Sony Vaio Pcg Serie Pgc Gr150 Manual

							Troubleshooting Audio
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Troubleshooting Audio
My speakers make no sound.
❑If the built-in speakers are turned off, press Fn+F3 to turn on the speakers. 
You can also turn on the speakers using the center Jog Dial control.
❑If the speaker volume is turned to the minimum, press Fn+F4, and then press 
 or  to increase the volume or you can use the center Jog Dial™ control 
to control the volume. 
❑If nothing is displayed when you press Fn+F3 or Fn+F4.
1 Double-click System in Control Panel.
2 Set the sound device to enable in Device Manager.
❑If your notebook is powered by batteries, check that the battery packs are 
inserted properly and that they are charged.
❑If you are using an application that has its own volume control, check that 
the volume is turned up.
❑Check the volume controls in the Windows® taskbar.
❑If you connect external speakers, check that the speakers are properly 
connected and the volume is turned up. If the speakers have a mute button, 
make sure it is off. If the speakers are powered by batteries, check that the 
batteries are inserted properly and that they are charged.
❑If you have connected an audio cable to the Headphone jack, disconnect the 
cable.
❑If you are still experiencing problems, use the supplied Driver Recovery CD 
to reinstall the drivers. See “Using the Driver Recovery CD” on page 40 for 
more information.
My microphone does not work.
If you are using an external microphone, check that the microphone is plugged 
into the Microphone jack. See “Connecting an External Microphone” in the 
online VAIO
® Notebook User Guide for more information.
➜➜ 
						

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Troubleshooting the Printer
I cannot print.
❑The default setting for the printer port mode is correct for most printers. If 
you cannot print, try changing the printer port mode. In Sony Notebook 
Setup, select the Printer tab. If the printer port mode is set to ECP, change it 
to bi-directional. If the printer port mode is set to bi-directional, change it to 
ECP. See “Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen” in the online 
VA I O
® Notebook User Guide for details on using Sony Notebook Setup.
❑Your connected printer may not function after the notebook resumes from a 
power saving mode. If this occurs, follow these steps to reset the printer 
connection:
❑Windows Me Only
❑Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, then select 
Properties.
❑Click the Device Manager tab.
❑Select Refresh, then click OK. The printer should function properly.
❑Windows 2000 Only
❑Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, then double-click 
on the Control Panel folder.
❑Double-click on the Printers folder.
❑Right-click the printer icon that is not functioning, and select Properties 
to access the Properties window.
❑Click OK to close the Properties window. The printer should function 
properly. 
						

							57
Getting Help
Sony provides you with several support resources to answer questions about your 
Sony VAIO® Notebook or the preinstalled software. In this chapter, you will find 
information on where to find and use the resources available to you:
❑Support Options
❑VAIO Support Agent 
						

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Support Options
If you have questions about your notebook or the preinstalled software, refer to 
the following resources for answers in the sequence listed below.
1VAIO
® Notebook User Guide
This online VAIO® Notebook User Guide and printed VAIO® Notebook Quick Start 
provide you with information on how to maximize your notebook capabilities and solve 
common problems. To access the online user guide, click Start on the Windows
® 
taskbar, select Help Center and VAIO Documentation. The quick start is supplied with 
your notebook.
2 Software Manuals and Online Help Files
The software preinstalled on your notebook may come with an online manual. These 
manuals are stored on the hard disk drive as online help files. You can find the help files 
from the Help menu under the specific software application. Some software applications 
may come with a printed manual. 
3 Operating System Online Support
Your notebook comes preinstalled with Microsoft® Windows®. For operating system 
support, you can access Microsoft® customer support at http://support.microsoft.com/
directory/.
4 VAIO Support Agent
You can find VAIO Support Agent from the Windows desktop. Using advanced diagnostic 
technology, Sony’s VAIO Support Agent runs scheduled protections of your applications, 
network settings, and other important software settings. When your software is 
protected, you can use VAIO Support Agent to repair software problems by restoring 
your software to any of the previously protected states.
5 Sony PC Support
This service provides instant access to information on commonly encountered 
problems. Enter a description of your problem and the Knowledge Database searches for 
the corresponding solutions online. You can access Sony PC Support at:
http://www.sony.com/pcsupport.
6 Sony Fax-on-Demand 
This service, which requires a fax machine or your fax software, provides answers to 
commonly asked questions. You can use this automated service to request a list of 
available topics, then select the topics that you want to receive. To contact the Sony fax-
on-demand service, call: 1-888-4SONYPC (1-888-476-6972).
7 Sony Customer Support
Software support is available free of charge for 90 days after the original date of 
purchase. You can call and speak with a Sony Customer Support Representative without 
using your notebook by calling: 1-888-4SONYPC (1-888-476-6972). 
						

							VAIO Suppor t Agent
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VAIO Support Agent
VAIO Support Agent helps you repair your own software problems without the 
assistance of a support analyst. VAIO Support Agents advanced diagnostic 
technology identifies and tracks characteristics of your software applications and 
basic network settings. These diagnostics protect and store information in a 
retrievable format that enables you to restore your software to a previous working 
state. Sony has identified the software items that are protected by the VAIO 
Support Agent utility.
VAIO Support Agent has three features to help you fix your software problems: 
Quick Fix Wizard, Common Solutions, and Support Central. This section briefly 
describes these three features, and the automatic update capability of the VAIO 
Support Agent.
Using the Quick Fix Wizard
The VAIO Support Agent records and maintains a history of the VAIO Support 
Agent protected applications by taking a “snapshot” of the application at regular, 
timed intervals and storing it for future use. Should a problem develop with one 
of the protected applications, you can use the Quick Fix Wizard feature to 
retrieve the date/time (snapshot) that was recorded when the application worked 
correctly. The Quick Fix Wizard repairs the protected application files without 
altering the data files you have created using the application.
To use the Quick Fix Wizard, follow these steps:
VAIO Support Agent main window 
						

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1From the VAIO Support Agent main window, click the Quick Fix Wizard 
button. The Welcome window appears.
2Click Next. The “Quick Fix Wizard: Begin VAIO Support Agent 
Diagnostics” dialog box appears.
3Select the “Diagnose and fix my software” option.
4Select the software you wish to repair from the drop-down list.
5Next, select a date/time from the drop-down list that corresponds to the last 
time when the software worked properly.
6Click Next to continue. Follow the instructions on the screen.
✍To view a list of software applications protected by VAIO Support Agent, click on the 
“Pick the software:” drop-down list.
Quick Fix Wizard: Begin VAIO Support Agent Diagnostics dialog box 
						

							VAIO Suppor t Agent
61
Using Common Solutions
Common Solutions offers automated, One-Click Fixes to repair common 
software problems. These solutions can integrate information such as knowledge 
base articles and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). You can run One-Click 
Fixes directly from VAIO Support Agent or from a Web browser.
1Click the Common Solutions button. The Common Solutions dialog box 
appears.
2Double-click on the desired category to expand and view available 
SupportActions.
❑VAIO Support Local Server (C:/program files/support.com...) provides a 
list of SupportActions available on your computer’s hard disk drive.
❑VAIO Support Local Server (http://sdcglobal4.sel.sony.com...) provides 
a list of SupportActions available from the Internet.
Common Solutions dialog box (1st level)
 
✍Connect to the Internet before attempting to view the category, “Vaio Support Local 
Server (http://sdcglobal4.sel.sony.com...).” This category is unavailable without an 
Internet connection. 
						

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3Click the resize arrows next to the SupportAction categories to expand or 
collapse the categories.
4Select the appropriate SupportAction from the list.
5Click Run or double-click the desired SupportAction. The available 
SupportActions are shown in bold type.
About Automatic Updates
The VAIO Support Agent is dormant as a background process. Every 24 hours, 
the Agent self-activates to contact the Sony Support Server to check for new 
updates or fixes needed for your system. This updating action only occurs while 
you are connected to the Internet and when more than 24 hours has passed since 
the last update.
Each time the VAIO Support Agent prepares to check for updates, the Agent 
Status Update dialog box appears and asks you to respond, unless you have 
previously selected the option, “Always accept updates and do not prompt me 
again.”
Common Solutions dialog box (2nd level)
 
✍You cannot undo One-Click Fixes.  
						

							VAIO Suppor t Agent
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You can choose from four response options:
❑Give the Agent your permission to contact the Sony Support Server for any 
updates or fixes that are available specifically for your computer. The Agent 
continues to prompt you for your permission to retrieve updates.
❑Give the Agent your permission to contact the Sony Support Server for any 
updates or fixes that are available specifically for your computer. The Agent 
automatically retrieves updates without further prompting.
❑Deny the Agent your permission to contact the Sony Support Server for any 
updates or fixes. The Agent discontinues any update retrieval and does not 
prompt again for your permission to update.
❑Deny the Agent your permission to contact the Sony Support Server for the 
current update or fix. The Agent discontinues the current update retrieval, 
but prompts again for your permission for the next scheduled update.
Update Notification
Once you have granted permission for the system to check for updates or fixes, 
the Agent contacts the Sony Support Server. Available updates or fixes may be 
displayed to you in one of two ways. An update or fix may be displayed in a 
window with an explanation and instructions to follow. Others will cause the 
Agent Status Update 
						

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ambulance icon   on your task tray to blink. You should always check the 
ambulance icon in the task tray after the system checks for updates. If the icon is 
blinking, double-click the ambulance icon to view the update.
VAIO Support Agent Properties
To control the VAIO Support Agent automatic update feature, follow these steps:
1In the VAIO Support Agent main screen, select Tools, then select Properties. 
The VAIO Support Agent Properties dialog box appears.
2Select one of three options to customize the automatic update feature.
3Click OK.
✍When clicking on the flashing ambulance icon, you must be connected to the Internet 
to receive an update.
VAIO Support Agent Properties window