Please read this EULA carefully before installing or using the software distributed together with this EULA (the SONY SOFTWARE). By installing or using the SONY SOFTWARE, you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA. You may use the SONY SOFTWARE only in connection with the use of the SONY HARDWARE.
Page 3
Except for the transfer of the SONY SOFTWARE together with the SONY HARDWARE and prior agreement of the recipient to be bound by the terms and conditions of this EULA, you may not sell or rent the SONY SOFTWARE and its copy to any third party.
Page 4
Read this first TAR ® NERGY ® ® As an E Partner, Sony has determined that this product meets the E guidelines for energy efficiency. The NERGY NERGY ® International E Office Equipment Program is an international program that promotes energy saving through the use of NERGY computers and their office equipment.
Page 5
Sony, DVgate, Giga Pocket, i.LINK and the i.LINK logo, MovieShaker, PictureGear Studio, PicoPlayer, Network Smart Capture, SonicStage, Sony Style Imaging, UI Design Selector, VAIO Action Setup, VAIO Edit Components, VAIO System Information, Memory Stick and the Memory Stick logo, VAIO and the VAIO logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation.
Page 6
Registering your VAIO It only takes a few moments to register your Sony VAIO computer. By registering your computer, you can take advantage of Sony’s commitment to quality customer support and receive the following benefits: Club VAIO – Online support, tutorials, tips and tricks, news, news forums, competitions, free downloads and software updates.
Page 7
With Click to DVD you are only a single mouse click away from creating a Hollywood-style DVD ® masterpiece. By simply connecting a Sony Digital Handycam to this Sony computer via an i.LINK™ cable, ® you can turn your family memories into a DVD for all to share. Click to DVD will even guide you through a simple 4-step procedure so you can create DVD menus packed with actively moving chapter icons.
Page 8
See Using DVgate (page 18). EverQuest Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. EverQuest is a popular software game that can be played simultaneously by multiple people on the Internet. ® The link placed on your Windows desktop brings you to the EverQuest website where you can find out more.
Page 9
About the software delivered with your computer MovieShaker Sony Electronics ® MovieShaker creates personal movies - complete with transitions, special effects, background music, and ® text. All you do is import your clips, pick the tune you want and MovieShaker does the rest.
SonicStage is a software application that uses OpenMG technology, a copyright protection technology developed by Sony Corporation and designed to allow recording and playback of digital music data on a personal computer. Once the data is encrypted and recorded onto the hard disk, OpenMG technology allows it to be played back on the PC but prevents unauthorised distribution.
Sony Style Imaging (shortcut on the desktop) Sony Electronics Sony Style Imaging is an easy way to share your digital pictures and videos with family and friends. Use Sony Style Imaging with Network Smart Capture and MovieShaker to make the most of your images and movies.
Page 12
The final product recovery CD-ROM is also referred to as the "Application CD". See Using the product recovery CD-ROMs (page 119) You can only use the Recovery CD-ROMs on the Sony computer you purchased, and not on any other Sony PC or other manufacturer's PC.
About the software delivered with your computer Operating system and other software ® Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 1 Microsoft Corporation ® Microsoft Windows computer stay up and running. If anything does go wrong, you can quickly roll back to the state your system was in when all was well.
About the software delivered with your computer ® Adobe Acrobat Adobe Systems Incorporated ® Acrobat Reader software allows you to view, navigate, and print electronic documents in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), an open file format that is intended to preserve the conformity of documents created on all major computer platforms.
Page 15
About the software delivered with your computer ® ® Adobe Premiere Adobe Systems Incorporated ® ® Complementary with DVgate Motion, Adobe Premiere lets you capture, record, create and edit movies with video, sound, animations, photographs, drawings, text and other material. This stunningly simple and powerful professional video-editing tool comfortably closes the DV to Web gap.
About the software delivered with your computer QuickTime 5.0 Apple QuickTime is the Apple technology that makes video, sound, music, 3D and virtual reality come alive for your Internet browser and Windows. For further information, see the website at: http://www.apple.com/quicktime RealOne Player RealNetworks, Inc.
Page 17
About the software delivered with your computer Symantec Norton AntiVirus (as setup on the hard drive) Symantec This software package includes a 90-day free subscription to virus definition updates. With Norton AntiVirus, you can scan files, folders, or entire drives for viruses, and quarantine infected files for submission to the Symantec AntiVirus Research Centre (SARC).
Page 18
Using Video software Using Video software The following video software applications are delivered with your VAIO. Check the printed Specifications sheet to see whether they are preinstalled. Then read the printed Application CD Guide for installation details, if applicable. DVgate (page 18) MovieShaker Network Smart Capture...
Using Video software Using DVgate DVgate is a software application that enables you to capture and then edit images taken with digital video devices (DV devices), such as digital video camera recorders, on your personal computer. It also gives you the ability to output the edited material for recording on a DV device.
Using Video software Using DVgate Motion With DVgate Motion you can capture video and record edited videos on a DV device. Capturing videos: You can automatically or manually capture any scene or portion of the images recorded on a DV device, such as a digital video camera recorder.
Page 21
Using Video software Click the down arrow and select Import-Auto from the Mode drop-down list. Use the DVgate camera controls buttons to play, rewind or fast forward the tape to the selected time code to begin capturing. Press Play to start the video. The video begins to play in the Monitor window.
Page 22
Using Video software Click the Save button. DVgate captures the segments. The Capturing complete message appears. Click OK in the DVgate Motion window to finish. Information about the capturing process is displayed in the Report window. Click OK. Exit DVgate Motion. The Dvmotion2 window appears on the screen.
Page 23
Using Video software Click the down arrow and select Export - Auto from the Mode drop-down list. Select Adjust on Recording… from the Settings menu. The Adjust on Recording dialog box appears. Click the AutoAdjust button. DVgate Motion activates the connected DV device and automatically finds the adjustment values. Click OK.
Page 24
Using Video software After adding the files to the Record List, you can still change the order of the files, add or delete files. To change the order of the files in the Record List, proceed as follows: Click the file you want to move while holding down the mouse button. Drag the file to the appropriate position and then release the mouse button.
Page 25
Using Video software Recording on the DV device You can automatically or manually export videos from your computer to a DV device. To automatically export videos from your computer to a DV device, proceed as follows: Connect the camera to the computer with the i.LINK™ cable and turn on the camera. Launch DVgate Motion.
Using Video software Disable the screen saver in Windows Do not start other applications or move any active window while recording. Recording from the very beginning of the tape may not be successful if you record by controlling the video device through DVgate Motion. Do not turn the power switch on the digital video camera recorder to Camera or turn it off while DVgate Motion is recording.
Using Video software Capturing pictures There are two capture modes in DVgate Still: the Continuous Capture mode and the Single Frame Capture mode. Continuous Capture mode: If you capture pictures during Play mode, you can capture 30 frames of still pictures in total with respectively 15 frames in the forward and backward directions.
Page 28
Using Video software Set the DV device to the Play or Pause mode. The video image appears in the Monitor window. Click the Capture button. The video image in the Monitor window is being captured. Dragging the slider in the Capture window to the left or right lets you display the still picture before or after the current one. If you exit DVgate Still without saving the captured still picture, it is cleared.
Page 29
Using Video software Saving the captured pictures You can save the still pictures displayed in the DVgate Still - Still window in either one of the following formats: BMP, JPG, GIF or DVF. To save the captured pictures, proceed as follows: Launch DVgate Still and capture images.
Using Video software Using DVgate Assemble DVgate Assemble enables you to edit video files and still image files captured with DVgate Motion and DVgate Still. Afterwards you can splice them together to form one single file. You can save the resulting spliced video sequences as AVI, MPEG1, or MPEG2 format files.
Page 31
Using Video software Creating an Assemble List You can create an Assemble List with files you want to splice together. Afterwards you can always edit the Assemble List by changing the order of the files and adding or deleting files. To add files to an Assemble List, proceed as follows: Launch DVgate Assemble.
Page 32
Using Video software Editing AVI files You can edit the AVI files in the Assemble List for the exact scenes you want to use. For example, there is no need to recapture files even if you only want to use one particular scene from a longer video sequence originally captured with DVgate Motion.
Page 33
Using Video software Combining still images with video images To combine still images with video images, proceed as follows: Launch DVgate Assemble. Click the Add button. The Add dialog box appears. Select the image file type from the Files of type drop-down list. Select your image file and click Open.
Using Video software Click OK. The still and video images are combined. * Choosing MPEG1 as the format will reduce the size of the file considerably. Saving the edited video To save an edited video sequence, proceed as follows: Click the Output or the Output All button. The Save As dialog box appears.
Using Video software Using MovieShaker MovieShaker can be used to create fun and innovative movies without any knowledge of film editing. In a few steps, motion pictures can be combined with special effects, still images (pictures), and music files and then saved in a format most computers can play.
Page 36
Using Video software Menu bar Monitor panel Tool panel Clip tray Product tray Shows MovieShaker menus. Contains the Shake, Capture, and Edit tray. Select a tray by clicking the Shake, Capture, or Edit tab. The Shake tray is for creating a scene of approximately 30 seconds long including background music, using clips on the Clip tray at random.
Using Video software Importing images and sound clips Before you can create a movie, you need to import the images and sound clips you want to use in your movie. To import images and sound clips, proceed as follows: Click the File import button The Import dialog box appears.
Using Video software Editing clips and scenes You can edit your movie by adding effects and text, adjusting the colour and contrast, and modifying the length of the clip. Shake tab Capture tab Edit tab Speed control slider Volume control slider Effect palette Fade-in, fade-out Trash...
Using Video software To edit clips and scenes, proceed as follows: Double-click the clip in the Clip tray to move it to the Monitor Panel. Select the Effect tab from the Tool Panel. Drag and drop the effect you want to add from the Effect tray to the Edit tray monitor. To preview an effect, click the effect in the Effect tray in the Working Panel monitor.
Page 40
Using Video software Using Network Smart Capture Network Smart Capture allows you to manage photos and movies taken with an i.LINK™ -compatible digital camera or USB Web camera. You can capture and enhance video or still images to share with your family and friends over the Internet or via e-mail.
Page 41
Using Video software Some cameras and camcorders need to have recording media inserted before an image can be displayed in the Finder window. Read the manual supplied with your digital camera or camcorder for more information. Icon Description/Function Finder window Displays images in real-time Help Displays the online Help documentation...
Using Video software Using Still mode To take still pictures with the Network Smart Capture software, proceed as follows: Launch Network Smart Capture. Connect your i.LINK™-compatible digital camera or USB Web camera to your computer and turn it on. The viewfinder image appears in the main window. Click Still near the top left-hand corner of the screen.
Page 43
Using Video software Click the Change Setting icon The Still Image Setting window appears, containing three tabs: Basic — Select a folder destination for your images. Capturing Format — Select the image size in pixels and adjust the image quality. Common —...
Page 44
Using Video software Capturing an image in Still mode To capture an image in Still mode, proceed as follows: Use your digital camera or camcorder to locate the image you want to capture. When you see the image you want in the Finder window, click Capture You can capture a single image or several images at once.
Using Video software Using Movie mode To capture a home movie, proceed as follows: Launch Network Smart Capture. Connect your i.LINK™-compatible digital camera or USB Web camera to your computer and turn it on. The viewfinder image appears in the main window. Click Movie to activate Movie mode.
Page 46
Using Video software Click the Change Setting icon The Movie Clip Setting window appears, containing three tabs: Basic - Select a folder destination for your movies when recording video clips. Capturing Format - Adjust the image quality, reduce noise, and set the maximum recording time for your movie capture.
Page 47
Using Video software Capturing an image in Movie mode To capture an image in Movie mode, proceed as follows: Use your digital camera or camcorder to locate the moving image you want to capture. When you see the image you want in the Finder window or in the camcorder’s viewfinder, click Record to begin recording your movie.
Page 48
Using Video software Making settings for Web camera mode Before you capture a Web camera image, you can set your own preferences. To make your settings for Web camera mode, proceed as follows: Click the Select Capture Menu icon image capture. For more on the Effect option, see Applying effects to your images and movies near the bottom of the screen to view setting options for your (page...
Page 49
Using Video software Click the Change Setting icon The Web Camera Setting window appears, containing five tabs: Basic — Select a folder destination to store your images, set your maximum observation time, and choose your dial-up setting. Capturing Interval — Set your Web camera to capture images at intervals or whenever there is movement.
Page 50
Using Video software Capturing an image in Web camera mode To capture an image in Web camera mode, proceed as follows: Use your digital camera or camcorder to locate the moving image you want to capture. When you see the image you want in the Finder window or in the camcorder’s viewfinder, click Start The Web Camera Reservation Wizard appears, guiding you through the initial settings.
Page 51
Using Video software Managing your images and movies The task buttons to the right of the Network Smart Capture window enable you to perform various functions with your images or movies. Save As Send attached Image by E-mail Delete You must be connected to the Internet before attempting to e-mail your still images or videos. Viewing the online Help For more information about Network Smart Capture, see the application’s online Help files.
Managing audio files with SonicStage Managing audio files with SonicStage SonicStage lets you play and record audio CDs and import digital audio files while maintaining the copyright information of the contents. When you record an audio CD with SonicStage onto your computer’s hard disk drive, the default format is ATRAC3.
Page 54
Managing audio files with SonicStage Recording button Source icons Import button Simple Mode button Close button Help button Operation area Menu button Volume control buttons Equalizer button Displays the Recording Assistant window. Select a source icon and a target icon. As a source you can use: - the Music drive: files from the music database Music Drive managed by SonicStage, or the audio files registered to a playlist on the Music Drive.
Page 55
Managing audio files with SonicStage Sound Effect button Visualizer button Internet button ® The CDDB2 (Compact Disc Database) Music Recognition Service registration wizard enables you to register with CDDB. You need Internet access on your computer to register and use this service. For more information regarding CDDB2 registration, click the Help button. * Only possible when you have this slot built-in on your machine.
Managing audio files with SonicStage Recording from a CD You can, for example, record songs from audio CDs and import them to playlists in SonicStage. To record a CD, proceed as follows: Insert an audio CD into your system’s optical disc drive. Click the Recording button (1).
Page 57
Managing audio files with SonicStage Click the Music Drive icon as your target (3). Click the Jump to Record Window button (4). The RecordPanel window appears. If you only want to record a few songs, click the Show List The list of tracks on your audio CD appears. If necessary select the format and bit rate for recording by clicking the Change CD Recording Format button.
Page 58
Managing audio files with SonicStage When you record from an audio CD on your optical disc drive for the first time, the CD Drive Optimization dialog box appears. Click Start to verify your optical disc drive. Once the verification is performed, recording begins. You can display the name of the CD and its songs by clicking the CD Info button and after registering with CDDB.
Managing audio files with SonicStage Transferring songs (check in/out) You can transfer songs between the playlists on your SonicStage software and external devices or media (for example, Memory Stick™ Walkman, Network Walkman, CD-RW). For more information on using your external devices or media, see the documentation that came with the product. Checking out songs Checking out songs means transferring audio files from a computer to an external device (for example, a portable player).
Managing audio files with SonicStage Checking in songs After checking out audio files, you can transfer those files back to the hard drive. This is what we call checking in. The songs that you transfer like this can only be checked in to the hard drive of the same computer from which the songs were checked out.
Managing audio files with SonicStage Additional features SonicStage Backup Tool – You can back up and restore all the music, graphics and information data managed by SonicStage. You must be connected to the Internet to use the SonicStage Backup Tool. Import audio files in various formats –...
Page 62
Using PictureGear Studio Using PictureGear Studio The PictureGear Studio software is designed to creatively manage your digital pictures. With its easy-to-use features, you can quickly load images from your digital camera or camcorder, print high-quality photos, create custom labels, and design personalised photo albums or binders to share with friends and family. To share a PictureGear Studio creation over the Internet or by using another computer, use the Export feature.
Page 63
Using PictureGear Studio Using the Import feature With the Import feature, you can capture and import pictures from your USB digital camera / camcorder or TWAIN-supporting scanner to your computer. Once you have imported the pictures, you can select your favourite pictures and save them in handy folders for future use.
Page 64
Using PictureGear Studio Click to make any adjustments you want to make to the pictures. The Adjust window displays an enlarged version of the picture on the right and thumbnail versions on the left. Click Save to relocate the individual picture to a new folder. Click Delete to remove the picture from the photo collection.
Page 65
Using PictureGear Studio Click Delete to remove the picture from the photo collection. Click Rotate to change the picture's position. Click Trim to crop the picture or capture a specific area. Click Finish Importing to save the imported pictures in a photo collection (see Using the PhotoCollection feature (page 65)).
Page 66
Using PictureGear Studio Using the PhotoCollection feature You can organise and manage your imported pictures on your computer’s hard drive. To use the PhotoCollection feature, proceed as follows: In the PictureGear Studio main window, click PhotoCollection. Alternatively, go to Start, All Programs, PictureGear Studio, Tool and then click PhotoCollection.
Page 67
Using PictureGear Studio From the thumbnail view, click to select pictures. Hold down the <Ctrl> key while clicking to select several pictures. Use <Ctrl>+<A> to select all the photos in a folder. Manage your pictures with these additional tools and features: Click Rotate to change the picture’s position.
Page 68
Using PictureGear Studio Using the Binder feature You can add comments to your favourite photos, add custom backgrounds, clip art, and stamps, or showcase your own drawing talent. Add, remove, or change your designs to create your own unique photo art. To use the Binder feature, proceed as follows: In the PictureGear Studio main window, click Binder.
Page 69
Using PictureGear Studio Select a binder style, and then click New Page. Available photo sources are displayed as thumbnails. Click a photo to select it. An information form appears. Fill in your information and click OK. An art palette window appears. To create an original page with art or stamps, use the decoration features on the right by clicking on the required feature and applying it to your photo.
Page 70
Using PictureGear Studio Using the PhotoAlbum feature You can organise your memorable photos in an electronic photo album to share with friends and family. To use the PhotoAlbum feature, proceed as follows: In the PictureGear Studio main window, click PhotoAlbum. Alternatively, go to Start, All Programs, PictureGear Studio, Tool and then click The PhotoAlbum window appears.
Page 71
Using PictureGear Studio Click List to select the photos you want to include in your album from available folders. The Photo List window appears. Click Create the Album with the selected photo(s) after selecting your photos. The Select Design window appears. Click to select a design layout for your album.
Page 72
Using PictureGear Studio Scroll through your album using the book icons at the bottom of the window. Click Edit Album to make changes to your album. Customise your album by adding more pictures, pages, decorations, or comments, or by deleting pages. Click Edit Page to customise a page in your album.
Page 73
Using PictureGear Studio Using the Export feature You can export your completed photo album to enable viewing over the Internet, with another computer, or saving to a recordable media. There are three export formats available: Export as a Flash File to create a small file that can be viewed using Microsoft Export as a Light Package to create a compressed file that can be viewed on a computer.
Page 74
Using PictureGear Studio Click an export format to select it. The Select Folder window appears. Click Browse and navigate to the destination folder. Enter a file name, if necessary. Click Export. A progress window appears briefly. An export completion message window appears, displaying the file name and file size. Click OK.
Page 75
Using PictureGear Studio Using the PrintStudio feature Use PrintStudio to design and print original postcards, calendars, art, and labels using your favourite pictures. To use PrintStudio, proceed as follows: In the PictureGear Studio main window, click PrintStudio. Alternatively, go to Start, All Programs, PictureGear Studio, Tool and then click The PrintStudio window appears.
Page 76
Using PictureGear Studio Select the item you want to create and click Start Creating. The initial creation window appears, which varies depending on the item you are creating. Make selections for the picture(s), design layout, and custom decoration for the item you want to create. Set the number of copies to be printed and select a connected printer.
Using PictureGear Studio Viewing the online Help For more information about PictureGear Studio, see the application’s online Help files. To view the online help, proceed as follows: Click Help in PictureGear Studio’s main window or in each PictureGear Studio element.
Using Click to DVD Using Click to DVD With this software application, you can easily capture video images from a digital external device (camera, VCR, etc.) and write them to a DVD. You can also turn your digital or scanned pictures into a photo album or a slideshow and write them to a DVD.
Page 79
Using Click to DVD Defragment your hard disk drive. Optimise (defragment) the hard disk on which you store the working files for Click to DVD and Click to DVD Automatic Mode. For details on how to optimise (defragment) your hard disk, refer to the relevant section in your ®...
Page 80
Using Click to DVD When the Click to DVD Automatic Mode application is closed, any video that was loaded from a device onto the computer’s hard disk is deleted. You need at least 24 GB of free space to create a 60 min DVD (High Quality) using the Click to DVD software.
Using Click to DVD Depending on your computer's settings, frame drop-out may occur when using Click to DVD to load video from DV devices. If this occurs, read Recommended settings and adjust settings as appropriate. The original photography date is being carried over from video tapes that are recorded using DVgate Motion.
Page 82
Using Click to DVD Click Start, All Programs, Click to DVD, Click to DVD Automatic Mode. Alternatively, double-click the shortcut on your computer’s desktop. The main window appears. Creating a DVD automatically To create a DVD automatically, proceed as follows: Type a title for the DVD.
Page 83
Using Click to DVD the data is automatically saved onto the disc. The progress of these steps is displayed in the dialog box and can take some time. When the DVD is complete, a message dialog box appears. To write additional DVDs with the same content, click Yes; to end the session, click No. The DVD±RW drive tray opens.
Page 84
Using Click to DVD Click Start, All Programs, Click to DVD, and then Click to DVD. Alternatively, double-click the shortcut on your computer’s desktop. The main window appears. Compiling DVDs Making settings Keep in mind that once a video has been captured, you cannot change the video quality settings. To make settings before you start creating DVD, proceed as follows: Click M (for Menu) and click Settings…...
Using Click to DVD Select the Pictures check box to create a DVD of pictures, and then select the picture playback method. Select the Create Album option to advance manually during DVD playback without background music. Select the Create Slide Show option to have your pictures advance automatically during DVD playback.
Page 86
Using Click to DVD Click Capture. Click to DVD begins capturing the video and displays the first image in each clip in the clip tray. Each clip becomes an individual chapter on the DVD. Capturing ends when a blank segment of tape (that is, a segment of tape on which nothing is recorded) is reached.
Page 87
Using Click to DVD Importing video files On your DVDs you can include video files stored on your computer's hard disk drive. You can also load MPEG files and DV-AVI files that were created by Giga Pocket, DVgate, and MovieShaker. To import stored video files, proceed as follows: Click Capture Video in the step guide.
Page 88
Using Click to DVD Click Divide. The clip is divided into two clips. To delete an unwanted portion of the clip, divide the clip, and then move the unwanted clip to the recycle bin. To combine two adjacent clips into one: Select the left clip of the pair to be combined, and then click Combine selected clip with next clip task.
Using Click to DVD Importing still images When creating a photo album or slide show DVD, you can import pictures from your computer's hard disk drive or from an external device, such as a digital still camera or a Memory Stick™. You can import pictures saved in Bitmap, JPEG, or TIFF format.
Page 90
Using Click to DVD Click the Import Pictures button in the step guide. The Import Pictures window appears, and the pictures in the currently selected folder, as well as the pictures in all subfolders, are displayed in the display area. Click External Device.
Page 91
Using Click to DVD Rotate a picture by selecting the picture, and then clicking either Rotate Counter Clockwise or Rotate Clockwise. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click OK. Enlarge a picture by selecting the picture, and clicking View. The Single Photo Display dialog box appears, and an enlarged view of the selected picture is displayed.
Page 92
Using Click to DVD The number of chapters that can be displayed in a single Photo Menu is around 90. If not all chapters fit in a single Photo Menu, Photo Menu 2 and Photo Menu 3 are automatically created. You can display a maximum of around 270 chapters. Previewing DVDs Before actually writing your project to the DVD, you can see a preview of the contents.
Page 93
Using Click to DVD To write additional discs, click Yes; to stop, click No. The DVD is now finished and the DVD±RW drive tray opens. If you think you may want to use this project later, save your project file. You cannot use a DVD+/-R disc on which data has already been written.
Using Click to DVD Saving project files All the information about your DVD project, including the file names of your video or pictures, the location where those files are stored, the theme, and the menus, can be saved in a file called project file. You can also save your project information while your work is in progress.
Page 95
Using Click to DVD Managing project files with Click to DVD Project Administration Tool The Click to DVD Project Administration Tool has the following functions to help you manage your temporary files: Searches for video files that are not used by any existing Click to DVD projects and asks for your confirmation to delete them.
Using Click to DVD Playing back DVDs created with Click to DVD You can play DVDs that you have created with Click to DVD on most home DVD players or on computers that have a DVD drive and DVD playing software. For more details on how to play DVDs, refer to the operation manual or Help Function for your DVD player or DVD playing software.
Page 97
Using Click to DVD Click to DVD will not erase the contents of my DVD+/-RW media To be able to reuse your DVD+/-RW media, please erase the DVD+/-RW data using RecordNow. I cannot turn the computer off or use a power saving mode while Click to DVD is open Please close Click to DVD before turning off the computer or using power saving modes.
The following sections briefly describe how to change the main settings of your computer. Among other things, you will learn how to prepare your modem for use, how to use and customise the look of your Sony software and utilities, etc.
Customising your computer Configuring your modem Before you can start using your internal modem, or each time you use your modem while travelling, make sure that the country of the active location defined in the Phone and Modem Options dialog box matches the country you are dialling from.
Page 100
Customising your computer Updating the modem driver If you need to update the modem driver for any reason, proceed as follows: Click the Start button and open Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears. Click the Printers and Other Hardware icon. The Printers and Other Hardware window appears.
The UI Design Selector window design changes, to give you a preview of the design you chose for the Sony software. To try another design, click << or >>. Click OK once you are satisfied with your choice. The UI Design Selector dialog box disappears and changes the window design of Sony software as you selected.
Customising your computer Selecting wallpaper Your Sony VAIO computer offers you, among many other features, a choice of wallpapers. You can change the wallpaper, the background of your desktop, as many times as you like. There are several VAIO-specific wallpapers to choose from.
Customising your computer Selecting a screen saver A screen saver is an animated image that is activated on a computer display when no user activity has been sensed for a certain time. The original purpose of a screen saver was to prevent burn-in (the burning of an image into the phosphor inside the cathode ray tube after hours of the same image being rescanned).
Page 104
Customising your computer Starting your favourite software The VAIO Action Setup software enables you to start your favourite software by simply pressing a shortcut key (<S> Key). You can also refer to the VAIO Action Setup Help for more detailed information on using <S> Keys. From the Start menu, select All Programs - VAIO Action Setup - VAIO Action Setup.
Installing and updating applications Installing and updating applications This section explains how to install, run or uninstall a software application. Furthermore, you will learn how to download the latest updates from our website. Installing software Changing or removing software Downloading software (page 105) (page 107) (page 109)
Installing and updating applications Installing software To install bundled software from the supplied application CD, please read the printed Application CD Guide for details. To install other software, use the following procedure. Before installing the applications: Install and connect a hardware device, if necessary (see the Managing drivers Close all open applications.
Page 107
Installing and updating applications Click Browse to select the folder and click Next. If necessary, select the type of installation you wish and click Next. The software installation begins. Make sure to select Yes, I want to restart my computer now if you are asked to. Click Finish.
Installing and updating applications Changing or removing software You can remove or change a software application any time you like. Before proceeding, close the application you want to change/remove. To change or remove software, proceed as follows: From the Start menu, click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
Page 109
Installing and updating applications Caution ® Windows File protection Installing a program might overwrite shared system files such as dynamic-link libraries (DLL files)* and executable files (EXE files). When system files are overwritten, system performance becomes unpredictable, programs behave erratically, and the operating system can fail. Never delete files with the following extensions: SYS, DLL, OCX, TTF, or FON.
Installing and updating applications Downloading software Please note it is possible to download the latest upgrades of software for your computer from our website. Just click the following link to access it: To download the latest upgrades, proceed as follows: Go to www.vaio-link.com Click the VAIO User button.
Managing drivers Managing drivers A driver is software enabling you to use hardware devices. For example, in order for you to be able to use a printer, you must first install its driver. Many drivers, such as the mouse driver, come with the operating system.
Managing drivers Installing a driver To (re)install a Sony driver, see the printed Application CD Guide for details. If the driver does not come with a specific installation procedure, please proceed as follows to install it: Insert the installation CD-ROM or disk accompanying the device into the disc drive.
Managing drivers Checking the driver's installation When the computer restarts, check that the device is working properly. To check the driver’s installation, proceed as follows: From the Start menu, click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears. Double-click the System icon. The System dialog box appears.
Page 114
Managing drivers Right-click Uninstall. When the Confirm Device Removal dialog box appears, click OK. Click Yes and restart the computer. When the computer restarts, repeat from step 2 in Installing a driver If your device is not displayed in the Properties dialog box, the device is not working properly. Repeat steps 1 through 4 in the previous sections to check the driver’s installation.
Managing drivers Updating a driver To update the driver, proceed as follows: Click Start on the taskbar. Click Control Panel. Click the Printers and Other Hardware icon. And then click the device you want to revert. On the Hardware tab, click Properties. On the Driver tab, click Update driver.
Managing drivers Uninstalling a driver Leave the device connected to your computer while uninstalling the driver. To uninstall the driver, proceed as follows: Click Start on the taskbar. Click Control Panel. Click the Printers and Other Hardware icon. And then click the device you want to revert. On the Hardware tab, click Properties.
Managing drivers Restoring a driver System Restore is a feature of Microsoft problem occurs, without losing your personal data files. System Restore monitors changes to the system, and it automatically creates easily identified restore points. These restore points allow you to revert the system to a previous time. They are created daily and at the time of significant system events (such as when an application or driver is installed).
Page 118
Managing drivers Click the Driver tab. On the Driver tab, click Roll Back Driver. You have your previous driver back. You must be logged on to your computer with administrator rights in order to complete this procedure. Restoring your computer does not affect or change your personal data files. For more information about System Restore, see the Windows ®...
Managing drivers Downloading drivers Please note it is possible to download the latest versions of drivers for your computer on our website. Just click the following link to access it: To download the latest drivers, proceed as follows: Go to www.vaio-link.com Click the VAIO User button.
Page 120
If you want to modify the size of the hard drive partitions. You can only use these product recovery CD-ROMs on the Sony computer they came with and not on any other Sony PC or other manufacturer's PC. Performing an application recovery...
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Performing an application recovery The final CD in the set of product recovery CD-ROMs contains most of the applications that were preinstalled on your computer. Reinstalling a program from this application CD can fix the problems encountered if it does not run correctly anymore, or if Windows Please read your printed Application CD Guide for details on (re)installing bundled applications.
Page 122
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Using partitioned drives In My Computer you may have noticed the availability of two drive partitions (C: and D:). Your hard disk drive comes from the factory with 2 logical partitions. This does not mean that your computer contains two physical hard disks.
Page 123
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Starting the system recovery procedure To start the system recovery, proceed as follows: Turn on your computer (using AC power only) and insert the first system recovery CD-ROM into the disc drive. If you are still able to access Windows off)*.
Page 124
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Recovering the system without changing partition sizes To completely restore the original software, drivers and settings on your computer without changing the partition sizes, choose the first option and apply a Default System Drive Recovery. Performing this recovery means that you will lose all the data stored on your C: drive, but data on your D: drive will remain.
Page 125
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Recovering the system with modified partition sizes To have the option of changing the partition sizes before completely restoring the original software, drivers and settings on your computer, choose Option Recovery. Changing the partition sizes of the two hard drives means that you will lose all the data stored on both your C: drive and your D: drive.
Page 126
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Manually changing partition sizes Choosing Change Partition Size and Recover allows you to manually select the size of your C: drive, leaving the remaining gigabytes to the D: drive. Meanwhile, all current partition sizes are deleted, the hard disk is reformatted, and all the original software is restored as with a standard system recovery.
Page 127
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Resetting the default partition sizes If you changed the partition sizes since you bought your Sony computer, choosing Recovery To Originally Shipped State allows you to reset the hard drive to its original size. Meanwhile, the current partitions are deleted, the hard disk is reformatted, and all the original software is restored as with a standard system recovery.
Page 128
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Aborting the system recovery process Before the actual recovery process begins, the VAIO System Recovery Utility makes it easy to cancel any settings you may have made. Most screens remind you about the loss of data that will incur and you can either to go back to the previous screen (press Back), or abort the recovery setup altogether.
Need help?
Do you have a question about the PCV-RZ102 and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers