i input/event1
scan code: 0x10 key code: fn_f5
scan code: 0x11 key code: fn_f6
Again, nothing works, and keys are not reported as Brightness control keys anymore.
As I said earlier, updating udev doesn't help.
Could somebody please help me?
EDIT: added keyboard driver (evdev) reference.
Last edited by ajaxas (2012-01-25 13:52:54)

jst wrote:
ajaxas wrote:Okay, this is stupid but it was XFCE's fault. If anyone with the same problem reads this, try creating a new user account and see if it's actually udev or only your shitty DE. -_-
How did you solve this? I realized I have the same problem with XFCE, but could not solve it
I don't really remember. As a matter of fact, I've already switched to KDE and I'm quite content with it

8.1.7 Installation Problem on Pentium IV Sony VAIO PCV-RX651 with XP Operating System

Have problem installing Oracle 8i Enterprise Edition on a SONY VAIO with XP Personal Edition. The "Explore CD" and "Browse Documents" buttons of the Oracle Universal Installer/Autorun responded but the "Install/DeInstall Products" button did not. Oracle 8i DB from the same CD was installed and ran just fine on a Pentium III Toshiba laptop with Win2000 ?! Please help.
Thanks.
CNguyen
[email protected]

================================================================
Doc ID:
Note:131299.1
Subject:
Oracle Installer 8.1.X Hangs on Machines with Pentium 4
Processors
Type:
ALERT
Status:
PUBLISHED
Content
Type:
TEXT/PLAIN
Creation
Date:
02-JAN-2001
Last
Revision Date:
18-APR-2001
This alert was modified 16-January-2001 by specifying specific
Oracle Universal
Installer Versions in the the Versions Affected section.
Oracle Universal Installer (OUI) for 8.1.x Hangs on Machines
with Pentium 4
Processors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Versions Affected
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oracle 8.1.5
============
Oracle Universal Installer 1.6.0.9.0
Oracle 8.1.6
=============
Oracle Universal Installer 1.7.0.19.0
Oracle 8.1.7
==============
Oracle Universal Installer 1.7.1.9.0
Platforms Affected
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any platform that uses the Intel Pentium 4 processor, with the
Sun JRE
and Symmantec JIT will encounter this problem. Windows NT,
Windows 2000
and NetWare platforms are confirmed to be affected.
Description
~~~~~~~~~~~
When installing Oracle Products with the Oracle Universal
Installer (8.1.x)
on machines that use the Sun JRE and Symmantec JIT, the
installer hangs.
Specifically for the Windows platform, the following version
of the Symmantec
JIT or earlier will encounter the failure:
Symantec Java! JustInTime Compiler Version 3.10.107 for JDK
1.2.
Details regarding this issue can be found at:
http://developer.intel.com/design/processor/future/manuals/knowni ssue.htm
How to determine if you have Symmantec Java for JDK 1.2:
1. Select the file "symcjit.dll" and right click on it.
2. Select Properties, then the Version tab.
3. Under Microsoft Windows*, the properties of the DLL are:
"Symantec Java! JustInTime Compiler Version 3.10.107 for
JDK 1.2 Copyright (C)
1996-99 Symantec Corporation Dynamic Link Library file".
DLLs older than this will also not work. "
Likelihood of Occurrence
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any platform that uses the Intel Pentium 4 processor, with the
Sun JRE
and Symmantec JIT will encounter this problem. Windows NT,
Windows 2000 and NetWare platforms are confirmed to be
affected.
Possible Symptoms
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The failure typically is that the affected application simply
terminates.
Workaround
~~~~~~~~~~
Not only will OUI be affected by this bug, most of the
post-install
configuration tools will also be affected. Running these
tools with "-nojit"
specified will avoid the hang, but it is not simple to specify
"-nojit" for
some of the products.
The following workaround works for the Windows operating
system:
a. Copy only the install directory from the CD to the hard
disk ,say, e:\temp.
b. Open oraparam.ini and make the following modifications
(Assuming CD
drive is f:)
* Change the "SOURCE=" line to use the full path to the CD
instead of a
relative path. (i.e., SOURCE=f:\stage\products.jar)
* Change the "JRE_LOCATION" line to use the full path to the
CD instead of a
relative path. (i.e.,
JRE_LOCATION=f:\stage\Components\oracle\swd\jre\1.1.7\1\DataFiles
\Expanded)
* Change the "OUI_LOCATION" line to use the full path to the
CD instead of a
relative path. (i.e.,
OUI_LOCATION=f:\stage\Components\oracle\swd\oui\1.6.0.9.0\1\DataF
iles\Expanded
* Change the "JRE_MEMORY_OPTIONS" line to add "-nojit" as the
first argument.
(i.e., JRE_MEMORY_OPTIONS=-nojit -ms16m -mx32m)
^^^^^^
* Other entries should remain the same
c. Launch setup.exe from the temporary location on your hard
drive (i.e.
e:\temp\install\win32\setup.exe). This will use the
modified
oraparam.ini and pick up the information from the CD since
the absolute
locations are specified.
Choose a Custom install and choose not to create a database
during the
install. This way, the Database Configuration Assistant will
not be launched
during installation.
The Net8 Configuration Assistant will still be launched, and
there is no way
to suppress it. You will need to kill the Net8 Configuration
Assistant if it
hangs due to the bug. The installation still will have been
successful, and
you can run the DBCA and NetCA after installation.
To kill NetCA if it hangs during installation:
In the "Configuration Tools" window, highlight the "Net8
Configuration
Assistant" and click "Stop". If that does not work, look for
the most recent
JRE process using the Task Manager, and kill it manually.
NOTE: the OUI
itself will also have a jre process. Be sure to kill the one
with the most
recent date, which should be the jre process being used for
Net8CA, not the
one for OUI itself.
After killing the configuration tools and continuing through
the installation
to the "End of Installation" screen, you should modify the
configuration tools
to use "-nojit", then call the appropriate tools from the
Start Menu.
Once installation is complete, each of the following files in
the ORACLE_HOME
needs to be modified:
assistants\dbca\dbassist.cl
assistants\dbma\dbmig.cl
assistants\ifa\ifa.cl
bin\elogin.cl
bin\owm.cl
ldap\oidamdin\oidadmin.cl
network\tools\netasst.cl
network\tools\netca.cl
owm\install\instelogin.cl
owm\install\instowm.cl
Edit the contents of the above files to add "-nojit" as shown
below:
Command=("C:\Program Files\Oracle\jre\1.1.7\BIN\JREW" -nojit
-classpath ....
this is the only thing you need to add --> ^^^^^^
Then, launch the necessary tools, like Net8CA and DBCA from
the Start Menu.
Patches
~~~~~~~
Currently there is not a patched installer available to deal
with this
problem, the workaround listed above must be used.
References
~~~~~~~~~~
[BUG:1507768] INSTALLER FAILS WHEN RUNNING ON NEW PENTIUM 4
(IV) PROCESSORS
[BUG:1507946] INSTALLER FAILS WHEN RUNNING ON NEW INTEL
PENTIUM 4 (IV) PROCESSORS
@[BUG:1518935] SYMCJIT.DLL DOESN'T WORK WITH THE NEW P4
PROCESSORS
Oracle
Support Services.
Copyright (c) 1995,2000 Oracle Corporation. All Rights
Reserved. Legal Notices and Terms of Use.
================================================================
The solution of making a local copy of the installation CD on
the hard disk and renameing symcjit.dll to symcjit.old does
work to allow installation of Oracle Client 8.1.7 on a Pentium 4
This function is useful and you can find two file to rename
===============================================================
Windows ME
Solution to the installation of Oraclei8.1.7 PE in Windows Millennium
Oracle does not support installing version 8.1.7 PE into
Windows Millennium.
As an unsupported workaround, you may add the following line
to the [compatibility95] section of win.ini prior to
installation:
Jrew=0x00080000
After setup is complete, Oracle will recommend a reboot.
There is one additional step necessary prior to reboot;
Oracle may add a non-standard path statement to the
autoexec.bat file. Please modify this SET PATH
statement to use short-filenames if you find a quoted
LFN string represented as part of the path. You can
confirm that the path was merged successfully into the
registry after reboot by examining the PATH variable
in the registry at
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\Environment
Symptoms of a missing Oracle path statement in the registry are that Net8 Easy Config will not launch.
Please note that Oracle does not support the use of this
product in Windows ME, but have authorized these workarounds
for testing purposes only.
===============================================================
Windows XP Home Edition
Oracle 8i is not certified on windows XP. Even if yes, it must be Windows XP Professional.
You can install Oracle8i on windows XP Home Edition, try like this:
1 - Copy your Oracle CD into hard disk in your
machine. For example Copy from oracle8i CD into C:\Oracle\ ...
2 - Search the two files named Symcjit.dll on the D drive (where you have copied Oracle8i. You can found them in (example):
C:\Oracle\stage\Components\oracle.swd.jre\1.1.7.30\1
\DataFiles\Expanded\jre\win32\bin\symcjit.dll
3 - Rename this file (Example): symcjit_back.dll (make sure to find two files and rename them)
4 - Execute the Oracle setup.exe from C:\Oracle\setup.exe
===============================================================
When Oracle 8i dies on the install or the installer hangs, here is the fix for this, make sure that you have Service Pack 2 installed.
1. \JRE\1.3.1\ From Sun. (You can download java program at http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.1/jre/download-jre-windows.html)
2. Install the java file.
There is also a problem in the installation disk.
3. Make a copy of the Oracle 8i disk on the local hard disk.
4. Do a search for the two files called symcjit.dll and rename them for example: symcjit.old.
5. Install Oracle from the win32 directory.
================================================================
PLEASE NOTE THAT ORACLE DOESN'T SUPPORT THE USE OF THOSE PRODUCTS IN WINDOWS ME, BUT HAVE AUTHORIZED THESE WORKAROUNDS FOR TESTING PURPOSES ONLY

[SOLVED]Custom DSDT not loading - OEM battery doesn't work - Sony Vaio

EDITING ORIGINAL POST TO POST SOLUTION so I don't do a massive bump
Installed windows and ran the BIOS flasher that came with the battery. Didn't work until I changed a line in the plaintext configuration file (config.ini or something) it comes with. Changed "Capacity: 20" to "Capacity: -10". This changed the battery charge requirement from 20% to negative ten percent (any negative number will do), allowing the program to run and flash the BIOS. Didn't realize I could do that, but it fixed the problem 100%.
#### BEGIN ORIGINAL POST: ################################
Hey guys,
I'm a bit of a linux noob, but I've spent many hours this week trying to fix this issue on my own and have learned a lot about making custom kernels, hardware stuff, ACPI, and ABS. However, nothing I've done has worked and I've hit a wall. For reference, I'm on a Sony Vaio VGN-FZ4000 with linux-3.0 base kernel, gnome3/gdm. The battery is made in china and doesn't list a manufacturer, just model number BPS8, 52000mAh.
[Backstory]
So I recently got an OEM battery to replace the broken original, which hasn't worked since before I installed arch (though it worked with an Arch install I did a couple years ago). When I first plugged it in, the gnome battery symbol popped up listing the battery at 0% with an exclamation icon. I unplugged from AC power and the laptop still ran, but the battery monitor just said it was at 0% and 'Estimating' remaining time. I figured this was a glitch with gnome or just because it was this battery's first cycle so I let it run down until it hard-crashed. Then I plugged back into AC and tried to turn on the computer, but it wouldn't do anything until I removed the battery.
Looking into the problem I discovered this was due to the ACPI firmware table DSDT being compiled for Windows, which has, shall we say, fewer restrictions on sanity than the Intel ASL compiler used for UNIX systems. Sure enough I extracted /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/DSDT to find that its section about the battery contained the entry 'Zero' for Battery Technology, which translates to "non-rechargeable", rather than 'One', which makes it chargeable. acpitool confirmed this; my system thought the battery was non-rechargeable and was constantly discharging it. Needless to say I've only been putting it in temporarily to test solutions since.
[/backstory]
[tl;dr] DSDT firmware contains malformed battery description, now I can't get my system to run with a custom DSDT. [/tl;dr]
Attempted solutions:
[1]
Extract, modify, recompile DSDT and include it with the kernel compilation .config options
CONIFG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT=y
CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_FILE="/usr/src/custom_dsdt.hex
CONIFG_STANDALONE=n
as suggested here, a page linked to by the arch wiki page on DSDT.
I followed the instructions but no matter what this has generated errors during the kernel compilation, sometimes due to every line containing unexpected \231 (or other numbers) characters, sometimes finding some error in the DSDT file and then claiming that the driver it was compiling (ol.c somewhere in the drivers/acpi section I believe) had references to undefined functions all over the place. I CANNOT compile with a custom DSDT specified.
[2]
Place recompiled DSDT in /lib/initcpio/custom.dsdt and add 'dsdt' to the HOOKS in mkinitcpio (and rebuild the initramfs-linux-*.img, of course). Another version of this included recompiling the kernel with CONFIG_STANDALONE disabled.
In neither of these situations has the running DSDT ever been anything but the BIOS-supplied one and not once has the battery shown any different behavior.
acpitool and $ cat /proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/info have consistently claimed the information specified in the BIOS-supplied DSDT; the battery is non-rechargeable and is discharging at an unknown rate. Sometimes acpi will even report that the battery has zero capacity.
The arch wiki does say mkinitcpio doesn't support the dsdt hook as of 2.6.30, but [1] didn't work either and mkinitcpio -H dsdt still told me to try this so I did.
[3]
The final solution I have tried has been to do [2] but to recompile the kernel with the legacy support for battery and ac adapter stuff disabled. I tried this because it was suggested in the kernel.log;
Sep 13 11:51:03 localhost kernel: [ 11.740059] ACPI: Deprecated procfs I/F for AC is loaded, please retry with CONFIG_ACPI_PROCFS_POWER cleared
Sep 13 11:51:03 localhost kernel: [ 11.753434] ACPI: AC Adapter [ADP1] (on-line)
The corresponding line now reads
ACPI: AC Adapter [ADP1] (on-line)
(The same goes for the battery BAT0)
but all this does is remove the battery/ and adp1/ folders from /proc/acpi/ and break acpitool functionality. The log still doesn't mention the dsdt hook, either.
[4]
The old way to do this was to use the acpi-dsdt-initrd-patch-* patch, but that hasn't been updated for modern kernels, presumably because of the new "functionality" from mkiniticpio. The current kernel .config doesn't include any options for ACPI initrd/initramfs support or reading a DSDT from initramfs, which is the functionality provided by this patch.
This covers all the methods I've been able to find on the internet and I'm at a loss for what to do. Am I doing something wrong in [1]? Under what conditions will the compiler fail/succeed with a CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_FILE?
When I recompile I fix the 'Zero' definition and a couple compiler errors and warnings. The errors come from section length definitions, which read as 0x00000000 rather than the appropriate max-min value so I fix those, and the warnings come from _T_* methods belonging to the compiler, so I refactor the code to remove the initial underscores. The last warning comes from an isolated And statement that's within brackets (compiler complains it doesn't do anything), but if I remove that the compiler fails hard.
Thanks to anyone who's read this far. Please let me know if you have any ideas how to get my system to use a customized DSDT.
Last edited by paraffin (2011-09-29 23:20:30)

Thanks for the offer, Radioactive man However, I'm actually compiling a customized kernel with the linux-ck and -sony patches, so your packages won't help. (The custom kernel works fine and I've tested this battery behavior on the the regular, -ck, and -sony kernels as well)
Anyway, so I tried another compile with
CONFIG_PREVENT_FIRMWARE_BUILD=n in addition to the options listed in [1] and that time it compiled.
Unfortunately it still didn't load the DSDT!
I did catch a quick little error message that turned up in kernel.log though;
/var/log/kernel.log:Sep 15 11:50:24 localhost kernel: [ 0.925780] acerhdf: unknown (unsupported) BIOS version Sony Corporation/VGN-FZ4000E/R2110J7, please report, aborting!
acerhdf is a fan controller module for the Aspire One, and perhaps I left that in the kernel config and it's preventing the custom DSDT from loading, even though the acerhdf module never gets loaded itself, nor is it in my rc.conf or anything else... If that was the cause of all this, I'm gonna be angry...
Anyway, this message does not appear with my latest kernel build because I took off the custom DSDT option, hoping to be able to use ACPI_CUSTOM_METHOD=y, which supposedly allows one to inject a custom AML method into a debug fs. It wouldn't have worked anyway, as it doesn't let you modify Device sections, but even with a dummy method insertion it didn't give my root modification privileges as it was supposed to...
Will try recompiling AGAIN with this CONFIG_ACERHDF=n (it's simply 'not set' in my current .config), while also enabling the custom kernel etc. If this doesn't work I have no idea what I'll do.
Anyway, thanks for your help and time:

Sony Vaio VPCZ112GX/S Availability?

Hello!
I recently purchased a Sony Vaio VPCZ112GX/S laptop (on April 3rd) from bby.com. I received notice that the item is backordered with the typical 1-2 week time frame response and now the item on bby.com changed from backordered to sold out.
This may be a long shot, but is there any possibility of anyone on here knowing an actual date as too when the product will be in stock again and shipping out? I noticed the item went backordered the week before i purchased it, but quickly changed to normal availability again. Guess I waited a day to long to order it! :-)
The SKU is 9740911.
Thanks so much!
Jon
(former BestBuy Geeksquad employee!)
Jon
(ex Best Buy Geek Squad Agent.... so use my advice lightly)
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Hey fellow ex Agent.
Really there's no way to tell short of calling someone in the manufacturing/shipping plant and asking them. But, since that's not feasible, the only thing you can really do is wait.
If you like my post, or solution to your issue/question, go ahead and click on the little star by my name and/or accept the post as the Solution. It makes me happy.
I'm NOT an employee of Best Buy, or Geek Squad, though I did work as an Agent for a year 5 years ago. None of my posts are to be taken as the official stance that Best Buy will take on your situation. My advice is just that, advice.
Unfortunately, that's the bad luck of any electronic, there's going to be bad Apples... wait that's a horrible pun.

I cant get itunes to work on my new Sony Vaio. Im running Windows 8.1.

i cant get itunes to work on my new Sony Vaio. Im running Windows 8.1. Anyone have a fix?

Hello philtapevans,
The following article provides information and steps that can help get iTunes installed on your computer.
Issues installing iTunes or QuickTime for Windows
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1926
Cheers,
Allen

Win 7 (Sony Vaio) Battery Doesn't Charge

I have a Sony Vaio VPCEB11FM notebook with Win 7 64 and suddenly the battery doesn't charge. During shutdown, Win 7 was installing updates and before it was done it went off.
After that Win 7 doesn't recognize the ac adapter plugged in and the battery doesn't charge.
The updates downloaded are not running or installing.
I have tested the ac adapter and battery on a laptop exactly like my one. And it worked just fine.
There are no updates available for battery from manufacturer.
The charging light is off when i plug the ac adapter.
The laptop works without battery, but plugged in ac adapter.
Plz, helpppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp...

Hi
I've had a number battery problems to do with rapid
discharging and not charging properly - the batery was nearly new and previously had 3 hours life before an update ... Sony Support
have been worse than useless ... In case it helps (given that your problems started after your Windows 7 update) - my
problem was not the physical battery (or BIOS or drivers or a number of other things I checked) but the Sony VAIO battery management software which stopped working after I installed the 64-bit Windows 7 update Service Pack 1 (SP1).
There may be no harm in just trying to re-install the Sony VAIO Battery Checker software - it worked for me ... To do this, run
the VAIO Care Recovery and Restore programme (from the start menu), use the Recovery option  - Reinstall Applications and Drivers – and re-install the Battery Checker
(tick the check box option).
Hope this helps :)
Here's the full detail of what happened to me in case others have similar problems:
Warning to all 64-bit Windows 7 users: Do NOT install Windows 7 SP1 !!!!!   If you do and
the Sony VAIO battery management software ruins your battery, Sony Support won't replace it but blame Microsoft instead.
After I installed the Windows 7 update for SP1 my battery performance died - the battery would
discharge from 100% to zero in only 52 minutes
(it was nearly 3 hours before installing SP1). In a specific timed test for Sony Support the battery took 47 minutes to discharge to 50% and then rapidly discharged from 50% to zero in the following 4 minutes. In
all tests I performed the machine did not ‘turn off’ but crashed as if the battery had been ripped out, prompting a safe-start by windows each time. From zero charge, the battery was re-charging to 100% charge in about 20 minutes.
Sony Support were useless, so I started to read many technical discussion forums online and found that hundreds of Sony users
have the same problem with battery performance with no solution. Many discussions online have led back to a wrong idea: that the Microsoft Windows system drivers –
battc.sys and
compbatt.sys – used for Microsoft Composite Battery management are too old to be 64-bit versions. This idea is because the Microsoft driver information
displayed in the Device Manager window shows a driver date of 21/06/2006, before Windows 7 64-bit was deployed. However the actual hidden driver files in the Windows System folder (version 6.1.7) are dated 14/07/2009 and are indeed 64-bit versions.
I found this after I spent hours looking for new versions of the drivers and when I couldn’t find any mention, let alone new versions, I then checked the actual file properties myself and discovered the Microsoft drivers are fine (even though there is
a Microsoft Windows 7 error displaying the date using Device Manager). Similarly, a number of people have updated their BIOS with no change to the problem (so I'm leaving that alone).
I then investigated other ideas – and eventually checked that the version of VAIO Power Management and Battery Checker
VAIO (part of the Sony Notebook Utilities exe) for my machine (VPCEB3C5E). The latest versions I could see online (Sony sites) all appear to be the same versions as those already installed on my machine.
However, I tried one final, simple action and it fixed my machine:
I used the VAIO Care Recovery and Restore programme
(from the
start menu),
selected the Recovery option – Reinstall Applications
and Drivers – and re-installed the Battery Checker (check box option).
This fixed the problems with the battery management
where the machine suddenly crashes without adequate warning when the battery is discharging. The
battery now shows a steady discharge from 100% down to zero (remember, before it discharged quickly down to 50% and then from 50% to zero in the last 4 minutes). It also charges back up at a steady (safe) rate rather than rapidly.
Unfortunately, my battery is now damaged but Sony Support do not want to know.  In
the several weeks while the Sony software was not working properly the battery had been rapidly re-charged, over-charged and is now damaged.
The previous battery life of over 2.5 hours in normal use (let alone test conditions
doing nothing) has been reduced to less than an hour since the 64-bit Windows 7 SP1 installation.
Things
cannot still be fully correct with the Sony battery management software because the
battery health status in the
VAIO Control Centre is still displaying
GOOD.
So Sony Support will not replace the battery, even though previously they contradicted themselves by saying I had to run industry standard tests - now when the tests show the battery is faulty Sony then go back to relying on
software that was the cause of the problem. Unbelievable !!!
Moreover, the Sony European Support guy escalated my case (5568077) and the response he got was this is a Windows 7 issue and
not a Sony problem ... Therefore, should I ask Microsoft for a new Sony battery even though it was the Sony software at fault? Even more unbelievable by Sony !!!!!!
So, all Sony VAIO Users - don't install Windows 7 SP1 and expect Sony Support to help.
Most of all - when the Sony VAIO battery management software ruins your battery, don't expect Sony to replace
it.
And now for a bit of a rant to make me feel better ... This was the first time I've bought a Sony - I've had dozens
of Dells over the years but thought I'd try a VAIO for a change ... Given my recent experience guess what my next machine will be? Sony may be making a small financial loss since the Tsunami and online PSP gaming / hacker problems, but with service like
this their VAIO losses will also be significant in the future - Sony just don't get that customers pay for and expect service when we buy a machine ... Idiots!
Cheers RB, England

Sony Vaio Laptop Won't Turn On

I have a Sony Vaio laptop that turns off every time I turn it on. I have taken it in for repairs and they can't that nothing is wrong with it and they can turn it on. They even run diagnostics and have opened it up and can't find a problem. I did update the computer from Windows 7 to 8 but the problem was happening even before I updated it. At first, it would turn off then I would be able to immediately turn it back on, then it would turn off and I would have to wait a few minutes and it could turn it back on. Now, it won't be anything. I know it does work because it was on when I got it back from the repair shop. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am getting very frustrated!

Check if the DC jack is loose or damaged within the computer.
Remove media from the CD/DVD drive.
Disconnect all external devices that are connected to the computer.
Connect the AC adapter into a known working AC outlet and to the DC jack on the notebook, and then attempt to turn on the computer normally.
NOTES:
Verify the correct Sony AC adapter is being used, and not a third-party replacement AC adapter.
Connect the AC adapter directly to a wall outlet and not to a surge protector or extension cord.
Some AC adapters have a POWER LED indicator and can be confirmed as receiving power by ensuring the LED is lit. If the AC adapter is damaged, or the LED is not lit or continuously flickers when plugged into a working AC outlet, the adapter must be replaced.
Disconnect the AC power adapter, remove the battery, and then press and hold the Power Switch for 5 seconds. Once that has been done, connect the AC power adapter again, and then attempt to turn on the computer normally without the battery installed.
NOTE: If the computer turns on without the battery, the battery is either completely drained or defective. Put the battery back in, reconnect the AC adapter and charge the battery for 24 hours. If the issue still occurs, that battery is the problem and will need to be replaced.
Remove any additional Random Access Memory (RAM) that may have been added to the computer.
NOTE: If removing the added RAM memory resolves the issue, check the computer specifications to ensure the memory modules meet the minimum requirements. If they do, the modules themselves may be defective.
Attempt to turn the computer on.
***We also have a YouTube video that walks you through these steps: http://goo.gl/Kl8lD
If my post answers your question, please mark it as "Accept as Solution"

Sony vaio blue screen

so i just got a sony vaio after best buy junked out my old laptop which was shipped out 2 times for repair for a total of 8 weeks. I'm a college student, and this happened right before finals. now, my new vaio is getting the blue screen at least 2 times a day, and I have midterms next week. I called best buy and they said that they have to ship it out again for 6 weeks. By that time its goin to be the end of the semester again. Are there any other options for a quicker fix on the laptop?
Reward Zone Premier Member and Techie for Life!

If you can post the error message(if you can catch it) one of us can look it up and give you an idea as to what's causing it, and possibly if there's a fix.
Does it do it right at startup, or after it's been on for a while?
If you like my post, or solution to your issue/question, go ahead and click on the little star by my name and/or accept the post as the Solution. It makes me happy.
I'm NOT an employee of Best Buy, or Geek Squad, though I did work as an Agent for a year 5 years ago. None of my posts are to be taken as the official stance that Best Buy will take on your situation. My advice is just that, advice.
Unfortunately, that's the bad luck of any electronic, there's going to be bad Apples... wait that's a horrible pun.

Sony vaio does not connect

Hello.
I have a Sony Vaio laptop. My main computer is an iMac. Everything I have wirelessly connects to my airport extreme, except the Vaio. I can see my wireless network, but can't connect.

Its no help to you but I've got the same issue. Apple have been really helpful and checked out airport and it's running fine BUT it looks like this is a vaio issue. The smart network or whatever they call it seems to conflict. I've tried new drivers but not getting anywhere. Let's hops someone has a fix. I'm fairly good on pcs etc and I've tried to disable the smart network etc and it's just not connecting to the Internet. I've got 2 iPads, iPhones, iPods apple tv and it works seamlessly. Just not the Vaio. Might need to bin windows altogether now after the years of hassle it's caused me. Good luck sorting your problem out.

Sony Vaio

I have a Sony Vaio and my Wireless Drive has been removed from my laptop? I have no idea how it happened but I also can't connect to the internet using the ethernet cords. Ive gone into Device Manager and it has disappeared. Help please

Did this fix your issue ?
Cheers
Wayne Phillips

[Sony Vaio TZ] Xorg mapping wrong resolution

I recently bought a Sony Vaio TZ - awesome piece of equipment - but noticed my actual Xorg resolution was higher than what the specs said (by 2 pixels). This is kinda annoying...
Xrandr output before I use xrandr to set the correct resolution:
[root@hermes stijn]# xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 1024 x 768, current 1368 x 768, maximum 1368 x 768
default connected 1368x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right) 0mm x 0mm
1366x768 60.0
1360x768 60.0
1024x768 60.0
1368x768 60.0*
As you can see it says it detects 1368x768 as maximum resolution but lists the correct resolution (1366x768) as a possibility too. My first reaction was to generate a modeline that would make Xorg behave, but that does not have the desired effect (it returns a 1368x768 line!):
[root@hermes stijn]# gtf 1366 768 60
# 1368x766 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 47.58 kHz; pclk: 85.64 MHz
Modeline "1368x766_60.00" 85.64 1368 1440 1584 1800 766 767 770 793 -HSync +Vsync
I have tried setting a Modes line in xorg.conf like this:
Modes "1366x768"
but that gives me the following message in Xorg's log:
(II) I810(0): Not using mode "1366x768" (no mode of this name)
Adding a 'Virtual' line with the correct dimensions like this:
Virtual 1366 768
doesn't do the trick either.
Grepping Xorg's log for both X sizes returns the following:
[root@hermes stijn]# egrep "1366|1368" /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(II) I810(0): Display Info: LFP (local flat panel): attached: TRUE, present: TRUE, size: (1366,768)
(II) I810(0): Size of device LFP (local flat panel) is 1366 x 768
(II) I810(0): Lowest common panel size for pipe B is 1366 x 768
(II) I810(0): PanelID returned panel resolution : 1366x768
Mode: 60 (1366x768)
XResolution: 1366
Mode: 61 (1366x768)
XResolution: 1366
*Mode: 62 (1366x768)
XResolution: 1366
(II) I810(0): Not using mode "1366x768" (no mode of this name)
(II) I810(0): Correcting stride (1368 -> 5504)
(**) I810(0): Virtual size is 1368x768 (pitch 2048)
(II) I810(0): [drm] init sarea width,height = 1368 x 768 (pitch 2048)
Why the heck does the i810 map to this resolution? Xorg recognises the 1366x766 correctly no? Is there a way to make Xorg use 1366x766 without having to resort to xrandr? For what it's worth, I had this issue also with the vesa driver.
Last edited by B (2008-03-31 03:20:54)

Ok. I went with xmodmap because xbindkeys basically does the same, only requiring you to install an extra package .
I mapped the eject button to eject too (surprisingly, as I didn't know at first the slim drive had a button, I thought the whole thing was pressure sensitive...). I mapped the AV button to a fullscreen instance of VLC .
I fixed all Fn keys except for the zoom key (don't know how to map that to e.g. Opera's zoom functionality yet) and the external VGA connector which I should still write a script for.
Anyways, here's my handler.sh patch:
--- handler.sh.old 2008-04-04 22:59:23.000000000 +0200
+++ handler.sh 2008-04-04 22:59:12.000000000 +0200
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
minspeed=`cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/cpuinfo_min_freq`
maxspeed=`cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/cpuinfo_max_freq`
setspeed="/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_setspeed"
+presbright=`cat /sys/class/backlight/sony/brightness`
set $*
@@ -18,29 +19,34 @@
*) logger "ACPI action undefined: $2" ;;
esac
+
button/sleep)
case "$2" in
SLPB) echo -n mem >/sys/power/state ;;
*) logger "ACPI action undefined: $2" ;;
esac
+
ac_adapter)
case "$2" in
- AC)
+ ACAD)
case "$4" in
00000000)
echo -n $minspeed >$setspeed
#/etc/laptop-mode/laptop-mode start
+ echo 2 > /sys/class/backlight/sony/brightness
00000001)
echo -n $maxspeed >$setspeed
#/etc/laptop-mode/laptop-mode stop
+ echo 6 > /sys/class/backlight/sony/brightness
esac
*) logger "ACPI action undefined: $2" ;;
esac
+
battery)
case "$2" in
BAT0)
@@ -60,6 +66,32 @@
button/lid)
#echo "LID switched!">/dev/tty5
+
+ sony/hotkey)
+ case "$2" in
+ SPIC)
+ case "$4" in
+ 0000000c)
+ [ -e /var/run/daemons/bluetooth ] && /etc/rc.d/bluetooth stop || /etc/rc.d/bluetooth start
+ ;;
+ 00000010)
+ echo $(( ${presbright}-1 )) > /sys/class/backlight/sony/brightness
+ ;;
+ 00000011)
+ echo $(( ${presbright}+1 )) > /sys/class/backlight/sony/brightness
+ ;;
+ 00000017)
+ /usr/sbin/pm-suspend
+ ;;
+ 0000001b)
+ eject -r
+ ;;
+ esac
+ ;;
+ *) logger "ACPI action undefined: $2" ;;
+ esac
+ ;;
+
logger "ACPI group/action undefined: $1 / $2"
Xmodmap gives names to the Fn volume keys and the multimedia keys, and they are bound to the related actions through my Openbox rc.xml.

Sony Vaio FW issues

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