Sony identification?

  • Thread starter Thread starter N8N
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N8N

Hi all,

anyone know how to identify a Sony VAIO desktop? SWMBO has one, I
would like to get new memory for it, but I can't identify it to look
up what she needs. The tag on the back clearly says Model: PCV-2232
but that is not recognized by Sony's web site nor the larger memory
manufacturers. The auto-detect on Sony's web site doesn't work
either.

Also I just put a new HDD in it yesterday (old one was knocking and
also out of space on the C partition,) it seems like Sony did
something weird with the HDD from the factory and put some of the
important files in a secondary partition - I've already partitioned
the new drive and copied over the old D: to the new drive, but it's
not able to find some stuff, like the recovery information for the
computer... does Sony sell recovery disks for older computers? I
guess I still need to get a valid model number for this before I could
order anything though.

thanks

nate
 
N8N said:
Hi all,

anyone know how to identify a Sony VAIO desktop? SWMBO has one, I
would like to get new memory for it, but I can't identify it to look
up what she needs. The tag on the back clearly says Model: PCV-2232
but that is not recognized by Sony's web site nor the larger memory
manufacturers. The auto-detect on Sony's web site doesn't work
either.

Also I just put a new HDD in it yesterday (old one was knocking and
also out of space on the C partition,) it seems like Sony did
something weird with the HDD from the factory and put some of the
important files in a secondary partition - I've already partitioned
the new drive and copied over the old D: to the new drive, but it's
not able to find some stuff, like the recovery information for the
computer... does Sony sell recovery disks for older computers? I
guess I still need to get a valid model number for this before I could
order anything though.

thanks

nate
Click to expand...

Did you try the Crucial scanner ?

http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/index.aspx

It expects Internet Explorer and ActiveX. Didn't like my
security settings :-)

They offer an executable as an alternative. When I
ran this, eventually a web browser window pops up
with the answer. What it is doing, is looking at the
motherboard, and if it gets the computer model right,
that would be a miracle.

http://images.crucial.com/drivers/CrucialScan.exe

*******

With respect to hidden recovery partitions and the like,
the usual procedure is to burn a set of recovery CDs,
based on the hidden partition (preferably when the
computer is brand new). Then, at a later date,
if the hard drive is lost due to a hardware failure,
you install a new hard drive, and use the backup media
you burned. You may be restricted to burning just one
set of media, so before doing so, you want to make sure
the burner is working OK etc. If you wanted to burn
more copies, you'd do it outside the provided software.

Some computer makers will sell the media, but only offer
it during the warranty period for the computer. After
the warranty period is up, they won't even take your
$50 and give you media.

An alternative, would be to find an application that does
a sector by sector copy of the hard drive. This would
ignore any extra space at the end, but would preserve
the "curse of the hidden partition". An example of
an environment that might do this, would be using
"dd" or disk dump, while booted with a Linux LiveCD
like Knoppix or Ubuntu. So the new drive could be the
same size, or could be bigger than the old drive.
But after all the sectors are copied, in Disk Management
it'll look exactly like the old drive. The command
would have a syntax along these lines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dd_(Unix)

dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/hdb

where hopefully, hdb is bigger than hda.

Of course, you'd have to figure out the disk names,
so you don't accidentally erase the wrong disk. Yes,
dd is one of the most dangerous utilities you can
get your hands on :-(

I have used it in Linux, to erase disks.

There is a Windows port of "dd" available, but the
only option I've tried on it is

dd --list

I haven't tried to do any other operations, due to the
danger of getting the syntax wrong. It runs in a
DOS window. I'd hate to see my C: drive get
torched by a little carelessness.

Paul
 
N8N said:
Ummm.... OK, but that doesn't give me any specs or anything... I'm
sure that the memory is something I can just pick up locally, I'm not
going to order it from the UK

nate
Click to expand...
Actually the link provided did give you a modekl number you can use on
the crucial site to get the memory specs.
Re read it.
 
N8N said:
Hi all,

anyone know how to identify a Sony VAIO desktop? SWMBO has one, I
would like to get new memory for it, but I can't identify it to look
up what she needs. The tag on the back clearly says Model: PCV-2232
but that is not recognized by Sony's web site nor the larger memory
manufacturers. The auto-detect on Sony's web site doesn't work
either.

Also I just put a new HDD in it yesterday (old one was knocking and
also out of space on the C partition,) it seems like Sony did
something weird with the HDD from the factory and put some of the
important files in a secondary partition - I've already partitioned
the new drive and copied over the old D: to the new drive, but it's
not able to find some stuff, like the recovery information for the
computer... does Sony sell recovery disks for older computers? I
guess I still need to get a valid model number for this before I could
order anything though.
Click to expand...

Here's a prescription for how to determine the model number of your Sony
VAIO. It explicitly states that you should not use the tag on the back.

http://esupport.sony.com/EN/info/prodinfo/dt-info.html
 
Actually the link provided did give you a modekl number you can use on
the crucial site to get the memory specs.
Re read it.
Click to expand...

I saw that and actually I don't trust it because the memory physically
in the computer is labeled PC2700 and if I use the RS402 number on
most web sites it says that it requires PC3200. I'm sure that I was
the first person to ever break the seal on this computer, owner is
afraid of the insides.

why can't Sony just list the same model number on the computer and
their web site? grr.

or if someone knows the pin count and other pertinent specs that Sony
tends to use, please post. (I ain't gonna try to count all those
little pins.)

I tried using the Crucial link that Paul posted and that didn't work
for me either, although they did offer a DL'able version I haven't
done that yet.

nate
 
Did you try the Crucial scanner ?

http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/index.aspx

It expects Internet Explorer and ActiveX. Didn't like my
security settings :-)

They offer an executable as an alternative. When I
ran this, eventually a web browser window pops up
with the answer. What it is doing, is looking at the
motherboard, and if it gets the computer model right,
that would be a miracle.

http://images.crucial.com/drivers/CrucialScan.exe

*******
Click to expand...

wasn't aware of that, thanks. I'l try that later
With respect to hidden recovery partitions and the like,
the usual procedure is to burn a set of recovery CDs,
based on the hidden partition (preferably when the
computer is brand new). Then, at a later date,
if the hard drive is lost due to a hardware failure,
you install a new hard drive, and use the backup media
you burned. You may be restricted to burning just one
set of media, so before doing so, you want to make sure
the burner is working OK etc. If you wanted to burn
more copies, you'd do it outside the provided software.
Click to expand...

right. I don't know if that was ever done... I'll ask.
Some computer makers will sell the media, but only offer
it during the warranty period for the computer. After
the warranty period is up, they won't even take your
$50 and give you media.

An alternative, would be to find an application that does
a sector by sector copy of the hard drive. This would
ignore any extra space at the end, but would preserve
the "curse of the hidden partition".
Click to expand...

<snip>

That wouldn't solve my problem, which is that C:\Windows has grown so
large that it was actually filling up the C:\ partition. That is part
of the reason I just bought a new hard drive for her... her C:\
partition was only 13 GB or thereabouts even though the computer
shipped with a 120GB hard drive. 500GB HDD's were on sale this week
at Micro Center so I just grabbed one of those, made the C:\ partition
120GB and let the software that came with the HDD work its magic.
then I copied all the files over from the D:\ partition of the
original drive to the second partition of the new one, removed the old
HDD and made the new one a master, rebooted, and assigned D:\ to the
second partition of the HDD. It *sort of* works now, but some stuff
doesn't work right (like System Restore) and every time you start
Office it asks for the installer disk (but then runs anyway.)

I *also* don't know if she deleted some important files inadvertantly
to keep the C:\ partition from filling up... I never really used her
computer in any meaningful way before. Which is why a fresh install
would be nice, although it would probably involve not using it for a
day or so as it got all its updates again - the date on the HDD was
2003.

nate
 
Here's a prescription for how to determine the model number of your Sony
VAIO.  It explicitly states that you should not use the tag on the back..

http://esupport.sony.com/EN/info/prodinfo/dt-info.html
Click to expand...

Thanks, that gave me yet another number :) I didn't realize that
there was a label on the front of the case as that door is permanently
opened to plug in the USB cable for the wireless network (she didn't
want to pop the case open to install an internal wireless network card
for whatever reason...)

unplugging the wireless and closing the case door revealed a number
that looks like it should work.

thanks,

nate
 
N8N said:
I saw that and actually I don't trust it because the memory physically
in the computer is labeled PC2700 and if I use the RS402 number on
most web sites it says that it requires PC3200. I'm sure that I was
the first person to ever break the seal on this computer, owner is
afraid of the insides.

why can't Sony just list the same model number on the computer and
their web site? grr.

or if someone knows the pin count and other pertinent specs that Sony
tends to use, please post. (I ain't gonna try to count all those
little pins.)

I tried using the Crucial link that Paul posted and that didn't work
for me either, although they did offer a DL'able version I haven't
done that yet.

nate
Click to expand...
Actually if you use crucial and the PCV RS402 it says pc2700. However,
pc3200 will also work just fine.
 
Actually if you use crucial and the  PCV RS402 it says pc2700. However,
pc3200 will also work just fine.
Click to expand...

well I got some cheap 512MB sticks (PC3200 - they were on sale, the
2700 wasn't) today and it recognizes them fine and it does seem to be
running faster and accessing the HDD less. Still haven't figured out
why some stuff no longer works with the new HDD. will ask owner about
the recovery disks, although it would likely be a huge PITA to restore
the whole thing, it might work best. The old HDD is still functional
albeit noisy so no data would be lost. Problem is that I'm typing
this on the computer under discussion, my own puter died a horrible
death and the replacement still hasn't arrived yet :(

Also a PITA is that Sony apparently didn't see fit to include any
decent burning software although a DVD-RW is included; I have things
saved to .isos that I would like to burn to try to get my old junkpile
computer back up and running (yes, I have lots of decade-old computer
parts laying around) and yet I can't see any way to burn an .iso
without installing more software (although, since I have the old HDD
still, I suppose I could always retrace my steps if I messed something
up... I just don't want to do too much, in the interest of domestic
harmony)

nate
 
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