Upgrading Win 7 home to professional

[albertn]

I upgraded my VAIO VPCS11M1E from Windows 7 home to professional (both 64 bit), but unfortunately my preinstalled software got lost. I downloaded some programms and drivers from VAIO-link hompage, but some things are still not working:

.) VAIO-Control center: shows only system info, but no controls and settings as described in the docu

.) VAIO-Update: described in the docu, but does not exist as download?

.) Software for built in webcam

Support told me, there are licence problems with self installed operating systems, but I can't imagine even sony tools can't be installed!

Albert

[Blencogo]

Hi Albert,

Unfortunately you lose all third party software with any clean install - as Sony says, the software providers will not allow downloads of their product (this includes the camera software).

Vaio Control Centre is dependent on the other Sony Utilities being installed - but Vaio Update is not made available if you change the OS as it is sourced by model and does not detect the OS.

[Akith.]

Ah, this is totally new info for me, they should state that in manuals or so (or do they?). I still have the original OS installed so I don't have these problems, but good to know! But if you install the Win 7 Home back to the laptop won't the Sony apps still work?

[Blencogo]

Yes - reinstalling the original OEM system will also reinstall all the application software once more.

The secret is to purchase an UPGRADE to the new OS (if such an upgrade path exists) and that will preserve ALL the original software and settings. It is only if you carry out a clean installation of am new version of Windows 7 that you lose all preinstalled software.