Page 1 Software Guide P C G - G R V s e r i e s...
Page 2: Read This First
Please read this EULA carefully before installing or using the software distributed together with this EULA (the SONY SOFTWARE). By installing or using the SONY SOFTWARE, you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA. You may use the SONY SOFTWARE only in connection with the use of the SONY HARDWARE.
Page 3 Except for the transfer of the SONY SOFTWARE together with the SONY HARDWARE and prior agreement of the recipient to be bound by the terms and conditions of this EULA, you may not sell or rent the SONY SOFTWARE and its copy to any third party.
Page 4: Energy Star
Read this first ® NERGY ® ® As an E Partner, Sony has determined that this product meets the E guidelines for energy efficiency. The NERGY T AR NERGY TA R ® International E Office Equipment Program is an international program that promotes energy saving through the use NERGY of computers and their office equipment.
Page 5 Sony, DVgate, Hotkey Utility, ISP Selector, MovieShaker, PictureGear Studio, Network Smart Capture, SonicStage, Sony Notebook Setup, Sony Style Imaging, UI Design Selector, VAIO Edit Components, Memory Stick, the Memory Stick logo, VAIO and the VAIO logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation.
Page 6 Registering your VAIO Registering your VAIO It only takes a few moments to register your Sony VAIO computer. By registering your computer, you can take advantage of Sony’s commitment to quality customer support and receive the following benefits: ❑ Club VAIO – Online support, tutorials, tips and tricks, news, news forums, competitions, free downloads and software updates.
Page 7: Sony Software
With Click to DVD you are only a single mouse click away from creating a Hollywood-style DVD ® masterpiece. By simply connecting a Sony Digital Handycam to this Sony computer via an i.LINK™ cable, ® you can turn your family memories into a DVD for all to share. Click to DVD will even guide you through a simple 4-step procedure so you can create DVD menus packed with actively moving chapter icons.
Page 8: Isp Selector
See Using DVgate (page 17). EverQuest Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. EverQuest is a popular software game that can be played simultaneously by multiple people on the Internet. ® The link placed on your Windows desktop brings you to the EverQuest website where you can find out more.
Page 9: Network Smart Capture
SonicStage is a software application that uses OpenMG technology, a copyright protection technology developed by Sony Corporation and designed to allow recording and playback of digital music data on a personal computer. Once the data is encrypted and recorded onto the hard disk, OpenMG technology allows it to be played back on the PC but prevents unauthorised distribution.
Page 10: Sony Notebook Setup
Sony Style Imaging (shortcut on the desktop) Sony Electronics Sony Style Imaging is an easy way to share your digital pictures and videos with family and friends. Use Sony Style Imaging with Network Smart Capture and MovieShaker to make the most of your images and movies.
Page 11: Vaio Edit Components
The final product recovery CD-ROM is also referred to as the "Application CD". You can only use the Recovery CD-ROMs on the Sony computer you purchased, and not on any other Sony PC or other manufacturer's PC. See Using the product recovery CD-ROMs (page 126).
Page 12: Internet Explorer
About the software delivered with your computer ® Windows XP Home Edition automatically shields your computer from unauthorised access when you are on the Internet. For questions and technical assistance, go online to: http://support.microsoft.com/directory Internet Explorer 6.0 Microsoft Corporation Internet Explorer is the Microsoft Internet browser allowing you to surf the World Wide Web. The Setup Wizard configures your computer to connect automatically to your service provider.
Page 13: Adobe ® Photoshop ® Elements
About the software delivered with your computer ® Adobe Photoshop Adobe Systems Incorporated ® Adobe Photoshop that offer something for every user. Delivering the broadest and most productive toolset available, ® Photoshop Elements helps you explore your creativity, work at peak efficiency, and achieve the highest quality results across all image media.
Page 14: Drag'n Drop Cd+Dvd
The operation is simple: select the files that you want to write, and drag and drop them into an appropriate box that corresponds to the CD or DVD format. After dropping them, simply press the DVD Create button. For questions and technical assistance, go online to: http://www.easy.co.jp/dde/sony *Depending on your model. PowerPanel...
Page 15: Realone Player
About the software delivered with your computer RealOne Player RealNetworks RealOne Player is the RealNetworks video and audio player which lets you manage all major types of media in one. Its many features allow you to access over 3000 radio stations with music, news and sports; play and save audio files and create your own audio CDs;...
Page 16: Windvd For Vaio
About the software delivered with your computer VAIO Web Phone CallServe Communications Ltd. Once you have purchased the USB telephone, this Internet Telephone enables you to make telephone calls from your PC via the Internet to any other phone. You can make international calls at significantly lower prices and make phone calls and surf the web at the same time - on just one phone line.
Page 17 Using Video software Using Video software The following video software applications are delivered with your VAIO. Check the printed Specifications sheet to see whether they are preinstalled. Then read the printed Application CD Guide for installation details, if applicable. ❑ Using DVgate ❑...
Page 18: Using Dvgate
Using Video software Using DVgate DVgate is a software application that enables you to capture and then edit images taken with digital video devices (DV devices), such as digital video camera recorders, on your personal computer. It also gives you the ability to output the edited material for recording on a DV device.
Page 19 Using Video software Using DVgate Motion With DVgate Motion you can capture video and record edited videos on a DV device. ❑ Capturing videos: You can automatically or manually capture any scene or portion of the images recorded on a DV device, such as a digital video camera recorder.
Page 20 Using Video software Click the down arrow and select Import-Auto from the Mode drop-down list. Use the DVgate camera controls buttons to play, rewind or fast forward the tape to the selected time code to begin capturing. Press Play to start the video. The video begins to play in the Monitor window.
Page 21 Using Video software Click the Save button. DVgate captures the segments. The Capturing complete message appears. Click OK in the DVgate Motion window to finish. Information about the capturing process is displayed in the Report window. Click OK. Exit DVgate Motion. The Dvmotion2 window appears on the screen.
Page 22 Using Video software To automatically adjust the recording correction values, proceed as follows: Launch DVgate Motion. Click the down arrow and select Export - Auto from the Mode drop-down list. Select Adjust on Recording… from the Settings menu. The Adjust on Recording dialog box appears. Click the AutoAdjust button.
Page 23 Using Video software ✍ All newly added files are appended to the end of the list. You can drag multiple files at one time; however, the order in which they are added is unpredictable. You can record AVI files with different sound modes on a DV device, but about one second of no sound (depending on the DV device) may occur at the point where the sound modes change.
Page 24 Using Video software After adding the files to the Record List, you can still change the order of the files, add or delete files. To change the order of the files in the Record List, proceed as follows: Click the file you want to move while holding down the mouse button. Drag the file to the appropriate position and then release the mouse button.
Page 25 Using Video software Recording on the DV device You can automatically or manually export videos from your computer to a DV device. To automatically export videos from your computer to a DV device, proceed as follows: Connect the camera to the computer with the i.LINK™ cable and turn on the camera. Launch DVgate Motion.
Page 26 Using Video software Disable the screen saver in Windows Do not start other applications or move any active window while recording. Recording from the very beginning of the tape may not be successful if you record by controlling the video device through DVgate Motion. Do not turn the power switch on the digital video camera recorder to Camera or turn it off while DVgate Motion is recording.
Page 27: Capturing Pictures
Using Video software Capturing pictures There are two capture modes in DVgate Still: the Continuous Capture mode and the Single Frame Capture mode. ❑ Continuous Capture mode: If you capture pictures during Play mode, you can capture 30 frames of still pictures in total with respectively 15 frames in the forward and backward directions.
Page 28 Using Video software Set the DV device to the Play or Pause mode. The video image appears in the Monitor window. Click the Capture button. The video image in the Monitor window is being captured. ✍ Dragging the slider in the Capture window to the left or right lets you display the still picture before or after the current one. If you exit DVgate Still without saving the captured still picture, it is cleared.
Page 29 Using Video software Saving the captured pictures You can save the still pictures displayed in the DVgate Still - Still window in either one of the following formats: BMP, JPG, GIF or DVF. To save the captured pictures, proceed as follows: Launch DVgate Still and capture images.
Page 30 Using Video software Using DVgate Assemble DVgate Assemble enables you to edit video files and still image files captured with DVgate Motion and DVgate Still. Afterwards you can splice them together to form one single file. You can save the resulting spliced video sequences as AVI, MPEG1 or MPEG2 format files.
Page 31 Using Video software Creating an Assemble List You can create an Assemble List with files you want to splice together. Afterwards you can always edit the Assemble List by changing the order of the files and adding or deleting files. To add files to an Assemble List, proceed as follows: Make sure you have installed DVgate from the application CD, if applicable (see the printed Specifications sheet and Application CD Guide).
Page 32 Using Video software Editing AVI files You can edit the AVI files in the Assemble List for the exact scenes you want to use. For example, there is no need to recapture files even if you only want to use one particular scene from a longer video sequence originally captured with DVgate Motion.
Page 33 Using Video software Combining still images with video images To combine still images with video images, proceed as follows: Launch DVgate Assemble. Click the Add button. The Add dialog box appears. Select the image file type from the Files of type drop-down list. Select your image file and click Open.
Page 34 Using Video software Saving the edited video To save an edited video sequence, proceed as follows: Click the Output or the Output All button. The Save As dialog box appears. Information on the output file and the amount of free disk space is shown in the lower part of the Save As dialog box.
Page 35: Using Movieshaker
Using Video software Using MovieShaker MovieShaker can be used to create fun and innovative movies without any knowledge of film editing. In a few steps, motion pictures can be combined with special effects, still images (pictures), and music files and then saved in a format most computers can play.
Page 36 Using Video software Menu bar Monitor panel Shows MovieShaker menus. Contains the Shake, Capture, and Edit tray. Select a tray by clicking the Shake, Capture, or Edit tab. The Shake tray is for creating a scene of approximately 30 seconds long including background music, using clips on the Clip tray at random.
Page 37: Importing Images And Sound Clips
Using Video software Tool panel Clip tray Product tray Importing images and sound clips Before you can create a movie, you need to import the images and sound clips you want to use in your movie. To import images and sound clips, proceed as follows: Click the File import button The Import dialog box appears.
Page 38: Creating A Movie
Using Video software Click Open. The file is added to the Clip tray. ✍ Importing files over 75 seconds in length may cause MovieShaker to stop responding. To remove a clip from the Clip tray, drag it from the Clip tray and drop it on the trash icon file is not deleted.
Page 39: Editing Clips And Scenes
Using Video software Editing clips and scenes You can edit your movie by adding effects and text, adjusting the colour and contrast, and modifying the length of the clip. Shake tab Capture tab Edit tab Speed control slider Volume control slider Effect palette Fade-in, fade-out Trash...
Page 40: Saving A Movie
Using Video software To edit clips and scenes, proceed as follows: Double-click the clip in the Clip tray to move it to the Monitor Panel. Select the Effect tab from the Tool Panel. Drag and drop the effect you want to add from the Effect tray to the Edit tray monitor. ✍...
Page 41 Using Video software Using Network Smart Capture Network Smart Capture allows you to manage photos and movies taken with an i.LINK™ -compatible digital camera or USB Web camera. You can capture and enhance video or still images to share with your family and friends over the Internet or via e-mail.
Page 42 Using Video software ✍ Some cameras and camcorders need to have recording media inserted before an image can be displayed in the Finder window. Read the manual supplied with your digital camera or camcorder for more information. Icon Description/Function Finder window Displays images in real-time Help Displays the online Help documentation...
Page 43: Using Still Mode
Using Video software Using Still mode To take still pictures with the Network Smart Capture software, proceed as follows: Launch Network Smart Capture. Connect your i.LINK™-compatible digital camera or USB Web camera to your computer and turn it on. The viewfinder image appears in the main window. Click Still near the top left-hand corner of the screen.
Page 44 Using Video software Click the Change Setting icon The Still Image Setting window appears, containing three tabs: ❑ Basic — Select a folder destination for your images. ❑ Capturing Format — Select the image size in pixels and adjust the image quality. ❑...
Page 45 Using Video software Capturing an image in Still mode To capture an image in Still mode, proceed as follows: Use your digital camera or camcorder to locate the image you want to capture. When you see the image you want in the Finder window, click Capture You can capture a single image or several images at once.
Page 46: Using Movie Mode
Using Video software Using Movie mode To capture a home movie, proceed as follows: Launch Network Smart Capture. Connect your i.LINK™-compatible digital camera or USB Web camera to your computer and turn it on. The viewfinder image appears in the main window. Click Movie to activate Movie mode.
Page 47 Using Video software Click the Change Setting icon The Movie Clip Setting window appears, containing three tabs: ❑ Basic - Select a folder destination for your movies when recording video clips. ❑ Capturing Format - Adjust the image quality, reduce noise, and set the maximum recording time for your movie capture.
Page 48 Using Video software Capturing an image in Movie mode To capture an image in Movie mode, proceed as follows: Use your digital camera or camcorder to locate the moving image you want to capture. When you see the image you want in the Finder window or in the camcorder’s viewfinder, click Record The Movie Player icon Click Stop The first frame of your movie appears in the data list to the right of the Finder window.
Page 49 Using Video software Making settings for Web camera mode Before you capture a Web camera image, you can set your own preferences. To make your settings for Web camera mode, proceed as follows: Click the Select Capture Menu icon image capture. For more on the Effect option, see Applying effects to your images and movies Click the Change Setting icon The Web Camera Setting window appears, containing five tabs:...
Page 50 Using Video software ❑ Basic — Select a folder destination to store your images, set your maximum observation time, and choose your dial-up setting. ❑ Capturing Interval — Set your Web camera to capture images at intervals or whenever there is movement.
Page 51 Using Video software Capturing an image in Web camera mode To capture an image in Web camera mode, proceed as follows: Use your digital camera or camcorder to locate the moving image you want to capture. When you see the image you want in the Finder window or in the camcorder’s viewfinder, click Start The Web Camera Reservation Wizard appears, guiding you through the initial settings.
Page 52 Using Video software Managing your images and movies The task buttons to the right of the Network Smart Capture window enable you to perform various functions with your images or movies. Save As Send attached Image by E-mail Launches your e-mail program with a new message window containing the still image Delete ✍...
Page 53: Recommended Settings
Using Click To DVD* Using Click To DVD* With this software application, you can easily capture video images from a digital external device (camera, VCR, etc.) and write them to a DVD. You can also turn your digital or scanned pictures into a photo album or a slideshow and write them to a DVD.
Page 54 Using Click To DVD* ❑ Defragment your hard disk drive. Optimise (defragment) the hard disk on which you store the working files for Click to DVD and Click to DVD Automatic Mode. For details on how to optimise (defragment) your hard disk, refer to the relevant section in your Windows ❑...
Page 55 Using Click To DVD* ❑ The video and audio compression method used by Click to DVD varies according to recording time. When recording time exceeds the DVD capacity, audio is first compressed to AC-3 format. If the recording still exceeds DVD capacity, the video bit rate is reduced. ❑...
Page 56: Creating Dvds
Using Click To DVD* ❑ You cannot transfer video segments that are less than one second long. ❑ Depending on your computer's settings, frame drop-out may occur when using Click to DVD to load video from DV devices. If this occurs, read Recommended settings appropriate.
Page 57 Using Click To DVD* Connect your digital video camera to your computer with the i.LINK cable (not supplied), turn the device on and set it to a mode that allows playback. Place a DVD writable disc into the computer’s DVD±RW drive. Click Start, All Programs, Click to DVD, Click to DVD Automatic Mode.
Page 58 Using Click To DVD* Click Create DVD! Click to DVD Automatic Mode begins transferring the video content from the DV device to the computer. After the video is transferred, the data is converted to a DVD format. When the conversion is complete, the data is automatically saved onto the disc.
Page 59: Making Settings
Using Click To DVD* Click Start, All Programs, Click to DVD, and then Click to DVD. Alternatively, double-click the shortcut on your computer’s desktop. The main window appears. Making settings To make settings before you start creating DVD, proceed as follows: Click M (for Menu) and click Settings…...
Page 60: Recording Videos
Using Click To DVD* ❑ Select the Create Album option to advance manually during DVD playback without background music. ❑ Select the Create Slide Show option to have your pictures advance automatically during DVD playback. You can select background music for slide shows. If you want to save your project to continue working on it later on, you can do so by clicking M (Menu) and then clicking Save Project or Save Project as...
Page 61 Using Click To DVD* Click Capture. Click to DVD begins capturing the video and displays the first image in each clip in the clip tray. Each clip becomes an individual chapter on the DVD. Capturing ends when a blank segment of tape (that is, a segment of tape on which nothing is recorded) is reached.
Page 62 Using Click To DVD* Importing video files On your DVDs you can include video files stored on your computer's hard disk drive. You can also load MPEG files and DV-AVI files that were created by Giga Pocket, DVgate, and MovieShaker (depending on the software bundled with your computer).
Page 63 Using Click To DVD* ❑ Click Divide. The clip is divided into two clips. ❑ To delete an unwanted portion of the clip, divide the clip, and then move the unwanted clip to the recycle bin. ❑ To combine two adjacent clips into one: ❑...
Page 64: Importing Still Images
Using Click To DVD* Importing still images When creating a photo album or slide show DVD, you can import pictures from your computer's hard disk drive or from an external device, such as a digital still camera or a Memory Stick™. You can import pictures saved in Bitmap, JPEG, or TIFF format.
Page 65 Using Click To DVD* Click the Import Pictures button in the step guide. The Import Pictures window appears, and the pictures in the currently selected folder, as well as the pictures in all subfolders, are displayed in the display area. Click External Device.
Page 66 Using Click To DVD* ❑ Rotate a picture by selecting the picture, and then clicking either Rotate Counter clockwise or Rotate Clockwise. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click OK. ❑ Enlarge a picture by selecting the picture, and clicking View. The Single Photo Display dialog box appears, and an enlarged view of the selected picture is displayed.
Page 67 Using Click To DVD* Previewing DVDs Before actually writing your project to the DVD, you can see a preview of the contents. To preview the DVD, proceed as follows: Click Preview on the DVD writing screen or Menu screen. The Preview screen appears. Use the remote control buttons displayed next to the preview screen to check the content that is to be written to the DVD.
Page 68 Using Click To DVD* ✍ You cannot use a DVD+/-R disc on which data has already been written. The amount of time needed to create a DVD depends on the length of the video that you are recording and on the processing speed of your computer.
Page 69: Saving Project Files
Using Click To DVD* Saving project files All the information about your DVD project, including the file names of your video or pictures, the location where those files are stored, the theme, and the menus, can be saved in a file called project file. You can also save your project information while your work is in progress.
Page 70: Troubleshooting
Using Click To DVD* Re-editing project files You can return to a saved project file to add material or change your menu design. This is called "re-editing" a project. To re-edit a project, proceed as follows: Click M (menu button), and then select Open Project from the menu that appears. Alternatively, On the start screen, click the Open Project task.
Page 71 Using Click To DVD* I cannot write to DVD Videos cannot be written to a DVD+/-R disc if data was already written to that disc. Use either a blank DVD+/-R disc or else use a DVD+/-RW disc. The "Hardware Overlay Error" message appears If another application is using the hardware overlay, this means it is temporarily overriding your desktop settings and preventing Click to DVD from launching.
Page 72 Managing audio files with SonicStage Managing audio files with SonicStage SonicStage lets you play and record audio CDs and import digital audio files while maintaining the copyright information of the contents. When you record an audio CD with SonicStage onto your computer’s hard disk drive, the default format is ATRAC3.
Page 73 Managing audio files with SonicStage...
Page 74 Managing audio files with SonicStage Recording button Source icons Import button Simple Mode button Close button Help button Operation area Menu button Volume control buttons Equalizer button Displays the Recording Assistant window. Select a source icon and a target icon. As a source you can use: - the Music drive: files from the music database Music Drive managed by SonicStage, or the audio files registered to a playlist on the Music Drive.
Page 75 Managing audio files with SonicStage Sound Effect button Visualizer button Internet button ✍ ® The CDDB2 (Compact Disc Database) Music Recognition Service registration wizard enables you to register with CDDB. You need Internet access on your computer to register and use this service. For more information regarding CDDB2 registration, click the Help button. * Only possible when you have this slot built-in on your machine.
Page 76: Recording From A Cd
Managing audio files with SonicStage Recording from a CD You can, for example, record songs from audio CDs and import them to playlists in SonicStage. To record a CD, proceed as follows: Insert an audio CD into your system’s optical disc drive. Click the Recording button (1).
Page 77 Managing audio files with SonicStage Click the Jump to Record Window button (4). The RecordPanel window appears. If you only want to record a few songs, click the Show List The list of tracks on your audio CD appears. If necessary select the format and bit rate for recording by clicking the Change CD Recording Format button.
Page 78 Managing audio files with SonicStage ✍ When you record from an audio CD on your optical disc drive for the first time, the CD Drive Optimization dialog box appears. Click Start to verify your optical disc drive. Once the verification is performed, recording begins. You can display the name of the CD and its songs by clicking the CD Info button and after registering with CDDB.
Page 79 Managing audio files with SonicStage Transferring songs (check in/out) You can transfer songs between the playlists on your SonicStage software and external devices or media (for example, Network Walkman, CD-RW). For more information on using your external devices or media, see the documentation that came with the product.
Page 80 Managing audio files with SonicStage Checking in songs After checking out audio files, you can transfer those files back to the hard drive. This is what we call checking in. The songs that you transfer like this can only be checked in to the hard drive of the same computer from which the songs were checked out.
Page 81: Additional Features
Managing audio files with SonicStage Additional features ❑ SonicStage Backup Tool – You can back up and restore all the music, graphics and information data managed by SonicStage. You must be connected to the Internet to use the SonicStage Backup Tool. ❑...
Page 82 Using PictureGear Studio Using PictureGear Studio The PictureGear Studio software is designed to creatively manage your digital pictures. With its easy-to-use features, you can quickly load images from your digital camera or camcorder, print high-quality photos, create custom labels, and design personalised photo albums or binders to share with friends and family. ✍...
Page 83 Using PictureGear Studio Using the Import feature With the Import feature, you can capture and import pictures from your USB digital camera / camcorder or TWAIN-supporting scanner to your computer. Once you have imported the pictures, you can select your favourite pictures and save them in handy folders for future use.
Page 84 Using PictureGear Studio Click to make any adjustments you want to make to the pictures. The Adjust window displays an enlarged version of the picture on the right and thumbnail versions on the left. ❑ Click Save to relocate the individual picture to a new folder. ❑...
Page 85 Using PictureGear Studio ❑ Click Rotate to change the picture's position. ❑ Click Trim to crop the picture or capture a specific area. Click Finish Importing to save the imported pictures in a photo collection (see Using the PhotoCollection feature (page 85)).
Page 86 Using PictureGear Studio Using the PhotoCollection feature You can organise and manage your imported pictures on your computer’s hard drive. To use the PhotoCollection feature, proceed as follows: In the PictureGear Studio main window, click PhotoCollection. Alternatively, go to Start, All Programs, PictureGear Studio, Tool and then click PhotoCollection.
Page 87 Using PictureGear Studio From the thumbnail view, click to select pictures. Hold down the <Ctrl> key while clicking to select several pictures. Use <Ctrl>+<A> to select all the photos in a folder. Manage your pictures with these additional tools and features: ❑...
Page 88 Using PictureGear Studio Using the Binder feature You can add comments to your favourite photos, add custom backgrounds, clip art, and stamps, or showcase your own drawing talent. Add, remove, or change your designs to create your own unique photo art. To use the Binder feature, proceed as follows: In the PictureGear Studio main window, click Binder.
Page 89 Using PictureGear Studio Select a binder style, and then click New Page. Available photo sources are displayed as thumbnails. Click a photo to select it. An information form appears. Fill in your information and click OK. An art palette window appears. To create an original page with art or stamps, use the decoration features on the right by clicking on the required feature and applying it to your photo.
Page 90 Using PictureGear Studio Using the PhotoAlbum feature You can organise your memorable photos in an electronic photo album to share with friends and family. To use the PhotoAlbum feature, proceed as follows: In the PictureGear Studio main window, click PhotoAlbum. Alternatively, go to Start, All Programs, PictureGear Studio, Tool and then click The PhotoAlbum window appears.
Page 91 Using PictureGear Studio Click List to select the photos you want to include in your album from available folders. The Photo List window appears. Click Create the Album with the selected photo(s) after selecting your photos. The Select Design window appears. Click to select a design layout for your album.
Page 92 Using PictureGear Studio Scroll through your album using the book icons at the bottom of the window. Click Edit Album to make changes to your album. Customise your album by adding more pictures, pages, decorations, or comments, or by deleting pages. Click Edit Page to customise a page in your album.
Page 93 Using PictureGear Studio Using the Export feature You can export your completed photo album to enable viewing over the Internet, with another computer, or saving to a recordable media. There are three export formats available: ❑ Export as a Flash File to create a small file that can be viewed using Microsoft ❑...
Page 94 Using PictureGear Studio Click an export format to select it. The Select Folder window appears. Click Browse and navigate to the destination folder. Enter a file name, if necessary. Click Export. A progress window appears briefly. An export completion message window appears, displaying the file name and file size. Click OK.
Page 95 Using PictureGear Studio Using the PrintStudio feature Use PrintStudio to design and print original postcards, calendars, art, and labels using your favourite pictures. To use PrintStudio, proceed as follows: In the PictureGear Studio main window, click PrintStudio. Alternatively, go to Start, All Programs, PictureGear Studio, Tool and then click The PrintStudio window appears.
Page 96 Using PictureGear Studio Select the item you want to create and click Start Creating. The initial creation window appears, which varies depending on the item you are creating. Make selections for the picture(s), design layout, and custom decoration for the item you want to create. Set the number of copies to be printed and select a connected printer.
Page 97: Viewing The Online Help
Using PictureGear Studio Viewing the online Help For more information about PictureGear Studio, see the application’s online Help files. To view the online help, proceed as follows: Click Help in PictureGear Studio’s main window or in each PictureGear Studio element.
Page 98: Customising Your Computer
The following sections briefly describe how to change the main settings of your computer. Among other things, you will learn how to prepare your modem for use, how to use and customise the look of your Sony software and utilities, etc.
Page 99: Setting Up Your Notebook With Sony Notebook Setup
Customising your computer Setting up your notebook with Sony Notebook Setup The Sony Notebook Setup utility allows you to consult system information, specify preferences for system behaviour, and set up password protection for your VAIO notebook. To use Sony Notebook Setup, proceed as follows: Click the Start button on the Windows In All Programs, select Sony Notebook Setup and then click Sony Notebook Setup.
Page 100: Managing Power With Powerpanel
For more information about each option, click Help on the Sony Notebook Setup screen to display the help file. If you open Sony Notebook Setup as a limited user, then only the About This Computer tab will be visible. Managing power with PowerPanel The PowerPanel utility controls the power management of your notebook and provides key information about system activity and battery life.
Page 101 Customising your computer Activating PowerPanel When you start the computer, the PowerPanel icon appears in the system tray by default. To see the current power profile, simply point to the icon. The current power profile will be displayed in a tooltip.
Page 102 Customising your computer Activating power management profiles PowerPanel provides several predefined power management profiles. Each profile consists of a group of power management settings that are designed to meet specific power management goals, ranging from maximum power management to no power management. Running on AC Icon Description...
Page 103 Customising your computer Icon Description Spreadsheet – Reduces the LCD brightness to 'medium', as your software does not require higher performance. Presentation – Keeps the display on at all times while it conserves power. This option is ideal for slideshow presentations.
Page 104 Customising your computer Selecting automatic profiles when running on batteries A power profile is a set of timer values for a variety of system devices. PowerPanel automatically selects the profile associated with the application you are using and changes profiles as you switch between applications.
Page 105: Displaying Detailed Battery Information
Customising your computer Displaying detailed battery information You can display detailed information of your computer's battery. There are 3 ways in which you can display battery information: ❑ Right-click the PowerPanel icon in the taskbar and select Battery Information from the menu. ❑...
Page 106 Customising your computer Editing a power profile ✍ You must have Administrator’s rights on your notebook to be able to edit existing profiles. Users whose account type is Limited can only open the Power Profile tab in the Power Panel window in view mode. To check your user account information, select the User Accounts category in the Control Panel.
Page 107: Selecting Display Modes
The Display Properties dialog box appears. Click the Settings tab. Click the Advanced button. The Sony Notebook LCD and Mobility Radeon 9000 Properties dialog box appears. Click the Displays tab. Select the Monitor, Panel or TV icon. Click Apply and then OK.
Page 108: Configuring Your Modem
Customising your computer Configuring your modem Before you can start using your internal modem, or each time you use your modem while travelling, make sure that the country of the active location defined in the Phone and Modem Options dialog box matches the country you are dialling from.
Page 109: Updating The Modem Driver
Customising your computer Updating the modem driver If you need to update the modem driver for any reason, proceed as follows: Click the Start button and open Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears. Click the Printers and Other Hardware icon. The Printers and Other Hardware window appears.
Page 110: Changing Your Windows Design With The Ui Design Selector Program
The UI Design Selector window design changes, to give you a preview of the design you chose for the Sony software. To try another design, click << or >>. Click OK once you are satisfied with your choice. The UI Design Selector dialog box disappears and changes the window design of Sony software as you selected.
Page 111: Setting A Sony Wallpaper
Customising your computer Setting a Sony wallpaper Your Sony VAIO computer offers you, among many other features, a choice of wallpapers. You can change the wallpaper, the background of your desktop, as many times as you like. There are several VAIO-specific wallpapers to choose from.
Page 112: Selecting A Screen Saver
Customising your computer Selecting a screen saver A screen saver is an animated image that is activated on a computer display when no user activity has been sensed for a certain time. The original purpose of a screen saver was to prevent burn-in (the burning of an image into the phosphor inside the cathode ray tube after hours of the same image being rescanned).
Page 113: Installing And Updating Applications
Installing and updating applications Installing and updating applications This section explains how to install, run or uninstall a software. Furthermore, you will learn how to download the latest updates from our website. ❑ Installing software ❑ Changing or removing software ❑...
Page 114: Installing Software
Installing and updating applications Installing software To install bundled software from the supplied application CD, please read the printed Application CD Guide for details. To install other software, use the following procedure. Before installing the applications: ❑ Install and connect a hardware device, if necessary (see the Managing drivers ❑...
Page 115: Changing Or Removing Software
Installing and updating applications Click Browse to select the folder and click Next. If necessary, select the type of installation you wish and click Next. The software installation begins. Make sure to select Yes, I want to restart my computer now if you are asked to. Click Finish.
Page 116 Installing and updating applications When you click Change or Remove, some programs may be removed without any further warning. Make sure you are certain you want to remove it beforehand. ✍ You can sort programs by selecting different options in Sort by. ®...
Page 117 Installing and updating applications Caution ® Windows File protection Installing a program might overwrite shared system files such as dynamic-link libraries (DLL files)* and executable files (EXE files). When system files are overwritten, system performance becomes unpredictable, programs behave erratically, and the operating system can fail. Never delete files with the following extensions: SYS, DLL, OCX, TTF, or FON.
Page 118: Downloading Software
Installing and updating applications Downloading software Please note it is possible to download the latest upgrades of software for your computer from our website. Just click the following link to access it: To download the latest upgrades, proceed as follows: Go to www.vaio-link.com Click the VAIO User button.
Page 119: Managing Drivers
Managing drivers Managing drivers A driver is a software enabling you to use hardware devices. For example, in order for you to be able to use a printer, you must first install its driver. Many drivers, such as the mouse driver, come with the operating system.
Page 120: Installing A Driver
Managing drivers Installing a driver To (re)install a Sony driver, see the printed Application CD Guide for details. If the driver does not come with a specific installation procedure, please proceed as follows to install it: Insert the installation CD-ROM or disk accompanying the device into the disc drive.
Page 121: Checking The Driver's Installation
Managing drivers Checking the driver's installation When the computer restarts, check that the device is working properly. To check the driver’s installation, proceed as follows: From the Start menu, click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears. Double-click the System icon. The System dialog box appears.
Page 122: Updating A Driver
Managing drivers ❑ Right-click Uninstall. ❑ When the Confirm Device Removal dialog box appears, click OK. ❑ Click Yes and restart the computer. ❑ When the computer restarts, repeat from step 2 in Installing a driver ❑ If your device is not displayed in the Properties dialog box, the device is not working properly. Repeat steps 1 through 4 in the previous sections to check the driver’s installation.
Page 123: Uninstalling A Driver
Managing drivers Double-click the option corresponding to the device you installed, then double-click your device. The Properties dialog box appears. Click the Driver tab. Click Update driver. The driver is updated. ✍ To install your device driver, you must log on to your computer as a user with administrator rights. Uninstalling a driver Leave the device connected to your computer while uninstalling the driver.
Page 124: Restoring A Driver
Managing drivers Double-click the option corresponding to the device you installed, then double-click your device. The Properties dialog box appears. Click the Driver tab. Click Uninstall. The driver is uninstalled. ✍ To uninstall your device driver, you must be logged on to your computer with administrator rights. Restoring a driver System Restore is a feature of Microsoft problem occurs, without losing your personal data files.
Page 125 Managing drivers Click Start on the taskbar. Click My computer from the menu. Click View system information on the left of the window. Click the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager. Double-click the option corresponding to the device you installed, then double-click your device. The Properties dialog box appears.
Page 126: Downloading Drivers
Managing drivers Downloading drivers Please note it is possible to download the latest versions of drivers for your computer on our website. Just click the following link to access it: To download the latest drivers, proceed as follows: Go to www.vaio-link.com Click the VAIO User button.
Page 127: Using The Product Recovery Cd-Roms
❑ If you want to modify the size of the hard drive partitions. You can only use these product recovery CD-ROMs on the Sony computer they came with and not on any other Sony PC or other manufacturer's PC. ❑...
Page 128: Performing A System Recovery
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Performing an application recovery The final CD in the set of product recovery CD-ROMs contains most of the applications that were preinstalled on your computer. Reinstalling a program from this application CD can fix the problems encountered if it does not run correctly anymore, or if Windows Please read your printed Application CD Guide for details on (re)installing bundled applications.
Page 129: Notes On Performing A System Recovery
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Notes on performing a system recovery ❑ The recovery process can last up to sixty minutes, and in this time you will be prompted to change CDs. ❑ You can recover only the software bundled to your computer. It does not work for the software you have installed subsequently or the data you have created.
Page 130 Using the product recovery CD-ROMs ✍ Although you can perform a system recovery and change the partition settings in order to have one C: drive only, this option is not recommended for using video editing applications like DVgate. To optimise data storage, use the C: drive to install new applications, and save all your documents and files to the D: drive. Moreover, doing so will prevent the loss of your data in case you need to perform a system recovery.
Page 131: Recovering The System Without Changing Partition Sizes
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Recovering the system without changing partition sizes To completely restore the original software, drivers and settings on your computer without changing the partition sizes, choose the first option and apply a Default System Drive Recovery. Performing this recovery means that you will lose all the data stored on your C: drive, but data on your D: drive will remain.
Page 132: Manually Changing Partition Sizes
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs To perform a recovery with options, proceed as follows: Select the button next to Option Recovery. Click Next. You now have three options: ❑ Default System Drive Recovery, (see Recovering the system without changing partition sizes (page 130)).
Page 133: Resetting The Default Partition Sizes
Your system's settings are changed and your computer reboots automatically. Resetting the default partition sizes If you changed the partition sizes since you bought your Sony computer, choosing Recovery To Originally Shipped State allows you to reset the hard drive to its original size. Meanwhile, the current partitions are deleted, the hard disk is reformatted, and all the original software is restored as with a standard system recovery.
Page 134: Aborting The System Recovery Process
Using the product recovery CD-ROMs Aborting the system recovery process Before the actual recovery process begins, the VAIO System Recovery Utility makes it easy to cancel any settings you may have made. Most screens remind you about the loss of data that will incur and you can either to go back to the previous screen (press Back), or abort the recovery setup altogether.

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