Sony VAIO VGN-P29VN/Q, VAIO VGN-P21ZR/Q, VAIO VGN-P21ZR/W, VAIO VGN-P21ZR/G, VAIO VGN-FW41MR/H Troubleshooting Manual

Important

Be sure to create recovery discs immediately after your computer is ready for use because there are no recovery discs provided with the computer. For instructions on how to create the recovery discs, see “Creating your own recovery discs” on page 14.

Recovery discs can also be purchased in case you cannot create them. Visit www.vaio-link.com for the contact details of your country/area.

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Contents
Introduction to this guide..............................................................	5
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting ...........................................................................	8
What should I do if my computer does not start?.........................................	8
What should I do if the green power indicator light turns on
but my screen remains blank?.............................................................	9
What should I do if my computer or software stops responding? ................	9
What should I do if the charge indicator light is blinking fast
and my computer does not start? ......................................................	10
What should I do if a message appears notifying of either
incompatibility or the improper installation of the battery pack
and my computer then enters Hibernate mode? ...............................	10
What should I do if Windows does not accept my password
and returns a message, Enter Onetime Password?..........................	10
What should I do if I cannot remember the power-on password?..............	10

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Recovering your VAIO system
Before using your computer ......................................................	12
What to do first ..................................................................................................	13
Creating your own recovery discs .....................................................................	14
To create recovery discs ............................................................................	15
Backing up and restoring your data using Backup and Restore Center............	16
To back up your data .................................................................................	16
To create a restore point ............................................................................	20
Backing up and restoring your data with the VAIO software .............................	22
To back up your data with Rescue Data ....................................................	22
To restore your data with VAIO Data Restore Tool....................................	24
Restoring the preinstalled software or software drivers ....................................	25
To use Reinstall Programs or Drivers ........................................................	25
Finding out what to do in case of computer malfunctions..........	26
If your computer does not work properly ...........................................................	26
If Windows starts........................................................................................	27
If Windows does not start...........................................................................	28
Recovering your VAIO system ..................................................	29
Before starting the recovery process.................................................................	29
Recovering your VAIO system when you can start Windows ...........................	31
To restore the C drive ................................................................................	31
To restore your entire computer system ....................................................	32
Recovering your VAIO system when you cannot start Windows ......................	33
To recover your computer system using recovery discs ............................	33
To recover your computer system from recovery partition.........................	33
Changing the partition sizes ......................................................	34
About hard disk partitioning...............................................................................	34
Creating a hard disk partition ............................................................................	34
To create a partition with the Windows feature ..........................................	35
To create a partition in the recovery process .............................................	36
Erasing everything on your hard disk ........................................	37
Erasing all of your data on your hard disk with Wipe and Erase Data ..............	37

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Introduction to this guide

Introduction to this guide

This guide covers the following important areas:

Troubleshooting

This section contains solutions to problems other than those you encounter during normal operation. See “Troubleshooting” on page 8.

For problems that are not described in this section, see the Troubleshooting section on the on-screen User Guide.

You can find more troubleshooting topics on the Sony online support web site at http://www.vaio-link.com.

Always read these sections before contacting VAIO-Link or your local Sony dealer directly.

You can also search for more information by using Windows Help and Support. Windows Help and Support is a comprehensive resource for practical advice, tutorials, and demonstrations to help you learn to use your computer. Use the Search feature, Index, or table of contents to view all Windows Help resources, including those that are on the Internet.

To access Windows Help and Support, click Start and Help and Support, or press and hold the Microsoft Windows key and press the F1 key.

Recovering your VAIO system

An important part of using your computer is being able to perform a recovery of the system and applications. This section explains everything you need to know about recovering your system. It is very important that you read this section before using your computer, and always before attempting to make a recovery of any kind. See “Before using your computer” on page 12.

Depending on the model you purchased, your computer may be equipped with solid state drives instead of hard disk drives. However, all built-in storage devices are referred to as a hard disk in this booklet.

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Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

What should I do if my computer does not start?

Make sure your computer is securely plugged into a power source and turned on and the power indicator light is lit.

Make sure the battery pack* is installed properly and charged.

Disconnect all connected USB devices (if any), and then restart your computer.

Remove any extra memory modules you may have installed since purchase, and then restart your computer.

If your computer is plugged into a power strip or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), make sure the power strip or UPS is plugged into a power source and turned on.

If you are using an external display, make sure it is plugged into a power source and turned on. Make sure the brightness and contrast controls are adjusted correctly. See the manual that came with your display for more information.

Unplug the power cord or the AC adapter, and remove the battery pack*. Wait three to five minutes. Reinstall the battery pack, plug the power cord or the AC adapter, and then press the power button or slide the power switch to turn on your computer.

Condensation may cause your computer to malfunction. If this occurs, do not use the computer for at least one hour.

Check that you are using the supplied Sony power cord or AC adapter. For your safety, use only the genuine Sony rechargeable battery pack* and power cord or AC adapter, which are supplied by Sony for your VAIO computer.

*Applicable to notebook computers only.

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Troubleshooting

What should I do if the green power indicator light turns on but my screen remains blank?

Press the Alt+F4 keys several times to close the application window. An application error may have occurred.

Press the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys and click the arrow next to the Shut down button and Restart.

Press and hold the power button or slide and hold the power switch for more than four seconds to shut down your computer. Unplug the power cord or the AC adapter and leave the computer for about five minutes.

Then, plug the power cord or the AC adapter and turn on the computer again.

Turning off your computer with the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys or the power button/switch may cause loss of unsaved data.

What should I do if my computer or software stops responding?

If your computer stops responding while a software application is running, press the Alt+F4 keys to close the application window.

If the Alt+F4 keys do not work, click Start, the arrow next to the Lock button, and Shut Down to turn off your computer.

If your computer does not turn off, press the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys and click the arrow next to the Shut down button and Shut Down.

If the Windows Security window appears, click Shut Down.

If your computer still does not turn off, press and hold the power button or slide and hold the power switch until the computer turns off.

Turning off your computer with the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys or the power button/switch may cause loss of unsaved data.

Unplug the power cord or the AC adapter, and remove the battery pack*. Wait three to five minutes. Reinstall the battery pack, plug the power cord or the AC adapter, and then press the power button or slide the power switch to turn on your computer.

Try reinstalling the software.

Contact the software publisher or designated provider for technical support.

*Applicable to notebook computers only.

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What should I do if the charge indicator light is blinking fast and my computer does not start?

This problem could be due to the battery pack not being installed properly. To resolve this problem, turn off your computer and remove the battery pack. Then reinstall the battery pack to the computer again. For details, see the on-screen User Guide.

If the problem persists after performing the above, it means the installed battery pack is not compatible. Remove the battery pack and contact VAIO-Link.

What should I do if a message appears notifying of either incompatibility or the improper installation of the battery pack and my computer then enters Hibernate mode?

This problem could be due to the battery pack not being installed properly. To resolve this problem, turn off your computer and remove the battery pack. Then reinstall the battery pack to the computer again. For details, see the on-screen User Guide.

If the problem persists after performing the above, it means the installed battery pack is not compatible. Remove the battery pack and contact VAIO-Link.

What should I do if Windows does not accept my password and returns a message, Enter Onetime Password?

If you enter a wrong power-on password three times consecutively, the Enter Onetime Password message appears and Windows will not start.

Press and hold the power button or slide and hold the power switch for more than four seconds to check that the power indicator light turns off. Wait for 10 or 15 seconds, then restart your computer and enter the correct password.

When entering the password, check that the Num lock and Caps lock indicators are unlit. If both or either of the lights is lit, press the Num Lk (or Num Lock) key or the Caps Lock key to turn off the indicator before entering the password.

What should I do if I cannot remember the power-on password?

If you have forgotten the power-on password, contact VAIO-Link to reset it. A reset fee will be charged.

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Recovering your VAIO system

Before using your computer

This section explains how to resolve problems, make a backup copy of your

data, and recover your Sony VAIO® computer system with the following VAIO software and Windows features in case of computer malfunctions.

VAIO Recovery Center

Contains the following VAIO software, tools, and Windows features:

Rescue Data

Enables you to make a backup copy of your data stored on your hard disk.

Wipe and Erase Data

Enables you to erase all the data on your hard disk.

VAIO Hardware Diagnostics

Enables you to check your computer hardware (a CPU, memory module, hard disk, etc.).

Reinstall Programs or Drivers

Enables you to restore the preinstalled software or software drivers to the original factory condition.

Restore C: Drive

Enables you to restore the C drive on your computer to the original factory condition.

Restore Complete System

Enables you to restore your entire computer system to the original factory condition.

Create Recovery Discs

Enables you to create your own recovery discs to recover your computer system.

Backup and Restore Center

Windows backup feature that enables you to use the backup related capabilities.

To launch VAIO Recovery Center when Windows starts

Click Start, All Programs, VAIO Recovery Center, and VAIO

Recovery Center.

VAIO Data Restore Tool

Enables you to restore the backup copies made with the Rescue Data software.

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