Bios update required?

[daveffynnon]

I am trying to fix a VGN-A197VP laptop for a friend.

It was full of Virus/Malware/etc.  and was on XP SP1.

I have found and removed hundreds of Virus etc. and updated to SP2.

Now, whenever it boots up, Outlook Express starts up.

It's not in any of the normal startup places.

Someone has said that this is due to SP2 being installed and the BIOS requires updating.

At the moment, it cannot connect it to the Internet so I cannot try the Via Update link.

I have tried to find a BIOS update on this site but cannot locate one.

Any advice welcomed.

Thanks

Dave

[Blencogo]

Hi Dave.

I can't see how a BIOS update will have anything to do with Outlook opening.  There is one BIOS update for this model but it dates from November 2004,

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/updates/index.aspx?m=VGN-A197VP&l=en_GB

It is more likely that Outlook is present in your All Programs -> Startup folder or it is in your startup group in MSCONFIG.  Where else have you looked for the startup link?

[daveffynnon]

Hi  Blencogo,

Thanks for the reply.

It's not in All Programs -> Startup or MSCONFIG.

I've also looked in the registry under HKEY Current User and HKEY Local Machine current version run etc. and it's not in there either.

I've just renamed msimn.exe as msimnx.exe, restarted and it still started, it's always about 1 minute after all other processes have started.

When I checked, msimnx.exe had returned to it's normal name!

I found the BIOS tip from the following:-

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From Vaio-Link:

Solution V00084

Description:

Microsoft  Outlook/Outlook Express starts automatically, every time I start my  computer after upgrading to Windows XP Service Pack 2(SP2).

Solution:

Affected models:

    * VGN-A115B
    * VGN-A115S
    * VGN-A117S
    * VGN-A195EP
    * VGN-A195HP
    * VGN-A197VP
    * VGN-A197XP

To  resolve this issue, download and install the latest BIOS Upgrade  utility. To obtain this update, please visit the Drivers and Patches  download section on the VAIO-Link Web site and select your relevant  model from the dropdown list

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Any further help will be appreciated.  I'm stuck on this one.

Regards

Dave

[Thalamus.]

Hi Dave,

what is the version of your current BIOS.?

To check start your vaio and when you see the Vaio logo appear press F1 repeatedly..

[daveffynnon]

Hi Thalamus,

Pressing F1 did not get me to the BIOS, however, I had previously noticed that there is a Sony Notebook Setup icon in the Control Centre.

This reports that the BIOS is R0040F1/RK040F1

Also,if it helps or hinders, whenever it boots up, the diaplay is always the small 1920x1200 resolutution, I change it back to 1280x768 but it still boots to the smaller version.

I've also found that Comodo Firewall, which I have been testing on my own PC, does not start the application Agent.

Hope this helps.

I'm just about to run yet another free AntiVirus checker.

I have a few which I have used in the past with success.

My other ones have already found almost 300 nasties.

Sorry for the lateness of the reply, I'm multi tasking - laying a patio but had to stop at 17:15 as it got too dark.

Regards

Dave

[Blencogo]

It looks like the update mentioned above is a newer BIOS Version R0080F1 available for download.  Make sure you follow the installation instructions carefully.

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/info/info.aspx?l=en_GB&url=Vaio/Bios/AIBSYS-007...