[Archived] Windows Vista

[Flopsy]

find your old disks and code for it.

I have Home Premium, I think (touch wood) that its excellent, and I liked XP.

I use XP at work, and I miss Vista, mainly for the seach functions, I've had no problems with DVD burning, but then again I have some software to convert to a format that Vista likes.

It has issues but all in all Im quite happy with it, and no lots of people who are, and a few who arent.

I must say though, that those happy with it are the ones who had it as a first install, instead of an upgrade from XP.

Plus its so so so pretty.

I'm naffed off with the not being able to record directly off the t'interweb, but I've found a decent way round that so all's well and good.

[Wolverine]

My old discs are recovery ones and not actually XP in full. However, I think I can get hold of the full version - I just need to find a key. If I have a computer I no longer use, would that work? Technically it is an upgrade...

[Wolverine]

I have been sat here since about 2pm trying to get rid of Vista so I can downgrade (or should that be UPgrade) to XP.

Every damn time no matter what I try Vista manages to reboot - whether I fiddle with the boot priority, or disc management or use third party disc format utilities. Microsoft really want me to use thier pile of ###### OS and seem to have found a way of preventing me reverting.

I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT, repeat to fade.

Trying to format Vista is like banging your head against a brick wall but without the sense of achievement.

Any suggestions before this laptop is launched through the window?

[Dan]

I have been sat here since about 2pm trying to get rid of Vista so I can downgrade (or should that be UPgrade) to XP.

Every damn time no matter what I try Vista manages to reboot - whether I fiddle with the boot priority, or disc management or use third party disc format utilities. Microsoft really want me to use thier pile of ###### OS and seem to have found a way of preventing me reverting.

I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT, repeat to fade.

Trying to format Vista is like banging your head against a brick wall but without the sense of achievement.

Any suggestions before this laptop is launched through the window?

How about launching it through the window and then going and buying yourself a macbook? You'll never look back

[brian_gallagher85]

Not a computer genius, but my uncle is and I know he has done it in the past. This may help, however from reading this it would appear the version of Vista can cause problems

[Wolverine]

How about launching it through the window and then going and buying yourself a macbook? You'll never look back

Funnily enough I was all geared up to buy a mac, but got this as the spec of the laptop was great for the price at the time. Unfortunately, Vista makes a mockery of the hardware.

Not a computer genius, but my uncle is and I know he has done it in the past. This may help, however from reading this it would appear the version of Vista can cause problems

Thanks Brian - it looks like I will not be able to do it from that article. Something to do with SATA and only having Vista Basic.

What I would like to know is if anyone out there knows if upgrading Vista would make things better? I am loathe to do this however...

[brian_gallagher85]

I'll ask my uncle if he knows out the next time I'm talking to him, could have sworn the laptops he had just had the basic one...unless he acquired a copy of the pro Vista disc and then downgraded...hint hint!

[Drummer Boy]

Get sorted - get a mac! Your problems will be no more and you can even run XP on a Mac if you really have to.

[brian_gallagher85]

Ok got the answer, good news is that it is do-able, bad news is that you need a copy of Windows 98!

Firstly you need to insert the 98 disk and load the comp up from there. Then once you get to the first formatting option, (not sure if it's during loading 98 or after) you formatt your hard drive, (I assume you have everything you want off it ).

Once you have reformatted you should then be able to load up and use your XP disk

He had the same problem when XP came out, Microsoft have made it so that there latest OS isn't backward downgradable...but only as far as XP and 2000....it shouldn't give 98 any probs .

He spent a whole bloody night working this out.

....now just give me your email address so that I can forward you my bill...

Good Luck

[Biddy]

I have been sat here since about 2pm trying to get rid of Vista so I can downgrade (or should that be UPgrade) to XP.

Every damn time no matter what I try Vista manages to reboot - whether I fiddle with the boot priority, or disc management or use third party disc format utilities. Microsoft really want me to use thier pile of ###### OS and seem to have found a way of preventing me reverting.

Trying to format Vista is like banging your head against a brick wall but without the sense of achievement.

Any suggestions before this laptop is launched through the window?

I take it hat by "vista manages to reboot" that you actually haven't been able to format the hard drive or remove vista? Otherwise it would just tell you that it either can't find files or the disk was not bootable?

If you have a bootable CD of XP then you can boot straight from that and ask it to do a clean install and then when it asks you where you want it to install, it will give you the option to delete current partitions, you should blat all of them to make sure Vista is gone then select the empty partition and let the XP install format the disk.

It's a while since I've actually bothered to try and get rid of Vista but I know I didn't have to go back to Win98.

[Wolverine]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Nothing worked so I just did a reinstall. I have just finished reinstalling everything now. Meanwhile the IT jobsworth at my wifes school has mucked about with her laptop after I spent all day getting it updated on Sunday. It won't open at all now so that has to be reverted to factory settings as well.

What a tool. Probably won't see my bed tonight...

And all this because apparently moisture in the human body stops you getting a wireless signal.

[Flopsy]

im guessing you have taken the battery out and stuck it back in

[Wolverine]

Yeah, I think this is one of those problems where there is no one answer. I have whittled it down to having something to do with SATA.

However, I have reinstalled Vista from scratch and only installed the drivers I wanted manually. It is working better and it took me a long time so my plan now is to wait for the service pack that is coming out soon. If Vista hasn't improved by then I will try again.

[Biddy]

What actually is the problem you are having with Vista? All you mention earlier is about hating it and wanting to downgrade.

Whatever the issue is, I can't see upgrading to Premium really helping as all the internal bits and drivers are identical. I also wouldn't hold out much hope for SP1 as all the magazines I've read with the ealry release say that it doesn't do that much. Certainly doesn't speed it up any.

The only thing I am getting more and more hacked off with at the moment is IE7 hanging all the time. It's also taking it ages to open new tabs. Firefox is fine though. Stupid broken OS.

[Wolverine]

1) System Clock. No matter how I configured it, or which time server I used, it would quite often set itself to the wrong time by five minutes. Very annoying, if not serious.

2) File transfer rates. Too often Vista tells me a transfer will take over 50 days, when it really takes 50 minutes. Other times it will say 10 seconds left and hang for an hour or so.

3) The video display is terrible. It would often stutter, hang and catch up, or not display at all. The audio was always fine. This was the most serious for me as I like to watch trailers and films. Even VLC didn't work properly.

4) Soooo many different games and programs just aren't compatible. Micrografx Picture Publisher, while obscure, was my most used image editor prior to Vista but it doesn't work.

5) The IE hangs are very annoying too!

6) User Account Control sucks ass. It interferes far too much. Even when I turned it off, it just moans that I have turned it off.

As I said earlier though, the dry install of Vista has improved it, because I have installed the drivers myself and I have ended up with 70Gb of free space opposed to the 10Gb I had before all this. I still prefer XP, and I am lucky I didn't throw the laptop out of the window when trying to downgrade, but I will give Vista a stay of execution.

[Biddy]

1) System Clock. No matter how I configured it, or which time server I used, it would quite often set itself to the wrong time by five minutes. Very annoying, if not serious.

Never had that one, seems very strange if you're sycning with an internet time server.

2) File transfer rates. Too often Vista tells me a transfer will take over 50 days, when it really takes 50 minutes. Other times it will say 10 seconds left and hang for an hour or so.

Ah yes, that's a very common one. Vista is just basically crap at file transfers. They reckon that SP1 has fixed the time problem, it's now just as slow but actually guesses the times right! Deep joy.

3) The video display is terrible. It would often stutter, hang and catch up, or not display at all. The audio was always fine. This was the most serious for me as I like to watch trailers and films. Even VLC didn't work properly.

Again, not had that but I have a dedicated 3D card. Have you tried turning the Aero graphics off? Lots of people have problems with than on built in graphics chips.

4) Soooo many different games and programs just aren't compatible. Micrografx Picture Publisher, while obscure, was my most used image editor prior to Vista but it doesn't work.

That is quite old now, infact weren't they bouhgt by Corel? I use Corel Paint Shop Pro which works fine. If you really want to run old software, try something like VMWare (which is free) and install a virtual XP machine. You do need a fair bit of memory for this, at least 1gb for vista and a further 500mb for XP.

5) The IE hangs are very annoying too!

Crap ain't it, thank god other developers can actually make things work!

6) User Account Control sucks ass. It interferes far too much. Even when I turned it off, it just moans that I have turned it off.

Yep, I've struck a balance. Turned enough off to stop it complaining that it's off but it doesn't whing with every mouse click. Still an absolute pain in the arse when installing a program that in turn tries to install something else (like AutoGK which installs virtualdub and codecs). Vista asks for permission for the parent program but then doesn't pass that on to secondary installs so won't allow itself to write to Program Files. Very f'ing annoying but I can see why they have done it.

Actually, going through all that, not sure why I've still got it on my PC! I think it's just that I don't want to feel like going backwards.

Edited January 31, 2008 by Biddy

[dave birch]

I bought a Dell for my wife's office about 12 months ago. It had Vista (professional) installed as standard. As part of the same purchase I bought a Belkin file transfer cable as we had some large word and accounting files to transfer, as well as all the other programs such as internet etc.

To this day, we have not had one problem. It was up and running within an hour of plugging it in. The best buy was the file transfer cable. We had all the files transferred (from XP) within 30 minutes, simple to use, no drivers to load, just drag and drop.

[Flopsy]

I think its great

[Cocker]

Watch out - click

[American Rover12]

I just installed Vista...

...on my Mac.....

...just cause I couldn't find anyone with an XP CD cause Vista is the worst. haha

[joshbrfc]

vista aint working for me.. i dont have the time to explain now(well i cant be bothered) whats the best thing for me to do go back to xp and remove vista then? its just problem after problem..

[Wolverine]

If you can Josh. I have struggled like hell, but there is plenty of advice to help you downgrade earlier in this thread.

[joshbrfc]

i dont have a system restore point for it when i upgraded. shall i just install xp because i have the disc for it... and would that completely remove vista?