There is at least one confirmed issue involving a clean XP install onto a Sony SZ. Specifically, the driver for the SZ's internal webcam indirectly prevents XP from powering down the SZ during shutdown. There's a long story behind how I found this issue, so I won't bore you with all the details. But here are some key links:
Sony® Visual Communication Camera VGP-VCC2 Driver
How to Install the Microsoft® Windows® XP Operating System and VAIO® Applications
A Windows XP-based computer stops responding during standby or hibernation operations or when you try to use the Shut Down command
After a few issue escalations, I was contacted by a Sony technician that was familiar with the issue itself. He told me that there are several hot fixes applied to the SZ that are not publicly available (neither via Sony nor Microsoft). But the only hot fix he could disclose to me was the one mentioned in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article above (KB909667), as it involved the issue I reported.
Specifically, he said the hot fixed Stream.sys file had been applied to my SZ140 during the initial build. But since I had reformatted my hard drive for the clean XP install, that install's version of Stream.sys was causing the power-down problems. Yet he said that due to Microsoft's policies, Sony could not re-distribute the hot fix.
So the only solution he could offer was for me to perform a full system restore (via the 9 system restore CDs I had created). Then copy the hot fixed Stream.sys file to a CD. Then re-perform the clean install of XP. And then copy the hot fixed Stream.sys from the CD back to the SZ.
So instead of doing all that, I contacted Microsoft in hopes they can release the hot fix to me directly.
FYI, I should note there seems to be a condition related to the webcam/power-down issue. If I power-up the SZ, then activate the webcam's video, and then shutdown XP -- the power-down works as expected. But if I power-up the SZ, but I don't activate the webcam's video, and then shutdown XP -- the power-down does not work.
Also, the Sony technician did not explicitly identify the other hot fixes applied to the SZ. But he did imply the hot fix for the following issue might also be applied, too:
Computers that are running Windows XP Service Pack 2 and that are equipped with multiple processors that support processor power management features may experience decreased performance
Sony® Visual Communication Camera VGP-VCC2 Driver
How to Install the Microsoft® Windows® XP Operating System and VAIO® Applications
A Windows XP-based computer stops responding during standby or hibernation operations or when you try to use the Shut Down command
After a few issue escalations, I was contacted by a Sony technician that was familiar with the issue itself. He told me that there are several hot fixes applied to the SZ that are not publicly available (neither via Sony nor Microsoft). But the only hot fix he could disclose to me was the one mentioned in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article above (KB909667), as it involved the issue I reported.
Specifically, he said the hot fixed Stream.sys file had been applied to my SZ140 during the initial build. But since I had reformatted my hard drive for the clean XP install, that install's version of Stream.sys was causing the power-down problems. Yet he said that due to Microsoft's policies, Sony could not re-distribute the hot fix.
So the only solution he could offer was for me to perform a full system restore (via the 9 system restore CDs I had created). Then copy the hot fixed Stream.sys file to a CD. Then re-perform the clean install of XP. And then copy the hot fixed Stream.sys from the CD back to the SZ.
So instead of doing all that, I contacted Microsoft in hopes they can release the hot fix to me directly.FYI, I should note there seems to be a condition related to the webcam/power-down issue. If I power-up the SZ, then activate the webcam's video, and then shutdown XP -- the power-down works as expected. But if I power-up the SZ, but I don't activate the webcam's video, and then shutdown XP -- the power-down does not work.
Also, the Sony technician did not explicitly identify the other hot fixes applied to the SZ. But he did imply the hot fix for the following issue might also be applied, too:
Computers that are running Windows XP Service Pack 2 and that are equipped with multiple processors that support processor power management features may experience decreased performance
