Microsoft Vista

[natmarie73]

Yeah Mark - I sort of gathered that

Believe me, I wouldn't use it either if I had another choice. Dell wouldn't pre-load with XP, and I didn't think to ask them to send it with no software pre-loaded but supplied on disk.

I will basically have to take the box into a computer shop and get them to reformat C: because unlike in the good old days, the OS won't let me format C: from a boot CD and i have lost my Partition Magic disk. It is really almost impossible to wipe it yourself unless you have all the right tools.

What I find interesting, is that today I saw that XP retails for a whole lot more that Vista Home, so I'm thinking it will be another flop like ME.

Great Pig, what is DRM?

 

[Merovingian]

Great Pig, what is DRM?

Digital Rights Management. It is functionally equivalent to castration.

Basically, DRM is basically copy protection. It is there to supposedly stop piracy, but is used to more-so to increase corporate profits, though they wouldn't admit it.

Here's a great reference from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management

 

[mja]

Hi all,

Vista shmista. There's no need to run it.

Install Ubuntu Linux. It's free. It has all the applications you need. You can dual-boot Windows if you can't bare to completely throw it out.

http://www.ubuntu.com

Download the desktop CD installer, burnt it, and boot the CD.

-- MJ.

 

[AlmostBob]

Digital Stupidity Management: about half the time, Windows Vista does not allow you to record your own voice, to add to the sound scheme, the recorded file contains no DRM information and may not play.
on release XP was a pig, it took 5 years to get almost stable and useable, then immediately Micro$haft replaced it with another clunker, not a good idea to upgrade for maybe another 5 years?
still using Windows98SE, & redhat, running an SQL webserver on apache in the background, on a recycled p2 200MHz with 256MB ram.
Apart from being able to tell the other general electrical & engineering knowlege -s, all about a new toy, why update at all
(reverse geek chic,)

 

[RichardK]

Hi there,

but I'm buying a new 'puter thru Dell which comes with Vista already installed.


Cheers
Nat

was looking at Dell website today - they have a link to products with XP still available such as http://dellstore04.dell.com.au/public/cart/configurator.jsp?prd_id=531526&sr_no=2

You'll find each model has a similar link, under Select System Components.

I'm sticking with XP for a long time - none of the Vista features are of any interest to me, and XP works 100% OK for what I use it for on my office network ( 4 desktops, 1 laptop, 1 SBS2003 server )

 

[natmarie73]

Help please!

Well, here I am again... you will not believe what Vista did this time... It actually uninstalled itself.

Well I presume that is what it did as it has been working fine for a while, despite not allowing me to actually send email. I shut down my computer and when I restarted it, I got a black screen with the message "missing operating system" Black screen of death perhaps? Anyway, long story short, I am able to boot up with my XP disc (which I wasn't able to do with Vista installed) and am currently installing it onto the computer from hell.

Unfortunately, it said that the main hard drive was unformatted and so I am losing what I have put on there but nothing I can't reinstall. I am a bit concerned that maybe the hard drive has corrupted somehow in the boot sector - does anyone out there know enough about this sort of stuff to say if that is the case or not? The other partitions on the disk were readable except for the one that had Vista on it.

If it works OK with XP installed I won't be able to thank Vista enough for uninstalling itself, because I sure as hell couldn't find a way to do it.

p.S - Richard, I did see some computers with XP pre-installed when I looked, but they were much more expensive than the ones with Vista installed.

 

[RichardK]

Hi Nat,

sorry to hear that Vista has gone hasta la vista.

sounds like your boot files were wiped - this 'missing operating system' - this would cause PC to not boot from hard drive anymore, and attempt to boot from the next device, probably CD, which is why you were able to boot from XP CD after Vista died, and is why you weren't able to boot from XP CD whilst Vista was still working.

I think your hard drive is physically OK, and it was just Vista that lost the plot.

But, always have timely backups of information you can't afford to lose/retype.

You can change the order in which PC's attempt to boot through settings in BIOS - get into BIOS usually by pressing Del or F1 while PC is booting, still at the black screen counting memory stage.

PC usually looks at hard drive first, then CD, then floppy.

Were you able to activate XP OK ? And run Windows Update over and over again until no more updates could be installed ? Don't trust Automatic Updates to do this for you - it only installs Critical Updates and most other updates that MS choose to enforce on you.

I don't enable Auto Updates anyway - it always wants to reboot in middle of day and nags you until it gets its way.

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

Oh man, who else has seen the Mac ad with the security guy standing behind PC? Hahahahaaha worldwide BURN! Nice one Apple, I applaud thee. I've seen the ad a number of times now and it still makes me laugh.

Mark

 

[natmarie73]

Oh yeah Mark that ad is the best I've seen all year - and 100% true. I got so sick of Vista asking me question after question every time I jumped on the net or opened up a program, it really is like having the CIA looking over your shoulder.

Richard, that is what I thought - the boot files were wiped somehow - don't know how because literally one minute Vista is going OK (well as OK as it went) and after a restart to find a new internet connection it went hasta la vista. Got XP installed on the puter now and all is working perfectly - can't believe how much faster it runs now - about 3 times as fast no joke. I've never had an operating system wipe itself off the hard drive before, but I thank the powers that be it did! Actually, a thought occurred to me - I had loaded a pirate copy of MS Office only the day before, so maybe Vista threw a wobbly and uninstalling itself is the final way it stops you from using illegal software...

There will be no further need for me to update this thread now that Vista is no more...yay!

 

[Merovingian]

Actually, a thought occurred to me - I had loaded a pirate copy of MS Office only the day before, so maybe Vista threw a wobbly and uninstalling itself is the final way it stops you from using illegal software...

I wouldn't put that possibility past Microsoft.

You mention endless confirmation messages throughout Vista — if I had that on my Mac I would go insane. I know what I'm doing, I don't want the computer trying to dumb everything down for me.

 

[natmarie73]

Believe me Mero, I was going insane! When I changed the internet security settings from it's "recommended" status to my preferred status to stop endless warnings, it then proceeded to tell me every 5 minutes that my internet settings were not secure blah de blah blah blah.

Microsoft really must think it's customers are retards.

 

[Sleeper]

Thanks for bringing all this up Nat.

I just wish I would have seen it earlier.

Sons new laptop arrived yesterday, yes, with Vista installed. Didn't really think about the OS being such a pain in the a&*%.

Oh well will be getting a new houshold one next so will work out how to not have Vista pre-installed.

Someone did mention selecting to have it not installed but come on disc (with Dell) is that right?

 

[peteb]

http://www.heise-security.co.uk/news/86294

read this, need to use legit copies of software ...

 

[RichardK]

Someone did mention selecting to have it not installed but come on disc (with Dell) is that right?

you can still buy Dells with XP installed, not Vista.

Don't believe that you can get XP discs separately from Dell - don't see how it would work with licensing, stickers and the pre-installed Vista.

Don't know which version of XP you buy to downgrade from Vista. Usually buy 'upgrade' from 98 or 2000 to go to XP, or buy academic if main user is a student, or buy non-profit ( 5 license min ) if the entity is a church / non-profit org.

OEM copies of XP are 'supposed' to be sold only with complete new systems. if you found a dealer who would sell you XP Pro OEM ( appr $230 ) then you could install it to replace Vista knowing that you have kept the intent of the law.