Sony Vaio can't downgrade from W8 to W7

[stev2511]

Hello,

I purchased a sony vaio laptop that came with windows 8 and of course no recovery discs. While I asked the salesman if I can downgrade with a simple format he said of course but that was very untrue. Here is my issue. The laptop's hard drive has EFI partition system but the bootable windows 7 cd would only install on MBR hard drive. I used gparted and converted my hard drive to MBR. But this is what I should have been warned about. This procedure erases all the partitions on the hard drive, including the vaio recovery partition which contained Windows 8 and the hardware drivers. I installed windows 7 and booted them but most of the hardware devices like wifi, card readers etc. wouldn't work (listed with a yellow exclamation mark in the device manager.). I tried downloading the sony drivers for my model from the website but they didn't seem to work. Then a message from a utility that runs hardware checks on vaio started to run (apparently from one of the drivers I installed from the support site) that told me that the battery was not connected properly and that the system would hibernate so I could re-insert the battery. That message never got away. I don't want to purchase the recovery dvds from sony. Any ideas on how I can make windows 7 stable and properly working without dealing issues? Thank you.

 

[alexoiu]

Hi, What's the laptop model?

 

[stev2511]

Sorry forgot to say that! It's Sony Vaio SVE1512C6EW

 

[alexoiu]

Try the drivers for a SVE1511 model (example http/esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=SVE1511CFXS&template_id=1&region_id=1&tab=download#/downloadTab ). I don't think that they dramatically changed the hardware with the new models.

 

[stev2511]

Will do and let you know what happens.

Thank you for your quick reply.

 

[stev2511]

Thank you alexoiu this worked system is stable only thing was the video driver that was succesfully found through windows standard update driver!

Really thank you, my problem is sovled

 

[stev2511]

A new issue occured, everything is working OK but I can't fix the SM controller bus driver! I know it is supposed to be in the chipset driver but I installed it and it's still showing up with an exclamation mark on device manager.

 

[alexoiu]

What model is the graphics card on the laptop?

 

[stev2511]

It's the on board from the motherboard. The driver for the graphics is working fine, I used the Intel automatic detect of hardware for the driver and I used the driver that was provided and it is working but the automatic detect couldn't determine my chipset. I used CPUID PC Wizard and it has detected that the manufacturer for the mainboard is Sony (although it's Intel) and the chipset is HM70. I googled and found out that the SM controller bus has to do with the correct chipset driver but I can't find the driver for HM70 nowhere.

 

[stev2511]

Found the exact same chipset driver on the HP support website. Works perfect. Thanks again for your time system is now OK.

 

[alexoiu]

Then it's OK. However, for graphics, you can try installing this driver from Intel: http/downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=22082&lang=eng&OSVersion=Windows%207%20(64-bit)*&DownloadType=%0A%09%09%09%09%09%09%09Drivers%0A%09%09%09%09%09%09

 

[stev2511]

This is the one that I used! Thank you!

 

[oldschoola410]

hey how did you get it to boot from the gparted dvd? i burned gparted, but my system doesnt boot off the dvd? i changed the boot order to that its first but nothing.
i have a sony vaio S series also. and wan tto get rid of windows 8.

 

[stev2511]

Gparted usb boot. Also i changed boot mode from UEFI to legacy. This change is made through the bios which is accessed by pressing the ASSIST button on your laptop when it's closed.

 

[oldschoola410]

yup i figured all that out, i got gparted loaded and icreate recovery dvds in sony car just in case. do i just delete all the partitions?

 

[oldschoola410]

also i read here:
http/answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/windows-cannot-be-installed-on-this-disk-the/8fa72a3e-10c5-47da-a040-1e0db62af309

that windows 7 x64 installation is supported on uefi systems.

 

[marxs]

hello,

I have the same problem with SVE1512u1ESI.
I downgraded to win7 64bit and after installing vaio care,gate,shared library and so on I have the same error - battery was not connected properly and that the system would hibernate so I could re-insert the battery...

-How to "remove" that error?Basically I uninstalled all the things and it's still there.The only way that works is to remove ISB utility from startup.
-How did you install Vaio control center? I can't install Hotkey Utility..

thanks,

 

[asada]

You have the wrong Sony Firmware Extension Parser Device driver

 

[marxs]

I was able to install hotkey utilities of other model with win7(64bit) from support site by changing the Model.txt in windows with the model from support and control center is now working.

thanks,

 

[asada]

I was able to install hotkey utilities of other model with win7(64bit) from support site by changing the Model.txt in windows with the model from support and control center is now working.

thanks,

Can you share the version you use for parser device, shared library and hotkey, I tried many versions for no use, had in control panel just the system information. Finally I use the hotkey from SVS1511, extract with universal extractor and install. I have now access for almost everything in control center save for turning off the keyboard backlight and for disabling the display light sensor.