A firmware update will be required in order for your Sony laptop to recognize any third party battery (
aftermarket battery). A CD will be included with your battery to perform this procedure. In the event that there is an issue with your CD, please
contact us.
: This information is only for
Limewit laptop batteries. For troubleshooting and questions, contact the battery manufacturer.
Instructions
1. The AC adapter must be plugged in and the original battery charged to
at least 5% before continuing. Please use the original battery for the
update process. If the original battery will not charge above 5% or is
not available, then use the new battery instead.
2. Download and save the Sony Set Up to your desktop.
3. You
must be logged into Windows as the Administrator or a user with
administrator privileges. Please check the Start menu to verify that you
are logged in as an Administrator.
4. To eliminate the
possibility of other programs interfering with the update, turn-off all
applications including any antivirus or security software prior to
running the BIOS update. Also, right click and choose exit or disable on
all program icons on the bottom right of your task-bar (
near the clock - bottom right corner).
5.
Locate the folder where the “sonysetup.exe” file was downloaded or
copied to. Administrators can double click the “sonysetup.exe” file to
begin installation. Users with Administrator privileges, should right
click the “sonysetup.exe” file, then choose "Run as administrator.” If
you are presented with a Windows Program warning, then please choose
Allow.
Installing the driver
The following window should appear.
Attention: If you don’t have the AC adapter and battery plugged in, or if the capacity of the battery is below 5%, it will prompt you with the related error message and you cannot update the BIOS. This is to prevent you from damaging your computer in case of a power failure. If all conditions are satisfied, then it will display an Accept Agreement option as shown above.
You will be presented with two modes:
File Mode and
Patch Mode.
File Mode: The safest and recommended method to use, since the update files have been verified with the specific notebook model. The update program will first backup the current BIOS, then replace it with an updated BIOS file.
Patch Mode: This will update (or patch) the current BIOS. The update files have not been verified with the specific BIOS version. The update program will first make a backup of the current BIOS, then attempt to patch or rebuild the BIOS. For expert users only.
The End User Licensing Agreement is displayed. As with any type of BIOS update, there is a potential risk of damage to the system if the update program encounters a problem. Although the software has been tested with default system configurations, there is no way that one can predict the exact software environment of the current system in use.
Next, check off the
Accept Agreement option, then click the Update command, it will begin the update process and will also restart your computer. Once the laptop has restarted, you can insert the new laptop and you will once again be mobile.
Troubleshooting
- If you succeed with the installation but the battery light is still blinking rapidly after restart, simply power off the laptop. Remove the battery and reinsert it again, then power up the laptop. The rapid blinking light should stop.
- If you are presented with the above error message, then a previous update attempt has already been performed on this computer. Please choose No and then reinstall the original Sony BIOS back on the laptop before continuing or you could possibly damage the current BIOS.
You can obtain the original Sony BIOS at Sony’s support site
http://esupport.sony.com/ and then choosing Software Drivers.
Windows 7 & Windows Vista
Installing the update under Windows 7 and Vista will require you to enable Administrator access. Windows 7 and Vista users should follow these steps:
Administrator access before performing update.
- Click "Start"，right click on "My Computer"
- Click "Manage", Double click "Local users groups"
- Double click "Users"
- Double click "Administrator", then un-check "Account is disabled"
- After confirming it, please restart the laptop and log in as the "Administrator." Then follow the instructions above.
Common Error Messages
"Laptop Battery Not Compatible"
After the BIOS update installation has been completed and you're still seeing a pop-up error message within Windows stating that the "battery is not compatible", then you will also need to disable Sony's battery check utility (Sony ISB Utility) manually. To remove the Sony ISB utility follow these directions:
- Remove the battery from the laptop and power on the system with just the ac adapter.
- From either the Start menu or command prompt (also known "Run") run MSCONFIG.ex
- On Vista machines, Windows will prompt you for permission to continue.
- In the System Configuration window, click the "Startup" tab and find the item containing "ISBMgr.exe"
- Un-check the box for the "ISBMgr.exe"
- Click "Ok" to save and accept the changes and restart the laptop. You may be prompted on restart that Windows is running in selective mode. Just un-check the notification option on the bottom right.
This will remove the software check that Sony has placed on laptops to prevent third-party laptop batteries from being used and allow you to use a non-Sony laptop battery. If you perform a Sony software update, you may need to repeat this procedure.
"Update will not install"
You may receive an error message stating the update will not install or is not compatible with your model. Unfortunately, you will not be able to use a third party battery until a newer update version is released to address the newer Sony BIOS revisions.
Limewit.com is introducing Sony laptop batteries that do not require a BIOS update.
One of our first models is the
Sony Vaio® VGN-AR, CR, NR, SZ, VGP-BPS9 Laptop Battery. No need to waste time installing the BIOS update. Just insert the new battery and you are all set. Make sure to charge the battery with your AC adapter before using the battery.
You may do a more in depth search for your Sony laptop
battery here.
If you cannot locate a Sony laptop battery that does not require a BIOS update, send us a message and we will let you know if they are on their way to our warehouse.
Message us here.
