Sony Vaio Reformatting Solution

Last week my girlfriend gave me her laptop, it was a vaio model pcg-1mt. It could not start. The problem was that Windows is missing it's file system. So to make the matter worst she don't even have a CD-ROM. She have the external CD-ROM but she HAD the cable to link it to the laptop. How could one misplace such a thing. The best thing was the Vaio do not accept just any type of external CD-ROM, it only accept SONY brand and it costs a fortune to buy one.



So I googled the solution and found out that a lot of people are having the same problem. The Vaio could not be formatted using a removeble device maybe because it needed an update on its bios. To update bios you would have to find a floppy drive that you dont know will work on the Vaio.



So i bought an external IBM floppy drive and it didnt work.



So the solution was......



Cracked Open the Vaio..



This was my first time doing surgery on a laptop.. But it's either this or the garbage can for the Vaio.. It's a win win situation for me but not for my girlfriend.. hehe..



So the plan was:

1.Open up the vaio

2.Get the hard disk out of it **

3.Install windows on the harddisk using other laptop or pc

4.Put back the hard disk in and pray it works



**you could save your data by putting the hard disk in an external HDD casing and copy it to other laptop



1.Open up the VAIO



As it was my first time crackin a laptop so i googled how to.. just simply type "vaio change hard disk picturebook" or something like that. But to make your life easier this is the website i found my instruction. Some of it are in Japanese though i dont know to read it but who would want to read if it's a picture book. ;)



http://repair4laptop.org/disassembly_sony.html



BUT be very careful with the wires and screws, do not break it or lose it..



2.Get the hard disk out of it



You should know how to get it out using the same picturebook website. If you have important data in it, you could try saving it by puting the hard disk into an external hard disk casing. After you save it, you are ready for the next step.



3.Install windows on the harddisk using other laptop or pc



I hated this part.. The first thing you should remember when doing this is, if you are installing windows xp on your Vaio, DO NOT i mean never use a laptop using a newer version of windows such as vista or windows 7.. I learn it the hard way and lost all of my data because i think it operates in a different format especially Windows 7. So simply find a windows XP laptop.



The how is..

a. First insert an XP cd in your cd ROM drive.

b. Then.. connect the external hard disk that you took out from the vaio. (assuming it's already in an external casing now after you save the data)

c. Then.. Go to start>run> and type this "E:\I386\winnt32.exe /syspart:D: /tempdrive:D: /makelocalsource /noreboot" without the " "

Meaning E: is your CD-ROM drive and D: is the vaio external hard disk. You should change it accordingly.

Then press ENTER and wait..

4.Put back the hard disk in and pray it works

After finish installing it to the external hadr disk put it back into the vaio. Carefull not to forget the screws and wires..

When you start the vaio it will automaticly install windows xp into the vaio.

The End..

Hope this helps, for me it was the most mind crackin problem i ever encounter.. hehe.. but its worth it and its actually not that hard to do once you had done it. Good Luck..