We've found that some VAIOs have extreme problems with IRQ sharing with USB and Firewire (IEEE 1394) Laptop IRQs are more difficult to resolve because of the integration. First, go into the BIOS as per Sony, disable all hardware devices you don't absolutely need (Ethernet, Modem, Sound, Com ports, Infrared ports, Parallel ports). It is always better to disable these in the BIOS than in Windows, though some may need to be disabled in Windows. You may need to contact Sony to resolve any remaining problems or to check out our PC OPTIMIZATION GUIDE under keyword OPTIMIZATION.