Sony VAIO VPC-EB33FM Troubleshooting

Your computer will not load all the way.

If your computer does not boot, it may be from defective RAM. To determine whether your RAM is defective see the RAM Installation guide to remove and reinstall the RAM correctly. If the computer still won’t turn on, the RAM may need to be replaced.

A bad hard drive can cause your computer to not load the desktop. To check if the hard drive is the problem, remove all disks and media from any of the optical or media drives and restart the computer. Perform a format and recovery of the hard drive. For instructions on formatting and recovering the hard drive, see Additional Information. If the problem isn’t resolved through these processes, then the hard drive needs to be replaced. To replace the hard drive, see the Hard Drive Installation guide.

Your computer will not boot.

If your computer will not turn on, it may be due to a problem with your power adapter. First, verify that you are using the correct power adapter. See the Technical Specifications on the device page. To confirm the problem is the power adapter, plug the adapter into a socket. If the green LED light appears, then your adapter is receiving power. If no LED light shows, then your adapter is not receiving power or the battery is fully charged. If the computer will not turn on with the adapter plugged in, then it will need to be replaced.

If your battery does not charge with the power adapter, then you may have a dead battery. Remove the battery and plug the adapter into the computer. If your computer turns on without the battery installed, then the battery is dead and needs to be replaced. To replace the battery, see the Battery Installation guide.

Your computer freezes/crashes while you are using it.

If your computer does not have enough RAM, it may freeze or crash. Another sign of the computer crashing is if a blue screen appears, which may be due to the lack of RAM. This can be corrected by installing more RAM onto the computer. To install RAM, see the RAM Installation guide.

If the processor is overheating or damaged, then the computer may freeze or crash. When the processor is located during disassembly, check to see if any of its pins are bent or not fitted properly into the socket. The computer will not function if the pins are faulty. If this is not the case, then check the BIOS for proper processor settings. The wrong BIOS settings can cause the processor to overheat. For instructions on how to reach the BIOS settings, see Additional Information. If there is a spare processor compatible with the computer, test it and if it works, replace it for the original processor.

Your computer is running, but the screen is dark screen.

Make sure the laptop is not on standby mode. Press any key on the keyboard to activate the screen.

If the screen is on but is still faint, adjust the brightness. Hold down the ‘Fn’ key and repeatedly press the ‘F6’ key until the screen is visible and desired brightness is acquired.

A black screen may be caused by static electricity that has built up on the computer's system board. The electricity will have to be drained. To drain out the electricity:

1. Take out the battery and unplug the power adapter.

2. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to turn off the computer.

3. Put the battery back in and start the computer.

If any external displays, external devices, or PC cards are in use, they can cause a disturbance with the laptop display. Disconnect any device and restart the laptop.

Your screen has visible lines, flickers, or is all one color.

If any form of LCD distortion is visible when the laptop is turned off, then physical damage has occurred and the LCD screen will have to be replaced. To replace the display, see the Display Installation guide.

If the laptop screen flickers, vertical lines are visible, or dims out gradually, either the backlight or inverter located between the hinges is failing. To check if this is the problem, connect your laptop to an external screen. If a normal display does not appear, the inverter or backlight will have to be replaced.

If the LCD is all one color, close the LCD screen and reopen it. If the images return when the LCD was adjusted, the connection to the screen has been damaged at the hinge. Service on the video cable will have to be performed. If the screen flickers, the connection is loose and needs adjustment.

A faulty graphics card/video card can result in a distorted screen. This can include color distortions, image distortions, or the screen may not work at all. If this is true, the graphics card driver may be out of date and the newest driver will need to be installed. If this does not correct the problem, the graphics card may need to be replaced.

Your keyboard and/or touchpad are having issues or they aren’t responding.

If the keyboard seems to be having physical problems, turn the computer off and unplug any cables attached to the computer. If some of your keys are stuck, try removing accumulated debris by turning the keyboard upside-down and shaking it gently. If liquid is spilled onto the keyboard, turn the computer over immediately and shake it to remove as much liquid as possible. A hair dryer can help dry out the remaining liquids. If the keyboard still doesn’t work, it will have to be replaced and the damage inside of the computer will have to examined. To replace the keyboard, go to the Keyboard Installation guide.

To reach the mouse settings:

1. Click the ‘Start button’.

2. Then click ‘Control Panel’.

3. Then click ‘Hardware and Sound’.

4. Under ‘Devices and Printers’, click ‘Mouse’.

5. In the ‘Mouse’ window, click ‘Pointer Options’.

6. In the ‘Motion’ box, click and drag the slider to increase or decrease the speed of the pointer.

7. Click ‘Ok’ to exit.

If the computer’s touchpad doesn’t respond, it may be due to several reasons. Remove any external USB mouses and re-enable the touchpad. To do this, press ‘fn+F1’ on the keyboard to disable the touchpad and press ‘fn+F1’ again to re-enable it. If this does not solve the problem, try restarting the computer and, as the computer is restarting, press the ‘F10’ key to launch the VAIO Recovery application. There, the touchpad program can be accessed. If the touchpad is unresponsive in the VAIO Recovery application, then the issue is hardware based and service will be necessary. For service contacts, see Additional Information (The link will require your laptop's model number and the date of purchase).

Your fan is making loud noises or isn’t functioning properly.

There may be dust clogged within your computer’s external vents. Try cleaning the vents with a clean, soft cloth or cotton swab. If the noise is still present, vacuum the vents with a handheld vacuum or dusting attachment for a household vacuum. Lastly, attempt to blow dust out of vents using compressed air; this should remove most of the dust impairing the fan.

If your fan is still malfunctioning, then you most likely have a broken fan. To replace the fan, see the Fan Installation guide.

The optical drive is not reading disks.

An error message can appear saying that the optical drive was not found. This may be due to:

1. Upgrading to newer version of Windows

2. Installing a Windows service pack

3. Installing or uninstalling a CD or DVD recording program

4. Uninstalling Microsoft Digital Image

To resolve this, go to the device manager and click on the drive. Uninstall the drive and click on scan for hardware changes to reload it. Restart the computer.

Your computer’s optical drive can have accumulated dust. The drive can be cleaned by spraying bursts of air. A special purpose disc called a cleaner disk can also be used to clean the optical drive. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, your optical drive may be broken and needs to be replaced.

When the power adapter is unplugged, your computer immediately turns off.

If your laptop shuts off when unplugged, then you most likely have a bad battery. If there is an LED light on the power adapter, it means there is a power supply going to the computer. If there is no light it means that the battery is fully charged or the battery is not charging properly. You can check the health status of the battery using the battery status application. To view the battery status, see Additional Information. If the application says there is no detected battery or the battery has poor health, then your battery will need to be replaced. To replace the battery, see the Battery Installation guide.

Your computer is making loud noises during usage.

If you hear an abnormal clicking sound that isn’t from any audio devices, it may be coming from your hard drive. To check if it is from the hard drive, follow the steps:

1. Click the start button and then ‘Computer’.

2. Right click the ‘Hard Drive’. (The icon with ‘(D:)’ is the Hard Drive)

3. Select ‘Properties’.

4. Click the ‘Tools’ tab.

5. Click ‘Check Now’ under the ‘Error-checking’ box.

If error messages appear and the clicking sound is still there, then you will most likely need to contact services or have your Hard Drive replaced. To replace the hard drive, see the Hard Drive Installation guide.

Loud noises can possibly be from the fan being too dusty. See the Fan Problems Section for instructions on how to clean the fan. To replace the fan, see the Fan Installation guide.