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

[philfree]

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)

[nftallon]

This works - and great timing was trying to figure this out!

Thanks man - saved

[gazzabass]

hi

I have the same issue as Greetz after the clean install with my vgn-sz3 vwp/k it shows an extra drive g: "sd/mmc" with a blue icon that is not present with the factory install.

The memory stick icon is present (left slot) and the mass storage is present when i use the adapter in the right hand slot.

Any ideas?
Gary

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

[rockdj99uk]

I've made a single recovery disc using a dual layer disc from the VAIO recovery tool. If you insert it whilst windows is running it tells you to reboot if you want to restore or you can carry on to restore applications. When I select to restore applications it lists all of them individually and I just choose which one(s) I wish to restore.

Saves all this unpacking of files and burning different applications to disc.

I'm running an FE31Z

HTH

[philfree]

Yeah, sure, that's how it works when everything is installed already but if you do a clean install of Windows XP, you won't get selective access to any of these applications, it's all or nothing. The whole idea of this thread is to be able to clean install XP and then select only what you need.

[rkappa]

hey where do you find roxio?

I haven't find it anywhere, but i find WINDVD in APR2\sp-013395-04.pac

I have as FE41S

thanks

rkappa

[BaccyNet]

Does anyone know how to extract .mod files? When I read this thread I thought I had the answer to my problem of creating a clean install of XP on my Vaio but all the application files are in .mod format which I cant seem to find any info on.

My laptop is an AR51M by the way. Thanks in advance

[clash-city-rocker]

Does anyone know how to extract .mod files? When I read this thread I thought I had the answer to my problem of creating a clean install of XP on my Vaio but all the application files are in .mod format which I cant seem to find any info on.

My laptop is an AR51M by the way. Thanks in advance  

Got the same problem on a AR51E, Got a clean Vista install that works MUCH faster than the Shovelware version SOny gave me, however am missing Roxio and ClicktoDVD.

If anyone knows how to get these back, I would greatly appreciate it.

[FourthProtocol]

MOD files are actually WIM files (Windows Imaging format). I think you can unpack them using ImageX from Microsoft. I've no idea whether that's legal to do or not - I decided not to.