VAIO VPCEA3S1E does not see Windows 7 SP1

[zeff62]

Question similar to http://www.sony.co.uk/discussions/message/644235#644235, but on another VAIO.

On my VPCEA3S1E, none of the reasons explained in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2498452 is true on my machine: no pending update, no SafeCentral, no Intel graphics (ATI graphics in this VAIO), no vLite.
The poor Sony VAIO phone support can't explain the problem.
And I don't want to install manually this update, seems long and painful!

Why Windows Update does not propose SP1???

[zeff62 · Accepted solution]

Problem solved!
Many many thanks to Pierre-Louis Coll, Microsoft France, for his great help during several weeks of various tests and tries.

The source of the problem was very difficult to locate, but the solution is very easy!
In this Sony VAIO, the graphics card is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470.
However, in C:\Windows\System32, Sony has also installed files for Intel graphics cards:

      igd10umd64.dll and igdumd64.dll

Because these files are of course not used, simply delete them (or rename them if you are afraid to delete).
Then rerun Windows Update, it will immediately propose SP1!

Without reporting any error to the user, Windows Update did not propose SP1 because igd10umd64.dll was an old version... 8.15.10.2119 in my case...
Stupid, because this file is fully unused, and of course had a small probability to be at a recent version...
From Microsoft USA development team: WU blocks SP1 if igd10umd64.dll is in the range 8.15.10.2104 to 8.15.10.2141, my case!

Even if the problem is solved, some questions:
-to Sony. Why do they install files for another graphics card? Maybe easier for them to have the same installed files on all their machines.
-to Microsoft. Why Windows Update takes care of an unused driver, for another graphics card not on the machine? And WU should be chattier, explaining the reasons of any block.

But happy that this old problem is now solved!

Message was edited by: zeff62

Message was edited by: zeff62

[omniplex]

Thanks, using Windows Update is certainly simpler than a manual SP1 installation.  You wrote:

| Because these files are of course not used, simply delete them (or rename them if you are afraid to delete).

Aparrently these two files are mentioned in 2*2 registry entries, and just renaming or deleting the DLLs does not fix the registry.  I tried another approach and loaded the Intel graphics driver package, but unsurprisingly the Intel installer refuses to work without an Intel graphics card.  It also doesn't update or remove the two obscure files.

In the ZIP version of the Intel graphics package for x64 I see the actual DLLs (April 2011, version 8.15.10.2361).  In theory I could now overwrite the *two* old DLLs manually, but that is no clean solution:

1 - whatever "PnPlockdown" in the registry means, it doesn't sound like "do what you like and never fear".

2 - the Intel package contains many DLLs, modifying only two of them can't be a good idea.

In other words, Sony installed a VAIO update software, and this software SHOULD cleanup the mess created by Sony, as it's not the fault of Microsoft or Intel, let alone Sony customers.  While at it the VAIO update software should also install the latest ATI catalyst 11.5 for mobility Radeon.  Sadly ATI refuses to update their drivers for Sony (among others), and the workaround to use their download server (hosted by Akamai) directly only to get the latest ATI software also on a VAIO is a major pain.

https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/www2.ati.com/drivers/mobile/11-5_mobility_vista_win7_64_dd_cc...

Message was edited by: -frank-

Message Edited By Frank - Moderator