Sony has just issued an urgent BIOS update for certain F and C series VAIO notebooks. The affected models were sold in the first half of 2010 and are at risk of overheating due to a faulty thermal management system. According to Sony, the BIOS update should fix the issue. More than half a million units worldwide are affected, of which 120,000 are in Southeast Asia.



More than half a million VAIO notebooks are at risk of overheating due to a faulty thermal management system, according to Sony. A product recall was previously issued but Sony now says that a BIOS update will fix the problem. The affected parts have serial numbers starting with VPCF11 or VPCCW2 and were sold in the first half of 2010.

535,000 notebooks are affected worldwide, about half of which are in the US. Of the remainder, 103,000 are in Europe, 120,000 are in Southeast Asia and 52,000 are in Japan. The number of overheating cases reported so far is said to be between 30 and 40. No injuries have occured, but the notebooks can get hot enough to warp the plastic casing and cause burns.

To check if your Sony notebook is affected, refer to Sony's support website Sony eSupport - Electronics - News & Alerts. Sony advises owners of affected notebooks to cease all usage until the fix has been applied.

This is hardly the first notebook recall in recent years, though recalls are more often due to notebook batteries. In 2008, Sony recalled 73,000 VAIO notebooks due to a similar overheating issue. Sony was forced to recall over 4 million notebook batteries back in 2006 after a notebook battery exploded in Japan.

Sources: Sony, Sony Asia, Daily Mail, PC World


Dear Sony customers,

Sony takes pride in the quality of its products. Recently, we became aware of a potential issue affecting certain units within the VPCF11 and VPCCW2 series of notebook PCs.

In rare instances, these notebook computers may overheat due to a potential malfunction of the internal temperature management system, resulting in deformation of the product's keyboard or external casing, and a potential burn hazard to consumers.

If you have one of the VPCF11 or VPCCW2 series models, Sony recommends that you download and install a firmware update specifically designed to prevent the potential overheating symptom.

Click here for information on how to locate the model number of your notebook PC. Sony eSupport - Electronics - Support Information
Click here to verify your model and install the update. Sony eSupport - Electronics - Drivers & Software

If you have any questions or need additional assistance with the firmware update installation, call Sony technical support at (866) 496-7669 for assistance.

The satisfaction of our customers is our number one priority, and we will work diligently to ensure that your VAIO notebook is in top working order. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your support in this matter.

Sincerely,

Mike Lucas,
Senior Vice President, VAIO
Sony Electronics Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Which models in the VPCF11 and VPCCW2 series of notebook PCs may be affected?
A1: Certain units within the VPCF11 and VPCCW2 notebook series are affected by this potential overheating issue. Sony recommends that all units in the VPCF11 and VPCCW2 series be updated with the firmware download. Specific model numbers in each series include:

VPCF11 Series: VPCF111FD, VPCF111FD/B, VPCF111FX, VPCF111FX/B, VPCF111FX/H, VPCF112FX, VPCF112FX/B, VPCF112FX/H, VPCF113FX, VPCF113FX/B, VPCF113FX/H, VPCF114FX, VPCF114FX/B, VPCF114FX/H, VPCF115FM, VPCF115FM/B, VPCF115FM/BL, VPCF116FX, VPCF116FX/B, VPCF116FX/H, VPCF117FX, VPCF117FX/B, VPCF117FX/B, VPCF117FX/H, VPCF1190X, VPCF119FX, VPCF119GX, VPCF119HX, VPCF11AFX, VPCF11AFX/B, VPCF11BFX, VPCF11BFX/B, VPCF11CGX, VPCF11CGX/B, VPCF11DGX, VPCF11DGX/B, VPCF11EGX, VPCF11EGX/B, VPCF11FGX, VPCF11FGX/B, VPCF11GGX, VPCF11GGX/B, VPCF11HGX, VPCF11HGX/B, VPCF11JFX, VPCF11JFX/B, VPCF11KFX, VPCF11KFX/B, VPCF11KFX/H, VPCF11LFX, VPCF11LFX/B, VPCF11LFX/H, VPCF11MFX, VPCF11MFX/B, VPCF11NFX, VPCF11NFX/B, VPCF11NFX/H, VPCF11PFX, VPCF11PFX/H, VPCF11QFX, VPCF11QFX/B and VPCF11QFX/H
VPCCW2 Series: VPCCW21FX, VPCCW21FX/B, VPCCW21FX/L, VPCCW21FX/P, VPCCW21FX/R, VPCCW21FX/W, VPCCW22FX, VPCCW22FX/B, VPCCW22FX/L, VPCCW22FX/P, VPCCW22FX/R, VPCCW22FX/W, VPCCW23FX, VPCCW23FX/B, VPCCW23FX/L, VPCCW23FX/P, VPCCW23FX/R, VPCCW23FX/W, VPCCW26FX, VPCCW26FX/B, VPCCW26FX/L, VPCCW26FX/P, VPCCW26FX/R, VPCCW26FX/W, VPCCW27FX, VPCCW27FX/B, VPCCW27FX/L, VPCCW27FX/P, VPCCW27FX/R, VPCCW27FX/W, VPCCW29FX, VPCCW29GX, VPCCW2AFX, VPCCW2AFX/B, VPCCW2BFX, VPCCW2BFX/B, VPCCW2CGX, VPCCW2CGX/B, VPCCW2DGX, VPCCW2DGX/B, VPCCW2EGX, VPCCW2EGX/B, VPCCW2FGX, VPCCW2FGX/B, VPCCW2GGX, VPCCW2GGX/B, VPCCW2HGX, VPCCW2HGX/B, VPCCW2JGX, VPCCW2JGX/B, VPCCW2KGX, VPCCW2KGX/B, VPCCW2LFX, VPCCW2LFX/B, VPCCW2LFX/L, VPCCW2LFX/P, VPCCW2LFX/R, VPCCW2LFX/W, VPCCW2MFX, VPCCW2MFX/PU, VPCCW2MFX/WJ, VPCCW2MGX, VPCCW2MGX/B, VPCCW2NFX, VPCCW2NFX/LU, VPCCW2PFX, VPCCW2PFX/L, VPCCW2PFX/R. VPCCW2PFX/W, VPCCW2QGX, VPCCW2QGX/B, VPCCW2RGX, VPCCW2RGX/B, VPCCW2SGX, VPCCW2SGX/B, VPCCW2TGX, VPCCW2TGX/B, VPCCW2UFX, VPCCW2UFX/B, VPCCW2VFX, and VPCCW2VFX/B
Q2: Can customers who have affected models continue to use their notebook?
A2: Consumers should install the firmware update as soon as possible to prevent the small possibility of overheating.

Q3: What is the cause or basic problem with these units?
A3: In rare cases, internal cooling system and protection circuits may malfunction, causing localized overheating.

Q4: Is there any risk of burn or injury?
A4: There is a risk of burns if the affected part is touched while hot.

Q5: Are any other VAIO notebook models at risk?
A5: No, the only notebooks affected are the above mentioned models.

Q6: Can consumers return affected models to the stores where they purchased them?
A6: Customers should download the firmware update available.




Read more: Too Hot to Handle: Sony issues BIOS update for 535,000 VAIO notebooks at risk of overheating