8:45pm as I write this. At 12:30pm today I inserted Vista into my computer for an upgrade. Still isn’t working, after the worlds longest install process it just hung on booting up, the little loading ticker scrolling over and over and over again. Just finally worked out a way to re-install it without losing the contents of my hard disk, although looks like programs will need to be reinstalled.
Microsoft: it’s just not good enough.
And yes, I ran the compliance tests. I’m compliant, 64bit AMD 3400+ with 2gb ram should be plenty good and that’s the result the program gave me.
I’m tempted to download Ubuntu and be done with Windows altogether, or even the hacked version of Mac OSX that is suppose to run on a normal PC 🙂
You’ll hate it for days, Duncan. I did, and I had it pre-installed on a new box. But now I love it — so do not despair!
It takes a huge amount of memory. You’ll need at least 1 gig of RAM and 256M of graphics RAM. It also has the rather awkward “Protected Mode” which, although it’s a pain till you get used to it, actually stops nasty code in its tracks by refusing admin powers.
Apart from that, everything works more smoothly and seamlessly. After knocking it for two years, I’m well impressed. But I’m glad they cut a lot of the new stuff out, otherwise it would be the most over-engineered piece of software in human history.
Good job Microsoft
MS will never be able to release a decent uprade procedure. Especially not due to the amount of Windows optimization software out there. But then again, they have released a (beta) easy transfer tool, to be used after a new installation.
Get a partition manager (Acronis rocks) and create a partition for your documents from now on. Make it a shared network partition and generally screw the Windows documents structure. Put all your documents, music etc. on that partition from now on. Better even use different partitions for files, music, movies and backups. Defrag will be less of a problem after that. And above all, no matter what platform you use, you’ll always have your files accessible (provided there is file structure compatibility – FAT32/NTFS)
If you go for MacOSX, be sure to check ALL your hardware components on compatibility, especially your soundcard. And bring some time for the installer as well.
I am with you…I am having a HATE relationship with Vista and I am about to call it ‘quits’.
I had a laptop emergency last weekend that forced me to go get a ‘boxed’ pre-loaded laptop so I could continue to run my business. I, too, aged about 10 years during the install of the FORCED install of the 2007 Office Suite TRIAL (Hey thanks for the trial that will force me to buy the whole package in 2 months!!! I just LOVE having to buy all of my software all over again, it makes me so very happy to support the economy by buying the same stuff over and over again. (I run Outlook for all e-mail and have used it for tracking my business e-mail for too long to abandon ship…it has always come installed on the built computers that I usually have the luxury of ordering and waiting for.)
So, now that I am the ‘lucky’ owner of Vista and the TRIAL version of the 2007 Office Suite I can no longer use my printers. (I wrote HP about the problem and they told me to visit their ‘recycling center’ as they will not be building a new Vista driver for my perfectly good, 3 year old HP Photosmart printer. They have also not built a driver for the other printer that I connect to in the network that is a 1 year old HP LaserJet.) So, now I not only have a laptop emergency…I ALSO have a printer emergency. Complete with a one year supply of useless ink that costs more than gold per ounce to buy. WONDERFUL!!!!
Ok, so now that I can’t seem to get the financial bleeding to stop…I find out that my PDA (Dell Axim) is also unsupported with drivers. Additionally, I am a real estate agent…and my electronic key (which must be updated daily to open key boxes…kind of important in my business!) is also unsupported with Vista Drivers at this date, with no date in sight as to when they will build one. Hey, I guess that just about puts me out of business! (Sure am glad I bought a new computer to keep me in business last weekend!)
Today, the Outlook 2007 TRIAL software has frozen while sending outgoing messages 8 TIMES!!! With the only escape being to shut the whole damn system down and re-boot. Ever feel like you are trying to run in mud up to your chin???? That has been my life since VISTA entered my life.
I was always very loyal to Microsoft and the PC, I was a big supporter of Office…but tomorrow I plan to leave them all together…I am going to buy a MAC.
It is over Microsoftd…it was nice knowing you…we had a lot of fun, and I have invested alot of time, attention, and money in this relationship…but you are just not working for me anymore….you are too greedy, too needy and you think only of yourself anymore. MAC cares and is WAY MORE SEXY!!!
I had the same problems as you Mimi. However, I’ve now found a Vista driver for my old Samsung laser printer which works a treat. I’ll stiill have to replace a colour laser and a photoprinter, but they do need upgrading anyway.
BTW, Office 2007 is worth paying for, even at the high price — and running on Vists, it’s superb.
I’ve stuck with Vista throughout all this and now I wouldn’t be without it. I still run the XP box alongside the V-machine, as it has functionality I can’t reproduce under Vista, but gradually I’m rebuying or managing to migrate these functions. Stick with it.
I really Hate Vista. I find that nothing works properly and its really slow. The interface is so OTT!
Check out http://www.ihatevista.co.uk and leave your views!
We have two users in VISTA, however it can’t find the printer on one of them. We’ve tried reboting but to print any files we have to log out as one user and in as the other. This is the best that MS can do???
I hate Vista so much that it makes me what to throw the computer off the highest bridge. I get sooo sick of having give it ‘permission’ to install a program that I’ve just stuck the cd into the drive to install it from. Well duh, did I just try to install it or not stupid. I really hate clicking through so many popups to install something. Bought a pcsync cable a couple months ago and Vista refuses to install the software drivers. I’ve wasted about 3 hours trying to make it see the cable. Oh for sure it has a pc transfer abiltiy but only two recommended, Belkin and one other. Same thing with my digital camera’s. Just refuses to install the drivers. What use is a new computer if you can’t use it? Why should a person have to buy a new printer because Vista won’t install the drivers? I like my old HP cheapo printer it prints really nice looking pictures. I tried 3 different brands of new printers and compared the quality and the old HP is the best.
The entire thing looks like it’s made for fifth graders. I hate it and am considering taking it to the shop and having XP installed on it and partitioned. Way to go microshi* and this is the first time in 16 years that I’ve even considered buying an Apple.
I hate VISTA!
I bought a new HP dp notebook computer the other day. The computer itself was excellent. It had 2 gigs of hard drive and 180 of RAM. VISTA is what sucked about it. I could not get my wireless internet Qwest account up and running, and this was with 3 hours of excellent tech help from Qwest and 2 hours of lousy tech help from HP. HP tech does not even know how to use VISTA that well and kept passing the buck off to QWEST, saying it was a problem with my modem and modem settings (HP tech even said that I needed a wireless router which I did not/ I have a Action Tech gateway Wireless modem GT07 modem), but that ended up not being the issue because QWEST ran several tests online and over the modem. In order to prove to HP tech that it was not the modem but the laptop I had to go out and buy a $99.00 MS wireless insert for my MS Xbox 360. When we hooked the Xbox 360 up to the modem wirelessly it worked. I could not even get the laptop to hook up the recommended Lex Mark (HP) wireless printer that I bought for the laptop. After hours of arguing with HP tech while trying to get the laptop to work wirelessly, they told me that it was the wireless printer that was causing the problem and that it was not compatable with the printer. (After working with QWEST tech two times, I was able to get the wireless internet up on the laptop for about 15mins, but after I installed the printer software the lap automatically rebooted. When it started back up all my wireless network settings were lost and I could not retrieve them.) HP tech claimed this happened because my wireless prinder was not compatible with the lap and that was causing the problem. So after about 10 hours on the phone between QWEST tech/HP tech, and two days I just ended up returning the laptop, the printer, (the wireless router the store personnel told me to buy that I ended up not needing,) and the wireless mouse.
Back in 2000 I spent $2000 on (what I was told) “was a fantastic state of the art” desk top. The Compaq Presario 2000. It had ME os on it. I was told that, ME was the latest and greatest os on the market. One year later it was made obsolete by Windows XP. (ME could not even run most computer games that I bought , even though they would run on my friends Windows 98 os computer.) VISTA will turn out to be the new ME. In about 6 mos to a year no one will be using it and it will end up being replaced with a better os. After all, like ME, VISTA, does not even come with MS Word, Excell (office products) standard. I am constantly told that is because it is too expensive for computer companies to include it in the os on the newer model laps, (this is the same baloney I got when I bought my ME desktop. But low and behold when XP came out it had the standard office products (MS Word, Excell etc.) included.
I am going to attemp to purchase a laptop again in the near future. I am going to special order on that has Win XP os.
DOWN WITH VISTA. MS TRY AGAIN.
Just bought a new Laptop with Vista. I’ve had some experience with Vista on a couple of machines but have never tried working with it on a daily basis. The security prompts were driving me crazy. Within 24 hours Internet Explorer stopped working. Figured out how to fix the problem but Vista security would not let me disable an option in Internet Explorer. My account was listed as an administrative account, it really isn’t. Had to figure out how to enable the hidden administrative account to fix the problem. I spent more time trying to circumvent Vista security then actually fixing the problem. Arrrrgh….. Bottom line is, I don’t need an expensive operating system thats going to be fighting me every step of the way. I blew away Vista and installed Ubuntu Linux. I’m stunned at how easy and fun Ubuntu is. Openoffice is completely compatable with all my MS office documents, spreadsheets and powerpoints. Evolution is a perfect replacement for Outlook. Forget Internet Explorer, Firefox works way better for me. The beryl interface blows away the Vista interface. I have Windows Xp running under virtualbox for the few MS apps I haven’t found replacements for, yet 🙂 Take my advice, dump Vista and switch to Ubuntu, its a breath of fresh air. Now if only we can get the Computer manufacturers to sell computers without insisting on selling me Vista.
Cheers,
Joost
agree with you, give Linux a try. 🙂
If you want to get the extremely annoying user account control off of vista, just click start then click the picture that changes. then you >HAVE
if you want to get rid of the annoying UAC (the thing that keeps popping up when you install ANYTHING new) just make sure you are an administrator and click start, then the picture that keeps changing, then scroll down and you will see the cursed user account control. DESTROY IT!
sorry about my first message. I clicked early.
I have had vista for a month now, and I completely hate it. Just like most of you, besides buying the laptop that I needed, I had to buy more memory, which helped just a little, a printer that is compatible with vista, Office XP 2007 or whatever it is for vista, a new Sprint wireless usb internet card that is compatible with vista, a new wireless mouse for vista, a new usb hub that is compatible with vista, a new $100 laptop bag for my widescreen 17″ laptop, Trend micro virus protection fr vista (apparently this is the recommended one) a membership to the Geek squad, and prozac. I am sick of not being able to save a file where I want to save it to because I’m not an administrator. I AM THE ADMINISTRATOR, I OWN THE F@*KING MACHINE!!! I get an ulcer just waiting for the internet to load. I won’t even mention how long it takes to upload photos from a memory card. I told Best Buy what they can do with this damn computer. They sent me a coupon for 10% off any computer accessory. Did I just get screwed?
I’ve had soo many problems with vista that i’m thinking of switching to a mac.
And i have a 2.4 ghz dualcore with 2 gb ram and it still sucks…
can’t even get my headset to work…
Same song, leventh verse. Vista totally melted down on my seven week old laptop. This after working for over a week e-mailing with Microsoft Tech Support geekies (I say that fondly, being the matriarch of a large clan of geeks) as we tried to resurrect the failed Update function. We couldn’t show the great-grandmother pictures of the new arrivals over Christmas because the blue screen appeared ten seconds into boot. The Boot partition was frozen, so even Ubuntu wouldn’t go there.
About 27 hours of troubleshooting later, Ubuntu has saved the day, finally hammering into the boot partition to rescue the few stranded files. I’m now configuring XP Pro. I cannot afford the risk of blue screening while hooked up to a computer in front of a large audience who paid to be there! Until lately, Windows has always been reliable, and I’ve been using it for twenty years.
Ubuntu (or maybe another flavor of Linux) is going on my old laptop. I love Linux, and within a year or two envision a total migration. Less is more. Simple is elegant. I already use OpenOffice, Gimp, Firefox and Thunderbird, so what would be different other than the constant security nags and concerns? Long live Linux, and the Vista fans have my best wishes and crossed fingers that they don’t feel the pain others of us have.
Ah, well, this will be yet another chapter in my ever-evolving lifestory.
Ritergal
I fricken HATE VISTA!It is one gigantic pain in the A*S!!I want my XP back!
I’ve been struggling with Vista since it was in beta. Most recently, installed the release candidate for Service Pack 1, which fixed some major, show-stopping bugs, like the network not working with XP machines, but didn’t fix others. I’ve finally had it. It’s slow, bloated, bug-riddled, unstable, incompatible, and the user interface has gotten worse. I’m going back to XP, which was better in just about every respect.
I did “upgrade” to XP from Vista. I’m having a driver problem. Not fatal, but annoying: This new laptop has a “recovery” partition with most of the Vista installation files, although there is a disk to initiate the reinstallation process. Inside the recovery partition I found folders for both Vista and XP drivers. I felt like I was using stepping stones across a raging river as I worked my way through the list, but got all the drivers updated.
The display isn’t working properly. If I set it to go blank after X minutes (recommended for digital displays to prolong life), it doesn’t reactivate with a mouse jiggle or key tap as it should. I have to cycle it through hibernate.
Here’s the deal: nVidia clearly states on their website, “We don’t support laptops, blah, blah. Contact your manufacturer for updated drivers.”
Medion told me that they only support Vista for this model. They claim that using another OS voids the warranty, though I have not found this in writing and doubt it’s enforceable.
Microsoft has said, “We’ll try to help, but it’s probably a driver problem and you’ll need to work with the manufacturers…”
For now, my workaround is to use standby mode rather than turning off the monitor. That was fine for a few days. Now I notice that the screensaver stayed on all night two nights in a row…
Everyone points fingers around and across the triangle, and nobody will do anything.
How many here are old enough to remember the line, “Isn’t it all a JOKE?!” Yeah, a pretty sick one at that!
Sorry 🙁
I bought a new HP laptop with vista similarly to fix a business emergency. Found that most of my third party applications won’t work properly, or only in “compatibility ” mode. Would happily wipe it out and reinstall XP, but HP won’t support the product with drivers for the hardware. Only had Vista for a week and it sucks big time. Shame on you microsoft for a sucky system, and a bigger shame on you HP for not supporting your customers who have the need for XP drivers.
I have been working with my Vista machine for a few months now…and many of the bugs are working themselves out. (Or, maybe I am being brainwashed A Clockwork Orange-style. I do spend an awful lot of time in front of my screen after all.)
It has been MONTHS, and my printers, and peripherals (still without drivers) are large hunks of grey plastic and USELESS!
Vista has been out for WAY TOO LONG for HP not to have built drivers for their products. SHAME on HP!!! SHAME on SUPRA (my lock-box key) for not building a driver for their ONE piece of hardware that needs support.
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!!! If the “players” in the computer industry wanted to hurt Microsoft by not supporting Vista, they missed their mark and only hurt consumers like ME.
If this was a conspiracy against Microsoft, the only one shot from the grassy knoll when I was forced to buy Vista was ME.
God MICROSOFT IS SO FAIL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KEEP XP ALIVE!! Vista SUCKS, and here?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s why: 1) Incompatibility with GOBS of software ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú or it works but not quite the same, 2) Confirmation prompt after confirmation prompt, 3) Programs magically crash under Vista and not XP, 4) Requirement to seek permission from some mysterious administrator, when – OH WAIT – I AM the administrator!!!, 5) DreamScene makes computer (albeit a darn good one) freeze, 6) Inability to install fonts in bulk, 7) Folder settings resetting on their own CONSTANTLY, 8) Graphics editing programs suddenly can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t handle large images anymore, 9) Printers cannot be found, 10) Difficulty visualizing what folder or files are highlighted in Windows Explorer, 11) Switching between Windows Explorer windows takes forever sometimes, 12) Internet Explorer suddenly doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t remember passwords or prompt to save them, 13) Desktop search function takes forever and is too complicated, 14) PDF Printer suddenly doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t work, 15) Network connectivity is CONSTANTLY lost, 16) periodic freezes, 17) unexplained freezes on BOOT?¢‚Ǩ¬¶need I say more!?!?!?!
I HATE VISTA. I BELIEVE ITS MICROSOFTS WAY OF SLOWLY DRIVING YOU CRAZY. I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT, WELL YOU GET THE IDEA. IF THIS IS PROGRESS TAKE ME BACK TO THE GOOD OL DAYS. I'M THINKING OF BUYING A TRUCK LOAD OF CALGON MAYBE BY THEN VISTA WILL HAVE DELETED EVERYTHING I HAVE SAVED. PROGRESS AIN'T IT GREAT!
I HATE VISTA. I BELIEVE ITS MICROSOFTS WAY OF SLOWLY DRIVING YOU CRAZY. I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT, WELL YOU GET THE IDEA. IF THIS IS PROGRESS TAKE ME BACK TO THE GOOD OL DAYS. I'M THINKING OF BUYING A TRUCK LOAD OF CALGON MAYBE BY THEN VISTA WILL HAVE DELETED EVERYTHING I HAVE SAVED. PROGRESS AIN'T IT GREAT!
I HATE VISTA. I BELIEVE ITS MICROSOFTS WAY OF SLOWLY DRIVING YOU CRAZY. I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT AND I WAIT, WELL YOU GET THE IDEA. IF THIS IS PROGRESS TAKE ME BACK TO THE GOOD OL DAYS. I'M THINKING OF BUYING A TRUCK LOAD OF CALGON MAYBE BY THEN VISTA WILL HAVE DELETED EVERYTHING I HAVE SAVED. PROGRESS AIN'T IT GREAT!
Me also!!! I know many people who were really very disappointant with Vista. It was the worst