topic HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL. in PCs & Accessories

HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

philfree — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 10:57:28 GMT

We know by now how to reconstruct a XP install disk (thanks Akash84) which accepts the original licence laptop number (see: http://www.club-vaio.com/clubvaio/mvnforum/viewthread?thread=36891 ,just make sure you copy DPCDLL.DL_ as well which was missing from the list).

We also know that drivers and utilities are available on the Sony site (but see below as it's not required to go there to get them) but what about pre-installed applications that one want to restore? Here come the recovery DVDs.

If you have not done it yet, create recovery DVDs using the VAIO recovery tool from the start menu. You will end up with one System restore and one Applications restore DVD.

TURN OFF AUTORUN on the DVD-Drive and insert System Restore DVD in Windows. You well see a VAIO Applications Folder on the DVD which contains all drivers, Sony Utilities and even Windows Hotfixes for your VAIO (no need to use SONY site at all to get them). Just copy the VAIO Applications folder to your PC after Clean Install and use it for installing drivers, utilities etc...

Now the Pre-installed applications:
Insert the second DVD (Applications Restore).
This one has all the pre-installed applications but you cannot select any of them because they are all packed with SONY proprietary packer and there's apparently no mean to selectively install any of them. right? wrong ;o)

Copy the entire Restore Applications DVD on your hard drive
Download this file (kcap.exe) at: http://www.math.utexas.edu/users/rogoyski/work/tr5ap_winxp/kcap.exe ,this file will expand any xxxx.pac file. You will then get the application setup for each and also get user name (generally Sony Customer if not for all of them) and serial number for each that requires one (read inst.wsf in Notepad (in the BAT folder of the expanded xxx.pac file)).

Do not drag drop on kcap as this will not do anything but use the command window (Start, Run, type CMD, enter) and type:
[path to kpac.exe] kpac.exe [path to the pac file] xxxx.pac [destination of the pac file].

example: d:\kcap.exe d:\VAIO_Save\APR\SP-010849-00.pac d:\VAIO_Extract

(In this example the DVD content was copied to d:\VAIO_Save, kpac.exe is on d:\, the pac file SP-010849-00.pac is located in VAIO_Save\APR folder and the expanded pac.file will be extracted in d:\VAIO_Extract (you may want to create this folder first).

The kcap utility will create a folder with the pac file name with all files in it. Use setup to install the application (read inst.wsf (or other available files) from the BAT folder of each extracted pac file in notepad to know what application it is if it's not obvious and to get username and serial number when one is required).

Once you have extracted all pac files, it would certainly be a good idea to burn all of them to DVD. At the end of the day you should end up with one OEM retail XP CD accepting you Windows Licence number (using instructions from previous post (thanks Akash84) )and several CDs or DVDs with all pre-installed sofware. Thanks SONY for not providing them in the first place (but at least we now know how to get around).

That's it, have fun ;o)

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - IT'S REAL...

kee-lo_ — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 11:37:47 GMT

Manifique!

If someone could test this theory and it works then we'll make it officially sticky

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - IT'S REAL...

philfree — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:39:56 GMT

Last tip. When you'll extract Sony.pac, it will extract some folders in which is an Apps.lst file. Open it with Notepad and you'll get what is in most of the folders. In particuler, for applications that are divided in several folders, in which order they should be installed.

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - IT'S REAL...

philfree — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 13:12:06 GMT

The only thing that will be missing are the software that get installed with the System Restore CD (Norton Internet Security and WinDVD for instance). They are packed in *.img files in the restore system CD and it seems there's no way yet to get them.

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - IT'S REAL...

maxmouto — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 23:32:29 GMT

Manifique!

If someone could test this theory and it works then we'll make it officially sticky

Yes!! I tried and it works well. I clean installed my VAIO SZ2XP... Wonderfull!!

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

mediamark — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 10:04:36 GMT

Forgive my ignorance, I've just received a nice new sleek FE31Z and am not used to recovery partitions. What's wrong with giving us a set of discs?

So... if I do a System restore will this just give me a machine with just the OS and the sony drivers without all the useless apps?

Thanks

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

mediamark — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:44:18 GMT

.....sorry should have added just the system disc, NOT the application restore disc.

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

sweetCoffee — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 22:29:49 GMT

I'm wondering why it isn't working on my laptop...
I have installed a retail version of windows xp pro, didn't use the serial number of the laptop but of the one on the windows xp pro box..... does that really can make the difference?

when I run kpac with all the parameters it doesn't do anything.....

but why?

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

karina.thieme — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 20:39:04 GMT

Hello! I bought my Vaio FE31Z in Germany, but I live in vrazil and I didn´t do the DVD from recovery guide and I installed the Windows XP Pro in Portuguese, but when I shutdown the Pc, it stops in "The computer is shutting down". Do you think I could have a new Windows media Center from Sony??? Thank you very much!!!

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

Blencogo — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:11:20 GMT

Hi karina.thieme and welcome.

Your problem is almost certainly caused by your webcam.

To fix the problem
1. Click Start, click Run, type devmgmt.msc in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. In Device Manager, expand Imaging devices.
3. Right-click the USB camera, and then click Properties.
Note The USB camera is typically located under Imaging devices in Device Manager. However, the camera may be located elsewhere, depending on the device.
4. Click the Power Management tab, and then click to clear the 'Allow this computer to turn off this device to save power' check box.

Good Luck

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

TeriS — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 12:33:26 GMT

Thanx Philfree - VER useful - will try out tonite

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

Lord_Olorin — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 09:27:04 GMT

I have a recovery partition, but I should be able to create recovery CD's.
Does this mean I can create the CD's and then erase the recovery partition?

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

binru — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 05:25:48 GMT

That is great info. Thank you!

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - IT'S REAL...

markrduk — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 00:45:23 GMT

I have just clean installed and this thread has been extremely useful! I managed to get roxio off it - after about an hour of searching!

Since we can't get to WinDVD, does anybody know how you can get an alternative DVD player or codec without paying out cash for something I should already have?

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

Notebook64 — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 10:41:00 GMT

address to see how toclean install sends me back to the main vaio page even though I am logged in

please help

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

philfree — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:11:48 GMT

Forum address has changed so try to paste in your browser http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/GB/en/forum/viewthread?thread= for any thread link in past posts and just use the same number as the original thread to complete the link.

If you were referencing the XP disk reconstruction link that appears in first post the link is now: http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/GB/en/forum/viewthread?thread=37599

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

icklePhil — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 11:33:09 GMT

Hello everybody

I ever dreamt of doing just what is described in these two articles. Thanks for the work and tips on this (especially the thing about the license files...).
I made my custom XP disk with the nLite software. Everything works fine except for one really strange issue with one of the shipped sony drivers:
I have a sony memory stick drive built in my notebook. On the preinstalled system, this showed in "My Computer" as one drive icon. My own installation does recognize it as two drives, one labelled as "SD/MMC" which is not true and the other as "Removable Storage".
This happens no matter if I include the "FlashMedia" driver in the installation disk or if I install it manually.
I've got a VGN-SZ1VP by the way.

Any ideas?

Greetz, icklePhil

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

Notebook64 — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 20:51:10 GMT

thanks for the link
initially someone offered to place the following
• OEMBIOS.BI_
• OEMBIOS.CA_
• OEMBIOS.DA_
• OEMBIOS.SI_
• OEMCOA.JP_
• OEMIG50.EX_
• OEMIGLIB.DL_
• OEMLOGO.GI_
• PIDGEN.DLL
• SETUPP.INI
up for someone to host. - has this been done?
how big are these files? can they be emailed as I would like to get hold of them.... I think there was another also that was left off the list.

could someone send me them for an appropriate fee?
thanks

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

smjazz — Thu, 10 May 2007 08:45:27 GMT

The link to reconstruct a XP install disk, which accepts the original licence laptop number
does not work, are you able to post the instructions again?

Re: HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL - THE SEQUEL - GUIDE TO RECOVER PRE-INSTALLED APPLICATIONS - IT'S REAL.

philfree — Tue, 22 May 2007 04:11:26 GMT

This link should work http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/GB/en/forum/viewthread?thread=36891