take my advice and stick with windows xp, vista was a wast of money. it is vary unstable and incompatible with a lot of NEW hardware and software. i upgraded my RAM, PSU, hard drives and video card to the VISTA recommended hardware and got rid of my reliable software for the vista versions because i could not use the old software in vista and it did not change anything. it still crashes alot but now i get the blue screen of death now. i didn't get it before and windows keeps telling me that the problem is with either my ram, processor(swapped from another rig), power supply(new 400watt), or main board(reliable msi 478 pt880-neo ms7008 ver1), and this didn't start until i upgraded the ram from 700 to a gig. I've done lots ofdiagnostics and they point to the OS (vista). guess what Microsoft cant help me unless i send them my system to determin the issue because they cant figure it out from the system reports that my system keeps sending.

 

I find it amazing that after running Vista as a beta for as long as they did, that a majority of probs aren't ironed out. But you aren't the only one to make complaints about hardware and some software issues.

I have the new Vista sitting up on the shelf here. Wife got it free when she bought the new laptop. I told her I'm not installing it until there are more programs available specifically FOR VISTA. There's very few out there that say they're compatible. So, I ain't taking no chances.

A friend has a new laptop with VISTA on it. He doesn't know anything other than Vista. This is his first computer. So, he freaks out a lot anyway, thinking he's getting invaded by someone "from the net". I do know that Vista operates much the same as XP as far as face value, but I haven't had time to search anyone's computer, deep into the files, etc, to get an idea of what all's in there.

Hope ya work it out...or go back to XP until it's more settled and "FIXED"!

 

Go back to XP, it'll take Microsoft YEARS to make Vista a decent OS, same as XP was when it was new. All those service packs I have to download every time I reformat my computer, what a headache...

Still better than a Mac though.

 

Microsoft is doing what they have been doing since the release of Windows 95..

Letting the users find the problems then issue patches to fix 'em.

This appears to be something more and more software/hardware manufacturers are doing. It's quicker, easier and cheaper for a company to release a product and have someone else find the problems then it is to do testing in house.

DirecTV is another example of this. They release equipment to the customers that works ok. The interface is clunkie, the software/firmware locks up requiring reboots, not all the features work.

So what they do is release "beta" software to be tested by those that want to it (via annoucements at a digital tv forum). People test it and then D Tv releases a national update. And most of the time, the update causes more problem then you had before! Just like the problem microsoft had in the early years of 95. Microsoft gets their updates right 90% of the time.

Vista won't be worth the time or effort for at least a year. By then, users will have reported most of the bugs and Bill will have them fixed.

By discontinuing XP, Microsoft is forcing my computer buyers to help in the development of their new software. If I really needed a new computer, I would buy one, wipe the HD and install a copy of XP.

 

I nominate this thread for best thread tittle of the year

 

I've been using it for about two months and have not had a single problem at all. Didn't even have to upgrade anything in my computer. Stinks that you have these problems.

The only thing I can say is to run memtest86+ on loop for about an hour or two and look for errors, then download ORTHOS and run it for a few hours on small FFTs. If any of these apps report an error, its a hardware problem.

Here is ORHTHOS http://sp2004.fre3.com/beta/beta2.htm

and here is memtest86 http://www.memtest86.com/

Also, what brand is your PSU?

 

ill stick with xp, and windows media center edition

they didnt need to even out do xp right now, xp aint the days of 95 or 98

 

I'll stick with............Windows ME............

 

i have had vista for all of one day now, so no feedback from me.

i hope all goes well.

 

did you spring for a new laptop?

 

Vista is GREAT, you just have to know what you're doing. I had only a FEW problems with vista when I went to it back in april. I've since worked out the bugs and it's fine now.

 

With "DRM" and all that other monopoly-protection stuff built in, and in light of the many less-than-spectacular reviews regarding reliability and usability from sources that I trust, I'm staying away from Vista for as long as possible.

 

So far 2 months in to Vista and I have had no problems!

 

Don't have it, but I want to get a new laptop and that seems to be the choice. When ths stuff is installed with a new machine, it probably has a better chance.

I did start reading the Vista for Dummies, which actually seems to be written by somebody who knows what he's talking about.

He did comment that the upgrade process was often painful, and that you could have a lot of problems. He also describes a way to do the upgrade that's SUPPOSED to work. Might be worth checking it out.

I've checked it out in the stores and my opinion is that MS is pulling their same old crap. They fill the screen with eye candy, and then require that the hardware be upgraded to get back to the speed that you had before -- or almost.

( I think that their corporate ideal is to have the newest hardware run at the speed of a Commodore 64!)

Also, this usually forces other manufacturers to change their programs for compatibility. Thus MS puts the hurt on any competitors. It also forces you to dump a a lot of useful stuff that you've managed to acquire along the way.

Sorry about the rant. Hope you can straighten it out.

ford2go

 

By upgrade, do you mean upgrading from XP to Vista, or a moving from an XP computer to a Vista computer? I did the XP to vista upgrade, it went very very slow upgrading, but after it finished, its nice and fast now.