Windows Vista: Debating Windows Vista
Debating Windows Vista
by Tracerbullet7 - 9/24/08 8:45 PMI recently purchased a new computer that only came equipped with Windows Vista. I bit the bullet and decided that I could except such a buggy OS for the fancy new features my computer has. Now, I routinely get 5-10 Blue Screens of Death per day. Combine that with the fact that many of my programs consistantly crash and the OS doesn't boot correctly 25% of the time, and I am done. I wish to get XP on this system. So I have 2 questions:
1) I have an old "Gateway XP Installation" disk from my old computer. My current computer is an HP. Is it possible to download this on my computer?
2) If I do just have to purchase XP, how dificult is it to install on and take off Vista? Is there a site that walks me through it? Or is it rather simple? Please help!
No and Depends
by Jimmy Greystone - 9/24/08 9:00 PM In reply to: Debating Windows Vista by Tracerbullet7No and Depends are the answers to your questions.
Long story short, you can't always install XP on newer computers because there aren't any XP drivers for the hardware. So, before doing much of anything, you will probably want to make sure there are XP drivers for your system. If there aren't, you're just out of luck and will have to either use Vista or look into something like Linux.
But installing Windows is not that difficult overall. Put the disc in the drive, reboot the system, follow the on screen instructions. If you have a SATA drive, there's an extra step where you have to load a SATA driver, but it's not that difficult overall.
Hrm..
by Tracerbullet7 - 9/24/08 10:14 PM In reply to: No and Depends by Jimmy GreystoneIs there a particular place I can find if Drivers are available for my computer? My comp is a HP Pavilion Dv9700 Notebook PC.
HP may HIDE THE DRIVERS on some FTP site.
by R. Proffitt
- 9/25/08 4:58 AM
In reply to: Hrm.. by Tracerbullet7
Read http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7587_102-0.html?forumID=69&threadID=271360&messageID=2699006#2699006 and you discover HP may put the drivers on some FTP server that you must call them to find.
For That dv9000 Series..
by Grif Thomas - 9/25/08 9:58 AM
In reply to: Hrm.. by Tracerbullet7
A few of the drivers are located at the link below. Still, you'll need to verify each and everyone is comparable to the devices currently installed on your machine.. They may, or may not be the correct device.:
HP Pavilion dv9000
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=1842189&lang=en
In order to verify the devices and their drivers, you'll want to check the Device Manager, then write down ALL of the names of the devices, processor type, etc., their manufacturers and their version numbers so you can compare them to the XP version..,
Hope this helps.
Grif
Expanding on that...
by John.Wilkinson - 9/25/08 9:33 AM
In reply to: No and Depends by Jimmy Greystone
1.) The OEM EULA prohibits using the copy of Windows for your old Gateway on another computer, so you'd have to purchase a retail/OEM copy of XP, regardless of driver availability.
2.) The installer guides you through it, with Vista's being much easier to follow along with. However, note that you can upgrade from XP to Vista but you cannot downgrade from Vista to XP...you have to wipe the hard drive, losing all of your personal files and programs, and start from scratch with a basic OS. Remember to backup what you cannot lose!
John
The problem is more than Vista
by Precede - 10/5/08 7:38 AM In reply to: Debating Windows Vista by Tracerbullet7I read field a lot of questions regarding Vista through my IT business. Customers that have solid hardware builds don't tend to have problems with Vista. Most users have problems with Vista when they have applications and/or hardware that are clearly uncompatible with Vista. Although you bought a new computer, the chipset of your motherboard and the hardware components could be 1 or 2 generations old. In that case, you will have problems. Most of my clients use Vista. I also use Vista Ultimate SP1 on a 2 year-old whitebook that I built and I have no problems. I think you verify that all of the applications you are using are compatible with Vista. If so, you should return the computer. Buy a system with the Intel 4 Series chipset. At the end of the day, I think the manufacturer's build is probably the problem; not Vista.
Re:
by JJ - 10/7/08 1:00 PM In reply to: The problem is more than Vista by PrecedeVista flat out sucks! I have not installed Vista on my computer because of "all" the people that I know have had problems installing software or adding a plug in device. It is like flipping a coin when installing something. The window will come up not recommending installing and when you click install anyway it flat out refuses or sometimes you get lucky and it works. Vista is not an upgrade to XP since it can't do what XP can do. I am sticking with XP. If I was to buy a Laptop, I would only buy one that has XP since as one of my friends found out that Laptop manufactures don't make XP drivers. My next computer I build will have XP and not that stubborn Vista.
It's funny
by Jimmy Greystone - 10/7/08 2:17 PM In reply to: Re: by JJIt's funny, because when XP came out, people said a lot of the same things about it, and how they were sticking with Win98/Me/2000.
Yes, the uptake for Vista's been a bit slow, but it was so long in development that XP had a good long time to become entrenched. People are creatures of habit, and we tend to resist change, even when that change is for the better.
Truth is, Vista's not all THAT bad if you just make sure to run it on decent hardware. It has its share of warts, but so does XP and every other version of Windows. Frankly, IMO, it's been downhill ever since Windows 3.1. I'm not a big fan of this desktop metaphor crap that Microsoft has never managed to do even half as well as Apple. Frankly, I'd like to see some actual innovation in the market, not just gradual evolutions of an existing idea with more features tacked on. I pretty much gave up on Microsoft being this company about 13 years ago when they came out with Windows95. At least the Windows 3.1 Program Manager was different. Mac OS X was only moderately different by including the NeXTStep Dock to what is otherwise largely the same UI they've been using since around the Apple ][ days. And sadly the open source world seems intent on copying whatever Microsoft and Apple are doing.
In any case, 3-4 years from now, everyone will be talking about how they're not going to upgrade to Windows 7 (or whatever it's called then) because there's nothing wrong with Vista. This has been going on with every single Windows upgrade for over a decade. It's a little sad really when you think about it. Especially people who make up their mind about things without having even tried it, but rely on second or third hand information. That really is one of the saddest things of all. For all you know, Vista could be the perfect OS for you, but you refuse to even give it a chance. Truly a pity.
Re: It's funny
by JJ - 10/7/08 2:26 PM In reply to: It's funny by Jimmy GreystoneYou are wrong about XP. I got it after about a month it was out. I installed it and everything worked. Try that with Vista that has been out much longer than than XP was out when I installed it.
Where exactly
by Jimmy Greystone - 10/7/08 3:06 PM In reply to: Re: It's funny by JJWhere exactly did I say that YOU specifically made those claims? I just said that people, referring to the amorphous group of all computer users, were saying the same things about XP as they were about Vista.
More than that, while Vista is hardly the upgrade promised years ago, I look at it more as an interim release that lays a lot of the foundational groundwork for future releases. Aero is one such example. It has yet to be seen whether or not Microsoft will do much of anything with Aero, or even third party developers, but it allows any desktop app to utilize DirectX features which is a huge thing. It opens up all kinds of possibilities. How many of them will actually be realized is unknown at this point in time, but future releases of Windows could use the foundation that is Aero, and build upon it.
And so far I haven't had any problems with getting my stuff to work on Vista. I'm even using the 64-bit Vista, so that should complicate things further. I just haven't had any significant problems getting things to work period. Hardware, software, all of it works just fine. Had some minor issues getting my Xbox 360 to be able to stream media off of my desktop, but that's just because Microsoft insists on you having to use their software for everything. And considering it doesn't hold a candle to Xbox Media Center for the original Xbox, unless I start running across a lot of 720p and 1080i/p content, doubt I'll be using it much.
How much have you actually used Vista personally? If you've used it a fair amount and don't like it, that's fine, but to claim to hate something you haven't even used is just stupid.
Re: Where exactly
by JJ - 10/7/08 3:16 PM In reply to: Where exactly by Jimmy GreystoneI have used it on family and friends computers. I don't like the UI especially how you get it to shut down and I have spent many hours trying to get the damn thing to install software and hardware. It is like flipping a coin.
i dont get the criticism
by phillongtran - 10/11/08 3:49 PM In reply to: Where exactly by Jimmy Greystonei've been using vista for almost a year...i have both a vista laptop and my older one with xp...the xp unit is now a dust collector...not that it doesnt work...but vista for me is so nice to work with...i'll stay with the new stuff thanks...
Really Is Funny
by Phil411 - 10/18/08 7:57 AM In reply to: It's funny by Jimmy GreystoneI was one of those who despised Vista, but now having upgraded to the new OS, I've had nothing bad to say about Vista. Runs perfect on my 4 year old laptop, with no major problems.
Looking forward to Windows 7...
Perhaps
by husker86 - 10/7/08 1:40 PM In reply to: Debating Windows Vista by Tracerbullet7In correlation with your questions:
1. It might be possible to install XP using the disc you got from your Gateway machine on your HP machine because more-in-likely it is a OEM disc. The problem is that usually those type of disc's that come with a machine are for that company's brand so although it may install fine it might not automatically activate Windows so you might need a valid XP CD key anyways or just call Microsoft with the number it gives you if activation fails.
2. If your computer comes pre-installed with Vista on it and does not come with a XP rollback disc (Like Dell does or did offer) then more-in-likely you will need to reformat the hard drive, which will wipe Vista off and then you can install XP. You can upgrade from XP to Vista, but not downgrade from Vista to XP. Unless something has changed that is your only options I think.
I have used Vista since it came out in 2006 and early on yes it had a lot of bugs and problems, but now two years later sure it still has it's faults but it as greatly improved since. I use it and have no major errors, but encounter the occasional minor ones.
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