Windows 7 10/10 support about 2/10

[laowantong]

I was recently persuaded at a Microsoft Presentation to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 Ultimate. First problem - no seller seemed to know how many licences came with the pack - 1, 3, 20, unlimited were all quoted. In the end I needed to buy one for my desk top and one for the lap top. The desk top conversion went well although it was time consuming. Then I made the huge mistake of installing 7 into my Sony Viao Lap top. The result is that I now have a 1600GBP PC that is almost useless for the main purposes that I use it. The display fills 3/4 of the screen, the web cam doesn't operate, the biometrics don't work and I cannot now use my projector because the serial port doesn't work. Contacted Windows tech help - they say it is Sony's problem but Sony don't want to know because it is not the original pre installed operating system. and they don't provide driver upgrades I was then directed to Paretologic - this is supposed to be a free down load - yes it is - it identifies the drivers that have problems - In my case it was 83 problems - you need a fix you pay 30USD. Amazing just by paying 30 USD the 83 problems became 1 problem. - not sure what happened to the other 82 but I wonder if this is just a scam - 83 sounds a lot of problems needing to be fixed - 1 isn't. Anyway I persevered and down loaded the repair. Guess what the camera doesn't work, the display covers 3/4 of the screen, the biometric doesn't work and the projector doesn't work.
Basically having invested into what is, when it is working an excellent system it looks like I have a high spec but scrap lap top.
What amazes me is that there must be hundreds of thousands of people upgrading from XP to 7 since Vista was a bit of a white elephant but how many will fall for the hype and regret it later. I guess the thing that really grates is the Microsoft guy said it is simple you put in the disc and it does it all for you - yeh right

Has anyone out there had similar problems and found solutions that really work ??

Adrian

 

[whs]

I am sorry you have so many problems. But if you cannot find the drivers for your devices, you are really stuck. Maybe in that case it would be best to go back to the original installation. Many manufacturers (in this case Sony or their suppliers) do not seem to bother updating their drivers to Windows7. Sometimes the Vista drivers work with Windows7. Maybe you can try those - if available.
Did you ever run the Windows7 Upgrade advisor on this laptop?

 

[pebbly]

Has anyone out there had similar problems and found solutions that really work ??

Adrian

most people come to this forum , there is not many win7 problems that cannot be solved by the excellent and experienced people on these forums , if you still have issues browse the tutorial section and post as many questions as you need to

 

[iseeuu]

Unfortunately for those still using Windows XP, Windows 7 is not a drop-in replacement for XP regardless what the salespersons say! As a general rule, manufacturers' computers that supported Vista also accept Windows 7. To know if Windows 7 is even an option for you, you need to go to your computer's web site to see if the manufacturer has released drivers for Windows 7. The link to the Windows 7 Compatibility Site already posted can also help determine whether Windows 7 will run on a given computer.

Google can also be a friend. Type in your computer model and Windows 7 and see if others have had difficulty finding drivers for Windows 7 from their manufacturers.

Windows 7 is a more robust Operating System than its predecessors, is more demanding of hardware and software. It may not be wise to use an older computer that can not withstand these requirements to try to run Windows 7. This is not a fault of Microsoft or the Operating System. This is the 21st Century.

Cheers!
Robert

 

[laowantong]

Thanks guys. All you say is very true - It is a pity that people only learn about this after they have bought the product.
Most of us are not "techies" We just want something to work.
Whilst it is not fair to blame Microsoft for Sony's attitude it seems to me that since the PC manufacturers and Microsoft have a symbiotic relationship, it would make sense if they worked together. Maybe they do but that doesn't seem to filter down to the front line staff of either company.
My experience with both so far has been that one is very quick to point the finger at the other.

Maybe Microsoft could be a little more proactive in pointing out that older XP based PC's are unlikely to work properly before you buy the product as opposed to afterwards - but then I guess that would reduce sales. No doubt the PC manufacturers are more eager for people to upgrade.

I guess I am more disappointed in Sony than Microsoft. The 7 Ultimate system is a big step forward. I have been a Sony fan for many years and have gone for the brand despite the often elevated cost expecting increased value. My experience with them this time means I will never consider Sony again for any equipment

 

[z3r010]

Hi laowantong and welcome to Seven Forums.

Why not post the model number of your laptop and list this things that are not working as you would expect and see if the guys can help you out.

 

[whs]

I am curious - what did the upgrade advisor say? That is the tool that Microsoft put out to check before you buy. I would call that "proactive".
And then follow up on what John (our admin) says and let's try to sort that out (provided the upgrade advisor results are manageable).

 

[mlevy]

I can understand the frustration on the OP's part. Here's a little logical reasoning...

How long do you expect a PC manufacturer to provide updates for their products? As a means to prove a point; car manufacturers are required to have body panel stampings available for 10 years after vehicle production has stopped. This doesn't mean they have to continually produce them, they just have to keep a stock (for crash repairs). Now, a car is a long-term investment, it's expected to last at least 10 years. The PC lifecycle is ~3 years usually, I upgrade my gaming system every 3-4 years.

With this in mind, how long would you expect the PC makers to provide driver updates for their PCs? In the consumer world, a laptop is nearly obsolete from a speed standpoint as soon as you buy it. This is mainly due to lead time for manufacturers. This also means that you could buy a laptop today and not be able to get the same one in 6 months. PC manufacturers can't possibly be able to keep providing driver updates (and drivers for new versions of Windows) past 4 or 5 years, mainly due to the sheer number of models they would have to code for. That's not to say SOME companies aren't trying. nVidia provides drivers in a single package that encompasses all models they produce and supports cards that are relatively old as well (and I applaud them for this).

Also consider that it may not be Sony that's not providing the update, someone makes the device for them and would then provide the drivers. If that company goes out of business or Sony got the product from the supplier near the end of its lifecycle (can you say cost savings?), drivers may not get updated anymore.

 

[whs]

The PC lifecycle is ~3 years usually

This is a very optimistic assumptions. I once had a problem with a laptop and went back 3 month after purchase to exchange it for the exact same model. They told me that this was an "old" model that they did not stock any more. And that was after 3 months, not 3 years.

 

[zzz2496]

laowantong, fill in your hardware specs, especially Vaio's model number. I rarely see an incompatible hardware With W7... unless it's 5 years old (or older).

zzz2496

 

[laowantong]

Thanks for all the suggestions. My lap top is "old" at around 3-4 years but I tend not to use it for too much and so I don't particularly want to upgrade, So long as I can use Office and get reasonable speed internet that is fine
The model is VGN-SZ3XWP. The problems are reduced image size on the screen - I get a grade 1 rating, but that is manageable. The biometric no longer works, but I can have a manually in-putted password so again no big deal, the built in web cam no longer works which is a nuisance but something that I can get over. However the biggest problem is that the serial port doesn't work which means I cannot use my projector.
I have checked each item through the control panel and all say they are working properly and that they have the latest drivers installed. Paretologic are trying to help but it is frustrating that they identify 80 odd problems in the free scan that drops to only 1 in the scan immediately after parting with cash.

I also understand that the PC industry moves forward monthly rather than annually and also that there is built in obsolescence, but I feel sure there must be thousands of people out there who never upgraded to the less than perfect Vista and who want to go to 7. My PC was working perfectly until I made the change

Yes I did use the pre check tool but if you see it when there is an incompatibility issue you are directed to the manufacturer. and Sony's help line apart from being expensive to call led me to a really unhelpful "agent".

Maybe I could operate using the virtual XP function in Ultra - I have tried to work through that but like a lot of instructions written by "experts" the instruction thread seems to miss the odd step. "Techies" need to understand that what they see as being easy is for some of us old guys is not second nature

 

[unifex]

Hi Laowantong,

Based on your latest post I would suggest to go back to Windows XP on your laptop. While in general you should be able to solve at least some of your problems and use Windows 7, I don't see any advantage in using Windows 7 for your purposes on an older laptop.

For example, I have an old Sony laptop working under Windows XP. While I am using Windows 7 on my main machine, I don't plan to change the operating system on my laptop. If it ain't broken - don't fix it.

That said, if you insist on using 7, I would suggest downloading proper video drivers from NVidia - Google tells me your model Vaio comes with an NVidia videocard. This should resolve your screen size issue. However, with the camera and the fingerprint sensor you are at Sony's mercy, and I don't really see any reason for them to support the OS upgrade.

 

[si8mon]

To solve your screen problem I would download the latest Nvidia drivers. If you don't know what drivers to download run this Nvidia scan NVIDIA Driver Downloads - Automatically Detect NVIDIA Products