The Problem
Do you have a Sony Vaio laptop / notebook (PCG-F*) with the following
problem:
- the laptop starts windows and works fine for a certain time, but
then suddently switches off itself / shuts down randomly - without any
connection to what you do?
- with Windows 98, the laptop won't switch off while running in
"safe mode" (press F8 during the startup process to select "safe mode")?
Then your are lucky! Not - having the problem, but having found the
page, that tells you, how to get rid of it!
The Reason
First let me tell you the reason for this weird shutdown problem:
- The voltage coming from the AC-DC adaptor or from the battery is
about 20 volts.
- Intel Pentium/Celeron-processors are working with lower voltages
(2-3 volts) to reduce thermal loss
- so, the voltage from battery has to be regulated down to the
cpu-voltage and it has to be stabilized.
- For stabilization there are 11 capacitors around the cpu.
- These capacitors are exposed to the heat generated by the
processor and loose their capacitance gradually (in course of some years)
- resulting in an unstable voltage supply to the processor.
But why is the laptop shutting down?
- There is an internal safety device inside the processor.
- This "thermal sensor" is supposed to tell the operating system
when the cpu gets too hot resulting in
- an immediate shutdown to protect the processor from overheating.
- Having the situation of an unstable cpu voltage supply the
thermal sensor is sending an overheat-message to the OS falsely.
Why is it not shutting down in "Safe mode" of Windows 98 (it does with
Win 2000/XP!)?
- Modern operating systems like Windows, Linux have so called APM
(=advanced power management) functions. An even newer technique is ACPI
(Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) (1). Both have control over the cpu
and PC-cards, can force the PC to go into suspend / sleep / hibernation
mode, switch off harddiscs and monitors. This ACPI "device" (as part of
the operating system) causes the OS to shut down when getting an
erroreous warning from the thermal cpu sensor.
- In "safe mode" some ACPI functions are disabled, so the OS does
not react on thermal warnings (for 2000/XP it does!), and so won't shut
down randomly caused by the unstable voltage supply.
The Solution
Secondly, I'm going to tell you two (or three) possible ways to get
your computer working fine again, depending on the OS you want to run /
you are running currently on your laptop. There is a "hardware solution"
and a "software workaround" for this problem. Both will be described
later.:
Windows 2000 / XP
|
Windows ME / 98 (SE)
|
Linux
|
|
|
- hardware solution, or
- software workaround
|
- hardware solution, or
- software workaround
|
- Hardware solution
This way to solve the problem really is a solution. The defective parts
on the cpu-board are replaced, the laptop will be working again with all
functions and all operating systems.
I put all important information on this solution into a PDF file,
downloadable here.
A detailed description how to disassemble your notebook (printed from
http://www.vaioshutdown.com) here.
Deutsche Beschreibung der Reparatur (Ausdruck von http://www.kinotechnik.edis.at/pages/vaio_rep/sony_vaio_rep.html)
ist hier zu finden.
- Software workaround
As the title says, this is only a workaround. The unstable voltage
supply to the cpu will still be there, but as my experience has shown,
this won't harm your cpu. All we have to do, is to disable the ACPI
functions that are shutting down the laptop.
That sounds quite simple, but it is not! In more modern Microsoft OSs
(2000/XP) the ACPI functions are fundamentally implemented and cannot be
"switched off". This is why this trick works for Windows 98 / ME and
Linux only.
Workaround for Windows 98/ME (two options):
- with Windows-reinstallation: here
- without Windows-reinstallation: here
Workaround for Linux: here
Remarks
It took many people quite much time to find out, what the problem is
and how to solve it.
Sony is totally neglecting this problem and the questions of their
costumers.
I told them about the problem and the possible software workaround and
all they do is to give my email
adress to people calling the Sony helpline (for $20 per call).
So if I could help you with this page, just think about how much money
you saved and donate for a charity organisation of your choice.
Thank you!
Andreas Zwerger (mail: strandi[at]web.de)
You want to be informed if there are
news from Sony or other news concerning the shutdown problem?
Links
- Closed topic:
closed!!!
http://pub36.ezboard.com/funofficialsonyfrm8.showMessage?topicID=224.topic
this topic as PDF file (still available!) printed on 07-17-02 PDF-File (330 kB)
- The second topic was closed, too:
closed!!!
http://pub173.ezboard.com/funofficialsonyfrm8.showMessageRange?topicID=818.topic
this topic as PDF file (still available!) printed on 03-30-04 PDF-File (450 kB)
- Intel "Errata" for
Intel-Mobile-Processors:
complete file (1,2 MB) 24388741.pdf
only pages concerning erratic thermal sensor (150
kB) Intel_Mobile_Temp-Prob.pdf
- Drivers for laptop models:
Sony driverpage (log in with your serial number):
http://www.vaio-link.com.
PCG-F 150/F160, F180, F190, F250, F270/F280, F290, F340, F350, F360,
F370, F390, F420, F430, F450, F480, F480K, F490, F490K, F520, F540/F560,
F540K/F560K, F570, F580/F590, F580K/F590K, F610/F630, F640,
F650/F680/F690, F650K/F680K/F690K
http://www.ita.sel.sony.com/support/link_fseries.html
- Private page about "service/support"
from Sony:
http://www.brendonwilson.com/ideas/sony/index.shtml
PCG-F150 PCG-F160 PCG-F180 PCG-F190 PCG-F250 PCG-F270 PCG-F280 PCG-F290
PCG-F340 PCG-F350 PCG-F360 PCG-F370 PCG-F390 PCG-F420 PCG-F430 PCG-F450
PCG-F480 PCG-F480K PCG-F490 PCG-F490K PCG-F520 PCG-F540 PCG-F560
PCG-F540K PCG-F560K PCG-F570 PCG-F580 PCG-F590 PCG-F580K PCG-F590K
PCG-F610 PCG-F630 PCG-F640 PCG-F650 PCG-F680 PCG-F690 PCG-F650K
PCG-F680K PCG-F690K down power problems shuts off notebook battery fan
standby cpu
.
UPDATED on 24-04-2004