What Is VAIO Care, and How Does It Work?

VAIO computers are famous for excellent build quality, polished design, and high-quality specs. As economy devices, they can suit anyone's needs and budget. Whether you've just purchased one or are yet to pick a model, you'll find a handy pre-installed program in your PC's toolbox.

VAIO Care by Sony is available on VAIO desktop and laptop computers running on Windows 10 and earlier. Learn more about it below as we delve into its top features, show you how to use it, and provide solutions to the most prevalent technical problems.

What Is VAIO Care?

VAIO Care is Windows software for optimizing PC performance. Sony Corporation developed it under its former VAIO brand, which is now an independent company. Sony still has a 5% stake in VAIO Corporation and intellectual property rights, but JIP (Japan Industrial Partners) owns it, providing VAIO computers and Sony VAIO Care.

VAIO Care monitors computer health, alerting users of hardware or software issues that need fixing and reporting on its findings. It also lets users run diagnostics, troubleshoot problems, and restore or recover their devices in case of hard drive failure or system malfunction.

That's the gist of it; we'll dig deeper into its functionalities below. In the meantime, you might want to know that VAIO Care no longer provides security updates for Windows 8.1 because Microsoft has discontinued it. The software still works on Windows 8.1, but VAIO doesn't provide technical support.

The same goes for VAIO Care for Windows 7 and earlier. The software was never available on Windows 11 because Sony VAIO processors didn't meet the minimum requirements. That leaves VAIO Care for Windows 10, which is your best bet, performance- and security-wise.

Primary Features of VAIO Care

VAIO Care has many features across several categories. Here are the most notable.

VAIO Care Diagnostics

VAIO Care Diagnostics lets you check your computer's RAM for errors, analyze your wired or Wi-Fi connection to fix potential hiccups, and evaluate your battery's performance. It's excellent for uncovering and resolving network and hardware issues.

VAIO Care Updates

Older VAIO Care versions have several bundled software solutions, including VAIO Update for installing the latest updates and drivers. The latest 8.4.8 edition dropped it, but you can still automate checks at startup to keep your PC secure.

VAIO Care System Tune-up

The System Tune-up functionality is the key to boosting your computer's performance. A single click will defragment your hard drive, clean the Windows Registry, and free your disk of unnecessary files that only slow it down.

VAIO Care Disk Cleaner

VAIO Care Disk Cleaner is another helpful feature for optimizing PC performance. It erases temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and wipes browser cache (Chrome, Firefox, and Safari). It gives you one less item to check off your list.

VAIO Care System Recovery

VAIO Care Restore and Recovery tools are this software's most prominent features. You can rely on them in emergencies, from faulty installations and hard drive failure to system crashes and other technical problems. They can help you keep your VAIO computer functional.

VAIO Care Hardware and Software Support

Support is another noteworthy VAIO Care feature because it opens the door to multiple channels for fast problem resolution. You can contact a Sony support agent via live chat or phone, both available 24/7. You can also request remote assistance or browse Sony's online resources (a knowledge base, forum, and manuals) to find answers to your burning questions.

Additionally, you can access VAIO Easy Connect for detailed steps to configuring a Wi-Fi network.

How to Use VAIO Care

Every VAIO Care version has a user-friendly interface. However, their design, being less sophisticated than their features, had long been ripe for an upgrade. The latest edition has finally delivered what VAIO users have wanted for years.

The following are screenshots from Sony VAIO Care for Windows 10 but don't worry if you have an older OS or software version. The only difference is the Solution Center, which gathers tools that previous editions had as separate.

Here's how to use VAIO Care:

1. Press the Assist button on your VAIO computer to launch VAIO Care. If your model doesn't have it, open the program from your desktop or the Start menu.

   

2. Go to the Solution Center to see if your PC has issues. You can run diagnostics or use System Tune-up and troubleshooting features. The VAIO Status tab lets you run security and performance checks.

   

3. If you run a performance check and VAIO Care uncovers problems, click Fix this issue.

   

4. Run a security check to see if your PC needs an update.

   

5. If VAIO Care finds problems that need fixing, accept the suggested solution or go directly to the Troubleshooting page.

   

6. Choose the correct option: your system, network, software, storage, media, or connected devices. VAIO Care will do the rest.



7. Return to the main interface and click Advanced Tools. The History section logs all cleanups, updates, and reports. For now, select Diagnostics.

   

8. Check your wireless or wired network, battery, and RAM for potential issues.

   

9. Return to Advanced Tools and click Restore and Recovery. Hopefully, you won't need them, but it pays to understand what they offer.

   

VAIO Care Restore and Recovery can help you reinstall drivers and apps and leverage Windows System Restore to revert your OS to a previous functional state. They also let you return your PC to factory settings or create a recovery medium for booting your computer.

That's ideal if your PC starts acting up without a warning because VAIO Care Rescue Mode can slap some sense into it. However, it won't care about your data. That's the deal with system recovery, regardless of the tool performing it. It returns a computer to factory settings, deleting apps, custom configurations, and files.

Therefore, if your PC is ever on the brink of disaster, threatening to leave with all your data, retrieve your files before recovering the system.

VAIO Care Rescue Mode offers to save your data before recovering your PC but recommends data recovery software, admitting its shortcomings in retrieving various file formats.

We recommend Wondershare Recoverit, a worthy alternative with a 98% success rate and support for 1,000+ file formats across 2,000+ storage devices. It has helped millions avoid data loss, so give it to your PC as a deserving treat; you never know when it might need it.

Here's how to use it to retrieve data before system recovery:

1. Go to Hard Drives and Locations and select the desired storage to start an automatic scan. If your VAIO computer refuses to boot, connect your disk to a working PC, where you'll install Wondershare Recoverit.

   

2. Filter the results by file type, tag, status, size, and time (unless you wish to locate and retrieve everything).

   

3. Preview and select your videos, photos, documents, and other files, and click Recover.

   

4. Choose a secure file path (not the original) and hit Recover. If you plan on restoring your computer with VAIO Care Recovery, save your data on an external drive.

   

Once your data is safely away from your troubling computer, use VAIO Care Rescue Mode to return your device to factory settings and wave problems goodbye. Here's how:

1. Launch VAIO Care and go to Advanced Tools > Restore and Recovery > Recover computer.

   

2. Click Yes to confirm your choice.

   

3. Start the recovery wizard once your PC restarts and VAIO Care Rescue Mode activates.

   

4. Click Skip rescue because you've already recovered your data.

   

5. The program will warn you again about losing data. Click Yes, I'm sure > Start recovery.

   

6. You'll see a progress bar and might wait a few hours for the software to recover your PC. Once it finishes, restart your computer and follow the on-screen instructions to configure your system.

What if your PC won't boot? Fortunately, you can still leverage VAIO Care Rescue Mode. Here are two situations you might encounter.

Possibility 1: Your VAIO computer turns on, but Windows refuses to start.

Many factors could be the culprit, including a misconfigured BIOS or corrupted system files, but VAIO Care can troubleshoot and fix the issue. Here's what to do:

1. Start BIOS setup to change the boot mode if necessary.

   

2. Go to Boot > Boot Mode, press Enter to expand the options, change UEFI to Legacy, and confirm with Enter.

   

3. Hit F10 to save the setting and exit the BIOS.

Your computer will restart. If the same screen from earlier greets you again, follow these steps:

1. Click Start VAIO Care (Rescue Mode).

   

2. Click Start troubleshooting (recovery).

   

3. Follow the recovery wizard (steps 3–6 above).

Possibility 2: Your computer won't boot.

If your VAIO computer won't turn on, follow these steps:

1. Press the Assist button on your device. Doing so when your computer is off activates VAIO Care Rescue Mode.

   

2. Hit the F10 key to recover your system.

   

3. You'll immediately see the recovery wizard if your PC runs on Windows 10, 7, or earlier. If it runs on Windows 8, you'll see the following screen. Click Troubleshoot.

   

4. Choose Recovery and maintenance.

   

5. Follow the recovery wizard.

[Bonus 1] Should You & How to Remove VAIO Care?

We don't recommend removing VAIO Care because it's specialized software for VAIO computers. Sony developed it to optimize VAIO devices, catering the tools and features to their processors and other specs.

Of course, you can part with it if you prefer a third-party solution. Here's how to remove VAIO Care from your computer:

1. Go to the Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, click Application Manager for VAIO, and hit Uninstall.

   

2. Find VAIO Care on the list and click Uninstall.

   

[Bonus 2] Troubleshooting: VAIO Care Not Working

VAIO Care may stop working due to corruption, but it's not the end of the world; you only need to reinstall it. Here's how:

1. Visit the Sony VAIO download page to get VAIO Care for your device type and model and install it on your PC. If you have an older VAIO computer, insert the Recovery Media Disk 1 that you got in the package when you bought your PC.
2. Click Run Autorun.exe in AutoPlay.

   

3. Click OK to reinstall VAIO Care.

   

4. Hit OK to confirm.

   

5. Let the software install before removing the disk and restarting your PC.

   

Conclusion

This behemoth of a text may seem overwhelming, but you now know everything about VAIO Care and can make an informed decision about using it. It may not tick all the boxes (e.g., no firewall or malware scanner), but it's a solid solution for VAIO users. Moreover, it comes in a package deal, so try it if you get yourself a VAIO computer.