Laptop display problem

[Captain C]

Hi folks,

I've got an Sony VGN-BX197XP laptop that I've upgraded to Windows Vista
Ultimate. Since then I've encountered some strange display-related issues:

1) I could only boot into Aero about 50% of the time. The rest of the time I
forced onto the Standard theme with no Aero option. Since installing Vista
SP1 I can't get Aero at all.

2) When not running in Aero mode I can't get the Windows Media Player to
play video files, nor get a Perfomance Index.

3) If I plug in an external monitor I can't get a picture on the laptop
monitor but I *do* get a picture on the external monitor and it runs Aero
100% of the time. It will also play video files and give me a performance
index.

Sony are less then helpful with Vista support for this model, though they
have released *some* drivers, though nothing grasphics driver related.

Any ideas?

Many Thanks

Carl

 

[Curious]

How much main memory do you have?
How much memory does your graphic chip have or have allocated.?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Have you updated the video driver?

 

[Captain C]

Hi there,

1GB RAM
Video card is an ATI X700 - 128MB dedicated, upto 255MB shared from the
system.

Thanks

Carl

 

[Captain C]

Hi Colin,

I'm currently running the standard driver supplied with Vista:

MOBILITY RADEON X700 (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM)
Driver Date: 25/08/2006
Driver Version: 7.14.10.8333

ATI themselves are not providing any X700 Mobility drivers as described here:

http://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=26978

And Sony seem to think I don't need one

Thanks

Carl

 

[Curious]

You need to get the latest Vista driver for you laptop graphics chip from
the Sony Website and install it. It certainly has to better then what you
are using regardless of what a Sony support rep says.

 

[Captain C]

Alas - there's no Vista video driver update posted on Sony's site for this
model laptop. I've even looked on the US site for a comparable model and
they just don't supply anything.

Thanks

Carl

 

[Curious]

How do you know then that your Sony Laptop can support Vista?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Vista drivers are on the support page for Sony Europe at
http://www.vaio-link.com/downloads/...voe_en_GB_cons&c=0&s=VGN-BX&m=2017&os=7&osl=1

 

[Captain C]

Hi guys,

That's the set of drivers I used to install Vista on the laptop,

I *know* the thing can support Aero - before Vista SP1 I got it about 50% of
the time and I get it 100% of the time if I'm running to an external monitor.
I just can't run external and internal at the same time.

Wonder if it's a monitor driver issue?

Thanks

Carl

 

[Erwin C]

Hi

I got the identical same problem over here with my VGN-BX197.
No divers at ATI
No drivers at sony.
No (Vista) drivers from omegadrivers.net (been using the XP drivers for a
long time in XP becaus sony drivers are no good)
Tried the modder at driversheaven with recent and old ATI X700 drivers
Even the native windows drivers (and the update) do not fully work.

I like to believe that the problem lies in the fact that Windows Vista does
not seem to recognise the Laptop monitor as a monitor in the device manager
and as a consequence to that , all Radeon mobilty X700 drivers seem to fail.

I called Sony support,they will call me back, but they have no clue
whatsoever and first tried to tell me to download the drivers from ATI,
altough they should know ATI give no supporet for notebooks....

I'm hoping omegadrivers.net will solve the issue for Vista because I was
very satisfied for their XP drivers. I needed those to be able to rotate my
second monitor in portrait mode. Something the sony drivers did not do.
Unfortunatly the site says already for several months that they are working
on it and seems to be very very hard....

 

[Captain C]

Hi Erwin,

Thanks for the heads-up on omegadrivers.net - hadn't seen that. It's a pity
they haven't got any Vista ones yet. I noticed the missing monitor too so I
think you're right. Post SP1 I've also had problems with the entire USB
system too (especially the fingerprint reader) - though that might be due to
a subsequent Windows Defender Update that I've read about on other forums.

Even though we have a paid-up extended support contract with Sony they still
won't help with this so as of now I'm rolling the laptop back to XP and
keeping it there. It's due to be replaced at the end of the year and I won't
be buying another Sony (had plenty of other problems with this - especially
the hinges, but that's another story

I'd be interested to hear if you ever find a solution, but I've wasted *way*
too much time on trying to solve this

Thanks again,

C

 

[Erwin C]

I decided yesterday to turn back the clock and restore my XP image back to my
laptop. I'm so sick of it. I lost more than 4 working days trying to make
Vista work on my laptop and another 1/2 day to restore my XP from image an
update it, and now am pretty stressed of this.
That was not the only issue, I needed to reinstall several apps. I suddenly
got, evaluation period expired errors in apps that where working before...

It's the second Windows XP to Vista upgrade I do, and it is the last one I
will ever do.
In both cases the upgrade was done without any errors, until you start
working with it...

The previous update I did, the Vista advisor said nothing perticular, after
updating I worked for three days, then when I installed some little software
thingy, it would no longer boot. After several hours of trying and research I
found out my SATA controller was not suported and wil not be suppoted by the
manufactorer nor Vista.
It never mentioned that when running the advisor!!!

Pfff.
But I have some good experiences to, A few weeks ago I upgraded 2x Vista
Home Premium to Vista Ultimate. Tha went fine, except I need a Vista Utimate
disc WITH SP1 (or deinstall SP1 first from the computer first).

Anoter tip (unsing XP). I just installed the latest ATI Radeon X700 drivers
on my sony but using first the Drivers heaven modder. You should try that to.
That way you can use always the latest ATI drivers.
Second screen works, and whats important to me that I can rotate the second
screen 90°.