Member Avatar for themadhouse

I have trawled for answers but no problem is quite the same as mine so I need to ask for help. My Sony Vaio needs to be switched on and off several times before it will boot up to the Vaio screen, then it asks to launch repair or start normally. Repair fixes nothing and finds nothing. Start normally will take it to check c drive screen which again find nothing wrong and it boots to windows, or I hit cancal and again it goes to a normal windows screen. From here everything works as normal. I have tried all the different tests on the machine including all the "F" buttons, been into bios tests and also factorys restored the machine several times. Once the machine has been running I can switch off normally via the start menu and can then ask it to start again anything up to half an hour later and it will boot properly, anything over that and we are back to the above doing a hard reset about 9 times before it eventually starts the proper start up. During the false starts i get a stripped grey screen or a black screen with white hearts and white squares then eventually on about the 9th go it goes to black VAIO boot screen and follows the above routine. This has been happening since Sony had the machine last year, for most of last year !!!!, they sent it back to me with this fault, i sent it back and they kept telling me it had been repaired but it was still the same. It did hav a new hard drive fitted and I am wondering if it was not done properly although why Sony themselves would either fit it incorrectly or not be able to find the fault is beyond me !. I do not want it to go to Sony ever again ! None of the tests I have done find any fault so I have been running my machine for the last four months just to see if anything develops but its still the same. No problems running once its started but a hell of a job to get it to boot and cant find a way to make it boot normally. Do I put up with it as it runs ok once its started and save the cost of replacing hardware or is it a software issue that someone can help me out with ...... many thanks

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Dani AI

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described a classic “cold-start but OK once warm” symptom: multiple power cycles to get past the VAIO splash, odd pre-boot video artifacts (striped/grey or black with white hearts/squares), then perfectly normal Windows operation. was right to ask for model/chassis details, and ’s note about VAIO Care is useful — it’s a software variable to remove — but the cold/warm dependence and the pre‑POST graphics corruption point more strongly to a hardware/firmware fault (marginal HDD/caddy/SATA connection, drive controller, power delivery or motherboard/video initialization) than to Windows itself.

Recommended triage (non‑invasive, in this order):

  1. Immediate image/backup of user data to external media.
  2. Record model number and whether laptop or all-in-one (important for spare parts and caddy/cable design).
  3. Disable VAIO pre‑boot/VAIO Care entries (msconfig / Startup & Services or uninstall VAIO Care) to remove that variable.
  4. Check BIOS time/settings and disable any “Fast Boot” or VAIO rescue pre‑boot feature. Replace CMOS battery if time/clock is wrong.
  5. From an elevated command prompt run basic checks:
sfc /scannow
chkdsk c: /f /r
wmic diskdrive get model,serialnumber,status
mdsched.exe

Next-level checks (to isolate firmware vs hardware):

  • Boot from a USB Live Linux or Windows PE: if POST/BIOS splash or artifacts appear before the USB menu, the problem is motherboard/video hardware; if the Live USB boots reliably the HDD/OS is less likely.
  • Run MemTest86 or Windows Memory Diagnostic for several passes.
  • Reseat the HDD/SSD, caddy and internal power/SATA connectors; test with a known-good drive or inexpensive SSD. Try booting with battery removed / AC only and vice versa.

If reseating and a clean USB boot show stability, the fault was likely a loose connector or failing drive. If artifacts/failed POST persist, suspect motherboard/GPU components (warm-up behavior suggests marginal solder/capacitor or VRAM). Given Sony’s prior repair history, document the odd screens (photos), back up data, and consider either swapping the drive/caddy as a low-cost test or a local repair shop experienced with VAIO boards if not comfortable opening the chassis.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

hi, I don't have an answer yet and may never have one ,but have a question ,is this a laptop or a sony all-in one desktop ,also the model # might help as sometimes problems are specific to different models

Member Avatar for mjdodd

I also have struggled with sony vaio for a client and it always boots into the repair or leave and start windows routine. this is a boot addition put in by Sony called Vaio care and it means that when the *** machine is finally booted pressing the 'assist' button can call up the vaio care and get you out of trouble. great but not needed at startup!!
it is possible once booted to disable this boot routine but you will have to google 'remove Vaio care start up routine' or something like that. I suspect that your vaio boot care routine is awol!
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