Windows 7: Sony Vaio VGN-FZ290 Brightness

Hey everyone!

I have a problem I've been trying to fix for a few months now to now avail. Some of you are probably aware that Windows 7 has been causing problems with laptop brightness controls. I've been through forums everywhere and tried installing Sony's drivers among others in various orders, but I'm not so sure that's the problem anymore, or maybe I just haven't come across the right combination.



Anyway, problem description:
Brightness control in Power Options and Windows Mobility Center works for a while after boot, sometimes when the laptop sleeps it disappears completely from those two, but when it hibernates, it always disappears. Also the Fn+F5/F6 controls don't work (ever), but the Fn key works for mute, scroll-lock, pause, break, mute and doesn't work for multiple display configuration switching, zoom and hibernate. Although I never used the switching, zoom or hibernate functions, even when I was on Vista.

I have this version 8.15.11.9040 of the NVidia driver

First of all, I would update your drivers, see my sig on how to, and secondly, the Sony software to get the keys working does have to be installed in a certain order....

1. Sony Shared library

2. Setting utility series

3. Vaio Event service

4. Vaio Control center

That order worked for me, but Windows Key + X does the same job, and I much prefer that, to having 3 or 4 services running in the background.

I've done that before, or the equivalent anyway, because on the Sony website, Setting Utility Series, Vaio Event Service and Vaio Control Center are packaged into a single installation file. Doing things in that order did help with the Fn key shortcuts that do work now though, as well as the volume display when the media buttons are used.

Also I forgot to mention that my S1 and AV Mode buttons aren't working nor is there a setting for the S1 button in the Vaio Control Center. (I use the AV Mode button as a shortcut key (essentially an S2 button) as well by replacing the AV Mode .exe with whatever I choose)

Sorry, what is the issue again, as you've just said the opposite to what you said in your first post.

Don't confuse what I'm saying, it might actually be a string of problems. In summary of the brightness issue: the Fn shortcut keys for the brightness don't work, the brightness control in Windows Mobility Center and Power Options disappears on sleep sometimes and always on hibernate. I'm just mentioning the other issues in passing.

Also, to clarify, I updated my drivers last month, and I did follow the recommended order as closely as possible.

After thinking I would never get the FN keys to work again, I did, by installing the Sony software, in the order above, so know they work, but the order of the software is key.

Well I'm using 195.62, and you're using 190.40, so again, I would update your graphics drivers, as that may or may not sort out the sleep and hibernation issues.

Hmm... Well, I guess there's no harm in trying, I'll update the video drivers first and then if that doesn't work I'll try the order again, but I'm pretty sure I have the order down. Also, would it matter if I installed the video drivers before or after the Sony drivers? I'll let you guys know how it goes as soon as I try it, but I'm busy sorting out another system atm, so it may be a while. Thanks for the advice!

I installed the graphics driver first, so I don't think it does.

Tried to update, I remember now why 190.40 is the latest I could use. The drivers that I download from the NVidia site don't install for me using their setup file or manually installing through device manager, I had to use drivers from NVIDIA & Laptop News | Latest NVIDIA drivers and related news | laptopvideo2go.com and the latest they have is that version. I've never been able to use the regular NVidia updates because it seems Sony put something in place that prevents me from installing drivers except from their website, no idea what it is. The error is get when installing the regular drivers is this:

Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it. The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

The Hardware ID that I used for the search on NVIDIA & Laptop News | Latest NVIDIA drivers and related news | laptopvideo2go.com is PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0426&SUBSYS_9005104D (from display adapter properties)

Other than that I reinstalled the Sony drivers in the order specified, no change in functionality.