Microsoft Vista 64: really, really awful

[editor]

I can't express how awful this OS has been for me. It's still probably fine for general consumers but as soon as you slip into the power user category, everything gradually goes tits-up.

Its handling of older 32 bit programs is unpredictable, drag and drop comes and goes as it pleases (sometimes bashing the escape key multiple times is the only way to drag files into another folder), and waking the machine up from hibernation is always a lottery.

The soundcard usually won't work at all when the computer's been woken up and the only way to get it back is to fuck about with Microsoft's ropey SoundFix app, and one of the monitors often won't wake up too - this can only be fixed by randomly pissing about with the display settings for five minutes.

Photoshop CS2 occasionally won't save files, or it keeps on reverting edits randomly unless the escape key is heartily employed again.

It's all got worse over time, despite constant driver updates, and if Windows 7 doesn't fix these problems then - gasp! - I'm going to be looking elsewhere.

I'm sat in front of this computer all day (and most of the night) and there's only so much a grow man can take.

Rant over. Beer coming up.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

ME MrkII

 

[mauvais]

I ran it for a year, no problems whatsoever. Exactly like x86 was. I suppose it depends on your hardware.

 

[editor]

I ran it for a year, no problems whatsoever. Exactly like x86 was. I suppose it depends on your hardware.

It's running on relatively new, high-specced Dell machine. I've never shouted at my computer so much since I got shitty Vista.

 

[Sunray]

Vista is a bit hardware dependant entirely down to Microsoft changing the driver model. That said, I ran it for 2 years without a single issue to report.

I expect, esp as you were running the 64 bit version, all of the problems you have experienced are entirely down to 3rd party drivers from Dell and their suppliers. I quite like Dell hardware but their driver support leaves something to be desired at the best of times. Did it come with Vista 64 pre-installed?

You are potentially driving into 'World of pain' installing Windows 7 64 on a Dell machine due to their rather substandard attitude to drivers for newer operating systems on older machines. One of the reasons building the PC yourself makes heaps of difference. M/B manufacturers are much better at making their boards support as much as possible. Dell are utterly disinterested in that, clearly preferring that you buy a new machine.

 

[ChrisC]

Go to http://www.ubuntu.com/ and install that. And for all your compatibility issues Photoshop Microsoft Office etc. See http://www.codeweavers.com/

Job done. Next...

 

[ohmyliver]

have you booted to the utility partition, and run the diagnostic tools?

what version of the dell bios have you got?

*eta* stating the bleedin' obvious, been done, I suspect

 

[HobgoblinMan]

And the answer is...

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Or at least don't buy a Dell and build your own.

 

[tarannau]

It's a sad indictment of an OS and manufacturers if having to build your own pc somehow count as an easier option.

Vista was a bit of an abortion seemingly, quickly brushed over in favour of Windows 7. I think it may be just easier to upgrade to that by all accounts.

 

[kained&able]

yeah why vista64 over windows 7?


vista was blates a mass beta test exercise.


dave

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I don't like Windows 7 either...got it at work, took work home and anything I did on XP went weird when I got it back to work. I suppose I should just be grateful it's not Vista though.

 

[editor]

And the answer is...

--

I was wondering if anyone would be idiotic enough to post up something as trite as that. Congratulations doofus. You are that person.

Vista was a bit of an abortion seemingly, quickly brushed over in favour of Windows 7. I think it may be just easier to upgrade to that by all accounts.

At least Windows users have the choice to build what they like, at a budget that suits them.

In most cases, things work just fine too, and offer excellent value for money.

Go to http://www.ubuntu.com/ and install that. And for all your compatibility issues Photoshop Microsoft Office etc. See http://www.codeweavers.com/

Job done. Next...

And another one.

Will ubuntu run all the software I use, be compatible with all my hardware and be as easy to use as Windows 7? No. I'll be fucked if I'm going to use crap software and a fiddly OS, thanks.

 

[DarthSydodyas]

Install Win7 and that beer will be for celebration. Dont waste it over Vista.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I don't find Windows 7 easy at all. What's wrong with XP?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Nothing, other then it really shows its age.

When I go in to work I keep going to do things on XP and find out in can't do them.

The biggest improvement for me is the search, its completely changed how I launch things and look for files. Just hit the windows key and start typing, be it a program, song or file. Even if its a line of text in the document, it still seems to find it.

I also love the way you just throw a window at a side of the screen and it takes up exactly half of it - great when your working on two things at once.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Well, I do powerpoints for lessons/assemblies etc at school and I can't now work between home and school because it all just goes weird which is a monumental pain in the backside.....yes I've been told about the 'save as' solution but Windows 7 doesn't like me doing that.....

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Well, I do powerpoints for lessons/assemblies etc at school and I can't now work between home and school because it all just goes weird which is a monumental pain in the backside.....yes I've been told about the 'save as' solution but Windows 7 doesn't like me doing that.....

What do you mean "doesn't like"? It won't let you do it?

Have you got the DocX converter from the MS website on your home....I don't really use powerpoint, but I've installed it on the work machines for word and excel files. We've had no problems opening files people send us and no complaints about what we send them, but understand powerpoint may be different.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Someone in the IT dept gave me a solution which is written down at work and I can't quite remember what it is, but I followed it and every time I tried it the computer froze.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

...also Window 7 seems counter-intuitive...can't find stuff I used to find easily, eg layout for pics on Word docs....I go to format and can't find stuff that used to be there on XP....I know I'll eventually get used to it but stuff that took seconds now takes minutes or I just can't work out how to do stuff anymore.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Actually I had less hassle jumping from Windows 95 to XP and getting used to the newness than I have going from XP to Windows 7. I'm not the only one at work who is now struggling. Also there are software compatibility issues eg the library software refused to work with it.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Someone in the IT dept gave me a solution which is written down at work and I can't quite remember what it is, but I followed it and every time I tried it the computer froze.

Contact them and get them to sort it out, it shouldn't.

.also Window 7 seems counter-intuitive...can't find stuff I used to find easily, eg layout for pics on Word docs....I go to format and can't find stuff that used to be there on XP....I know I'll eventually get used to it but stuff that took seconds now takes minutes or I just can't work out how to do stuff anymore.

I do know what you mean...just for clarity though, that's office rather then windows. Apparently its supposed to make more sense if you've not used it before, but for those of use who used Office for ever, it can be confusing. I don't really have much call to use it often either, so its taking a me a while to get my head round it.

 

[ovaltina]

...also Window 7 seems counter-intuitive...can't find stuff I used to find easily, eg layout for pics on Word docs....I go to format and can't find stuff that used to be there on XP....I know I'll eventually get used to it but stuff that took seconds now takes minutes or I just can't work out how to do stuff anymore.

Surely that's Office not Windows

New office is quite annoying - I haven't used powerpoint but I had trouble when I tried to print out an excel spreadsheet created on office 07 at the library, where the computers use old office and couldn't open the file.

Win 7 is good. It's a lot like XP but slicker, and it seems more stable. Crashes are far less frequent than with XP on my computer, in fact I can't remember having seen a crash since I upgraded.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

New office is quite annoying - I haven't used powerpoint but I had trouble when I tried to print out an excel spreadsheet created on office 07 at the library, where the computers use old office and couldn't open the file.

Trick is to go to Save As rather then save and use an older file format so other machines can read it.

 

[ovaltina]

Trick is to go to Save As rather then save and use an older file format so other machines can read it.

Cheers - will give this a go next time

 

[ChrisC]

Will ubuntu run all the software I use, be compatible with all my hardware and be as easy to use as Windows 7? No. I'll be fucked if I'm going to use crap software and a fiddly OS, thanks.

Yes it probably will run the software you use. Will it be fiddly probably. It's still a good OS though. Not crap.

 

[boskysquelch]

Yes it probably will run the software you use. Will it be fiddly probably. It's still a good OS though. Not crap.

it will not. end of.

*for others Ubutnut is practical...however it reaaaaallly is of no help on this Thread with this/these issues.

 

[ChrisC]

Probably best to stick with Windows 7 then. Actually after 4 years of using Linux, Windows 7 for a short time, did tempt me back to Microsoft. I do like it.

 

[grit]

Yes it probably will run the software you use.

No, that is incorrect.

 

[editor]

Yes it probably will run the software you use. Will it be fiddly probably. It's still a good OS though. Not crap.

No, it won't. And I didn't say that the OS was crap. It's great for spoddy types and tinkerers, but you won't find many graphics professionals using it.

My Vista64 installation is fucking crap though. Can't wait to get shot of it.