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141Q_Win8.1_EU_Recovery, Backup and Troubleshooting Guide 4-530-598-11 (1)
A message appears notifying of either
incompatibility or improper
installation of the battery pack and
my computer then enters Hibernate
mode
See the answers for "The charge indicator
light is blinking fast and my computer does
not start."
Windows does not accept my
password and returns the message:
Enter Onetime Password
If you enter a wrong power-on password
three times consecutively, the Enter
Onetime Password message appears and
Windows will not start. Press and hold down
the power button for more than 4 or 10
seconds to shut down your computer. If the
computer is equipped with the power
indicator light, check that the indicator light
is off. Wait for 10 to 15 seconds, then restart
your computer and enter the correct
password.
The password is case sensitive, so be sure to
check letters for the current case before you
enter the password.
I cannot remember the power-on
password
If you have forgotten the power-on
password, contact an authorized Sony
service/support center. A reset fee will be
charged.
The green power indicator light turns
on but my screen remains blank
(Power indicator light equipped
models)
Press the Alt+F4 keys several times to
close the app window. An app error may
have occurred.
Press the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys, select
(Shut down) in the lower right corner of
the computer screen, and then select
Restart.
Press and hold down the power button
for more than 4 or 10 seconds to shut
down your computer. Unplug the power
cord or the AC adapter, and leave the
computer for about five minutes. Then
plug the power cord or the AC adapter,
and turn on the computer again.
Turning off your computer with the
Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys or the power button
may cause loss of unsaved data.
The charge indicator light is blinking
fast and my computer does not start
This problem could be due to the battery
pack not being installed properly. To
solve this problem, turn off your
computer and remove the battery pack.
Then reinstall the battery pack to the
computer. For details, refer to the on-
screen User Guide.
If the problem persists, it means the
installed battery pack is not compatible.
Remove the battery pack and contact an
authorized Sony service/support center.
To find the nearest center or agent, refer
to the on-screen User Guide.
Backing up and restoring your system
If you cannot recover your computer
using a USB optical drive or USB flash
drive, connect the drive to another USB
port or to the USB port that is
compliant with the USB 2.0 standard (if
any). Then, turn off the computer and
try recovering it again.
If the problem persists, visit the VAIO
online support website for further
assistance.
Common problems
My computer does not start
Before using your computer for the first
time, you need to connect the computer
to an AC power source (with the AC
adapter when supplied).
Make sure all cables are securely
connected to devices, such as between
your computer and the power cord (with
the AC adapter when supplied).
Make sure the battery pack is installed
properly and charged.
Disconnect all cables and peripheral
devices, such as the power cord, the AC
adapter, and the USB device, remove the
battery pack, and wait about five
minutes. Then, put them back in place
and turn on your computer again.
Remove all extra memory modules you
may have installed since purchase, and
then restart your computer.
If your computer is plugged into a power
strip with a switch, make sure the switch
is turned on and the power strip is
securely plugged into a power source.
If you are using an external display, make
sure it is plugged into a power source
and turned on.
To back up and restore
your data when you can
start Windows
If you can start Windows, back up and
restore your data with the Windows feature.
To use the feature, open Control Panel and
select System and Security and File History.
To back up and restore
your data when you
cannot start Windows
If you cannot start Windows, back up your
data with VAIO Care (Rescue Mode): VAIO
recovery solutions.
You can use VAIO Data Restore Tool to
restore files previously backed up using
VAIO Care (Rescue Mode): VAIO recovery
solutions.
Restoring your system
using a restore point
A restore point enables you to restore your
computer system files to a previous state,
depending on when the restore point was
created. Typically, restore points are created
automatically, for example when you install
a driver. However, we recommend that you
create a new restore point manually before
installing any apps or drivers on your
computer.
To restore system files using the
restore point when you cannot start
Windows
If you use Recovery Media (optical discs) on
the model without a built-in optical disc
drive, connect an external optical disc drive
(not supplied) to your computer. If an AC
adapter is supplied with the external optical
disc drive, plug the AC adapter into a power
source.
1
Follow steps 1 to 2 in "To recover from
Recovery Media" of Recovering your
computer on the front side.
2
Press the ASSIST button to display the
VAIO Care (Rescue Mode) screen and
select Start troubleshooting (recovery).
Follow the on-screen instructions until
the Choose an option screen appears.
3
Select Troubleshoot, Advanced options,
and System Restore.
4
Select your operating system.
The System Restore window appears.
5
Select Next.
6
Select a restore point and Next.
The confirmation window of the selected
restore point appears.
7
Select Finish to confirm the restore point.
Your computer restarts after system files
are restored.
Troubleshooting
Recovery problems
I cannot recover from the recovery
area
Recover your computer from Recovery
Media if you have used apps to modify the
recovery area, installed a different operating
system from the preinstalled one, or
formatted the built-in hard disk drive or SSD
without using VAIO Care (Rescue Mode):
VAIO recovery solutions.
I cannot create Recovery Media
Try the suggestions below:
1
Download and install the latest
updates using VAIO Update.
2
Restart your computer. And then, try to
create Recovery Media again.
3
If an AC adapter is supplied with an
external optical disc drive, plug the AC
adapter into a power source.
Try other reliable media.
If the problem persists, visit the VAIO
online support website for further
assistance.
I cannot start/complete the recovery
process
Disconnect all unnecessary external
devices from your computer.
Try the suggestions below:
Check the condition of Recovery
Media. If you are using optical discs,
check the discs for dirt or damage. If
the discs are not clean, clean them
and try recovering your computer
again.
If you cannot recover your computer
from the recovery area, restart the
computer and recover the computer
from the recovery area again, or use
Recovery Media.
If you have any problem
operating your computer
Try these suggestions before contacting an
authorized Sony service/support center or
your local Sony dealer directly.
Read the troubleshooting information in
this section or the on-screen User Guide.
Press the ASSIST button while your
computer is on to start VAIO Care and
perform necessary operations.
Visit the VAIO online support website.
How can I create a hard disk partition?
If you reduce the volume of the C: drive
partition, you may not create Recovery
Media or complete the recovery process and
refresh process successfully because the
free space on the built-in hard disk drive or
SSD is not sufficient.
1
Open Control Panel, select System and
Security, and select Create and format
hard disk partitions under
Administrative Tools.
If the User Account Control window
appears, select Yes.
2
Right-click the C: drive and select Shrink
Volume.
3
Enter the size of the partition to be
created in Enter the amount of space to
shrink in MB and select Shrink.
4
Right-click Unallocated and select New
Simple Volume.
5
Follow the on-screen instructions.
The Activate Windows screen appears
The Windows activation is not completed.
Select Go to PC settings and connect your
computer to the Internet, and then the
activation automatically starts. You can also
activate Windows by telephone. For details,
refer to the PC settings screen.
Content in this guide is subject to change
without notice.