Hi,

After much pondering and research I finally ordered my TR2 (in Australia) and it should be arriving sometime next week.  I simply can’t wait to put my hands on my new “toy”.

Whilst I’ve been waiting for its arrival, I’ve been trying to compile a list of the pre-requisite drivers’ updates/upgrades and looking at suggestions of new useful laptop software.  I’ve downloaded the Panasonic Firmware upgrade, the VAIO Edit Compenents 4.0, and the Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Network driver upgrade.

Are there other drivers, upgrades I should be getting, or alternative ones I should be downloading, and what are some useful laptop software that the forum goers think are highly recommended?

Oh, one other question, do the TR’s ship with the FAT 32 or the NTFS format?  Is it worth your while formating it to NTFS if my came with the FAT 32 file system?

Thanks

Hrm, it’ll be great if someone can post the links to all the software/firmwares updates.

Yeah, I’m gonna work on that once I get my TR I think.

This could be useful though for anyone after they have restored any Windows XP machine, can save a lot of time.

http://www.autopatcher.com/WebAPXP.htm

The TR2 comes with the NTFS file system, I believe Windows XP only allows you to create FAT32 partitions up to 32GB only.

Sleepless: Click on “Updated software and drivers” for the latest TR2 stuff:

http://www.ita.sel.sony.com/support/pc/pcgtr2a/

Thanks for the replies.

FastLaneJB:  What does the AutopatchXP actually do?  I presume you use it to get the XP updates but how is it different from using the XP autoupdate thingie?

Regarding recommended software, perhaps I should start by putting some that I will install when I get my machine:

- SpyBot S&D
- Spyware Blaster
- Zonealarm

All of these can be downloaded from http://www.webattack.com which I stumbled across some months ago and it has an excellent selection of freeware.

Autopatcher has all the current Windows Updates in it along with a few useful utils and registry changes. You can pick and choose which you do and don’t want to install. At just over 200 Meg’s there is a lot of patches, it just saves you downloading and installing them all each time you format. Useful for people like me that look after multiple machines, format regularly on some of them as well to keep them clean

FastLaneJB:  with the AutopatcherXP, does it matter what version of Windows XP I have?  My TR2 is going to be shipped with the home version.  Another thing is, is there a particular order of updating you do when you use the Autopatcher?

Thanks for the replies. 

P.S.  my new “toy” is coming tomorrow!!!

AutoPatcher will work on Home and Pro versions of Windows XP. There is no order you need to run it really. I’d probably suggest it as being one of the first things you run as it contains most of the updates you’ll get off Windows Update along with some other nice stuff.