[Missing/corrupt dll's on Sony Vaio]

I recently purchased a Sony Vaio. I have missing/corrupt .dll files. You cannot run SFC according to Sony tech support SFC option is "hidden" in their recovery cds. According to them if system restore does not work, which mine says cannot restore, then you have to completely reformat the hard drive losing everything you have. You cannot put the disk in and get the normal options to repair windows. So ANY problem you ever have with a Sony Vaio you must reinstall windows losing all information that you have on your computer.

I do not know which .dll files are missing, but I do know that some are since I did run SFC and it ask for the disks.

According to the tech rep I spoke with this is the way their programers wrote their recovery disks and according to him "that's just too bad, that's the way it is ".

 

Have you tried going to Start>Run, typing in "sfc /scannow" (without the quotes) and clicking OK to see what happens? That runs System File Checker which will replace corrupt files.

Have you tried booting to the recovery CD that came with the Vaio to see what options it actually offers?

What the tech told you is the way things worked with Win98 but things may have changed. Compaq and HP desktops' recovery disks also used to do things that way but it all changed with XP. Both Compaq and HP desktop recovery feature now offer several options, including a repair install and access to the Recovery Console. Perhaps Vaio made the same changes and nobody remembered to tell that tech to use the new manual they handed out.

If you can get to the Recovery Console, you can run chkdsk which can repair a number of operating system problems.

 

Are you having any specific problems? If so, what are they? If not, I wouldn't worry about it until the problems surface.

 

I occasionally get a missing dll message on start up. I just keep restarting XP Home and eventually the problem gets straightened out by the third reboot.
Aferward I run sfc /scannow. Does your computer have a hidden partition with recovery data like the HP/Compaq computers? If so, you can run the recovery program without losing all of your data.

 

Sorry Pete...... I was sooooooooooooooo ********* at the time I posted the message.

Yes I was having a problem with yahoo telling me it could not install because the dll file library was missing.

Yes it does have a hidden partition for the recovery. And I did make the recovery disks like a good little girl. However, when using Vaio recovery console you have 5 options. 1. Recover Windows only, HAHA, that is by using system restore which I tried 4 different recovery points and it could not recover. 2. Recover C Drive only, basically reformats and reinstalls to original configuration losing all information. 3. Restore complete system (self explanatory) 4. Reinstall applications and drivers and 5. Reconfigure RAID, since I don't understand RAID I don't dare fool with that.

I did run SFC from the cmd prompt, now whether it worked by using the hidden partition or not I have no idea, as I obtained a copy of XP Media Edition from my friend and had that in the disk drive. Anyway that fixed the problem.

If you boot with the recovery disks, you still get the same above options.

As far as Sony tech support, that was my 2nd uneventful encounter with them. The 1st was if I had a problem with my OS that I had to contact MS not them even tho it was pre-installed. Seems Sony needs to provide more detailed training to their technicians.

ackerburg........

how can I run a recovery like you said? If I put the recovery disks in I don't have that option. Details please.

Miz....... how do I get the recovery console? That is not an option on any Vaio recovery procedures.

BTW....... I beta tested a program from RoseCity that gave the option to install the recovery console. But due to bad ram in my previous computer it wiped both my hard drive and back up drive and I lost the program and my registration information. What program is it that installs the recovery console?

 

The instructions for installing the Recovery Console from an XP CD are on this page.

It's possible the I386 folder reference in those instructions is on the harddrive in which case you may be able to install it from that folder.

 

Thx Miz, RC is now installed.

 

whompuscat,
When I boot up my Compaq computer, the one with the hidden backup partition(D) like yours, when the 1st screen appears it asks me to hit F1 if I want the Setup (BIOS) or F10 if I want the Recovery console. Are you sure you do not have this option on your bootup? This screen is usually just displayed for a second or two when it first starts up.

 

No it does not. I rebooted twice just to be sure I wasn't missing it. It doesn't even give me the otpion to enter BIOS. This is the 1st computer I have ever had that did not give me the option to boot into BIOS.

When I F8 it takes me to the screen to select how I want to start my computer, (normal, safe etc.) as it should and I checked there also and no RC options.

Basicly, I can only access what Sony wants me to access and nothing else. The partition that the OS is on is hidden but supposedly according to Sony the backup disks that I made are the exact same thing that is on the hidden partition.

I ask them if I had to reinstall OS what about all the programs that came with my computer, MS Works, Quicken, Photoshop etc. and they said if I reinstalled I would have to buy those programs. Not true, they are on the back up disks also. Most of the programs I already owned anyway. Seems to me that I was lucky enough the 2 times I called Sony to get someone that was not very knowlegable.

I think they must get paid per call, since it seems their only concern is to get you off the phone as quickly as possible.

 

Sometimes the display will not show a screen because it is delayed or not warmed up. Try this. Just after you press the power button, hit F10 and see if anything happens. It's hard to believe that with the hidden partition there is no abiliity to restore.

 

If you see a sony splash screen when you first start the computer you might try pressing the esc key. Usually this will remove the splash screen and you might be able to see which key you should press to enter the bios. Don't know if it will help you get at the backup partition or not but it's worth a try.

 

whompuscat--Some PC's are different from the norm. If F8 does not allow you to access the BIOS settings, look in your Sony manual, which should tell you how to access the BIOS. (The info could be under CMOS.)
However, using F8 can be tricky. You often have to keep tapping it when you first start the PC.