'Fraid I can't share any tales of woe, only sympathize .

I'd heard so much bad stuff about Vista, I paid extra to get a "downgrade" to XP when I bought my current laptop .

I hate vista because it's the modern day version of what Windows Millennium Edition aka "Mistake Edition" was, that is a post beta "shake down" version which is done not only for free but better yet we pay MS for the honor of doing the bulk of the R&D for windows 7.

I will run windows 64 bit XP pro until 7 has been out at least a couple of years.

Concur. XP64 is just fine. When Win7 SP1 comes out I'll consider migrating.

I don't like the little "menu" tabs. It gives me too much to think about, if I click the "X" on the menue tab, this page will go down. If I click the big "X" at the upper right, Firefox goes down." Sometimes.

Hey, waitaminnit, this might be just a characteristic of this blowdydammedtohell useless firefox piece of xxxx. Why, oh why do people LIKE this crxx? Nope...Vista seems to work just fine. Its just that mozzilla junk which is giving me conniptions....

I suspect if you can not access older restore points, you may have some malware that is giving you problems. Or this may be a characteristic of HP machines. I do not like HP machines. I would swear by HP back when they were an instrument company, but since that lady decided they were a computer importing company, they have turned out nothing but garbage (at least, the computer equipment that I have been exposed to with the HP name embossed somewhere seems to have a maximum life expectancy of about 6 months).

I can not offer my comments on Vista, because I have only had sufficient exposure to it on other people's machines to convince me that I am not interested in investing the time to relearn how my systems are supposed to work. So, I switched from XP to Linux...Less of a learning curve.

So, I switched from XP to Linux...Less of a learning curve.

Yep. I concur with that. I have two desktops I switch back and forth between. One uses XP the other uses Linux Ubuntu. It was an easy transition for the most part. I wouldnt give any later version of Windows a further consideration.

Importing? How? Please help I don't have any of these troubles help me to avoid, thanks.

There are a few free programs that will find duplicate files for you...How did you lose it? On the start menu does "Recent Items" not take you to it's location?

If search will not find then indexing isn't enabled or the location to which it went isn't indexed.

NO move function?? My Vista has move but it's spelled "Copy" or the fastest way is to use the preferred Vista system method "Drag'n Drop".

Unfortunate...Crashes occur due instability...5 minutes is plenty time to find error and correct.

This is typical of many problem folks have trying to use XP methods in Vista. It's not recommended because many functions operate differently. I experienced the same level of frustration with each edition of super Mario Bros game, something was different and it threw off my momentum until the new method was learned.

1. I don't like that it takes twelve seconds to boot and get online, this should require more than 4-5 seconds.

2. And the way it utilizes multiple cores wow what a let down.

3. The interface efficiency is horrific, I have to reduce the video intensity and turn-off many features to get that old XP visual feature.

4. What a tribulation when I'd don't need buy partition software because it's integral to Vista O/S.

5. The 64bit RAM usage is pitiful too it'll accomodate and utilize 30GB.

6. All my 98SE, XP programs work better than before too.

Most of the improvements you are describing are hardware!

I burned or transfered all the files off, either by emailing them to myself [I like cloud computing] or by burning to CD.

Then I did a full back to original settings, dump all files, restore, since I had no choice as the only restore points were corrupted!

Then I installed AVG, ran PCdecrapifier [thanks Bwire], updated all the way to SP2, installed IE8, [which if you don't like tabs can be set to open up new windows] & installed stuff like hotmail & a couple of other little programs my wife likes to keep around...

I like the menu bar, I don't like drag & drop only, yes you can cut & paste, but on a laptop it can be a little funky without a real mouse. The XP move function defaults back to your last location, instead of me having to remember where I left off. Vista also has a habit of making copies whether or not you want em...

I was importing pics & I moved the folder dropped it somewhere accidently & couldn't find it, OK fine I'll just run the CD again, which it wouldn't let me do, ended up forcing it & all is well in picture land....

Vista also makes sharing a pain across my network, I just want to share a few files not fuss around with public nonsense, nor do I want to confirm my intention to delete, download or what ever 37 times... Move stuff on a whim to who knows where with no warning.

Most of the improvements you are describing are hardware!

Yes an it is so that many hardwares need upgrade when using Vista even though Vista upgrade wizard says okay. The wizard will pass your system when marginal too; this misleads many because the system is marginal on the very extreme minimal requirement to utilize Vista.

Let's check; if had a 64bit machine and 64bit vista O/S, wizard says minimum 1GB RAM is okay. Look at it this way vista will commandeer 90% of the RAM; this will be a bad experience for you. The really from a user stand point an for mediocre computing an absolute minimum of 2GB RAM is required though I would recommend 4GB - 6GB. You'll also appreciate more graphic support and 3.0 GB/s HDD's and an improved PSU is also a good idea.

Free Duplicate file finder

Actually when it's not locking up, It's a pretty cool machine 4g & real fast...

I lost track of the conversation about partitioning. I like the concept of programs & data on different partitions. I only put pics on the vista machine, because the disc reader is shot on this machine. I moved em over here.

Vista machine is still a blank slate, I can't quite follow the dual boot stuff I've read so far, so the chance of me being able to do linux is remote

A different partition is only about 5% (or less!) better than having all your data & system on the same partition.

Best is a completely different hard disk.....a problem for cheap Laptop users......good Laptops can handle two drives internally.....or better said "safe" Laptops.....

Anyone using a Laptop where it almost never gets moves has wasted money, performance and safety over buying a good PC......they have only saved on space....

Laptops are for business people who are really on the move, few private persons need one.....no matter what they think!!!

But:-

"!You pays your money and you makes your choice!"

It is real nice to be able to sit out on the deck & use the laptop. Having the data on a separate partition seems like it would have helped avoid the recent dilemia. I plan to combine the bits from a couple of old xp desk tops which can hopefully be for back up. I thought I was going to be able to back up on a seagate usb hard drive & did for a while but it went crazy & won't let me reformat it & installing the software on the vista machine made it flake out [vista]...

I'm unemployed so I can't do things like buy a bigger hard drive for this machine or what ever other hardware to give me some breathing room...

I busy outside making brush piles to burn as soon as the fire danger drops [rain], stacking firewood...

Anyway back to the subject at hand Vista is a thorn in my side, Just had to install Open office on my wife's Vista machine as the "new & Improved Office suite" was driving her nuts, She doesn't want to learn new things just make a few flyers, signs, little things, nothing complicated... I used the MS word processor a bit, it is slick, but also different for no reason, also so convient things happen, that you didn't intend...

seagate usb hard drive & did for a while but it went crazy & won't let me reformat it

Have you got the patch from seagate to correct?

Now that the vista machine has settled down & I'm on a month plus with this xp machine aok I should take another run at it...

I wiped the data [off the seagate], but there is no file extension [forgive I don't remember the details at the moment].

I messed up initially and told it to back up the back up inadvertently & it's been all down hill since. I was using macafee at the time which offered to back up, on c drive which wasn't big enough to hold everything...

Macafee was most of the problem here on the xp machine, burning up lots of capacity & generally slowing things down... Much happier with AVG, even though it takes like 4 hours to do a scan.

Scanning speed isn't a priority anyway though because AVG has been compromised several times this past eighteen months I recommend Comodo.

It sounds as though the external disk has a hardware failure.....

But!! Did you try and format it NTFS? That is not allowed (God knows why?!?) on some cheaper USB drives.

If you have access to either good partitioning software or an older system, try formatting to FAT32....it might recover if its NOT a genuine hardware failure....

As I have already mentioned, having data on the same hard disk, even if a separate partition, still means if the disk dies, that the data is lost. Furthermore, Windows tends to snatch a whole disk when installing......it sometimes ignores partition information, or at least Windows did up until XP at least.

I have not been so stupid as to installed Vista.....nor do I want to......you have given me further reasons to ignore it (not that I needed any further help in that direction!!).

Vista formatting tool can perform FAT32...

When you have a virus (thats what it sounds like!) that shuts the PC down, you need to get hold of a Linux based boot CD that many of the antivirus companies offer for free on the web.

Download it and burn the CD.(Naturally using an uninfected PC!)

Boot the infected machine with it.

Save all your important data to an external hard disk or DVDs, whatever is easier....

Try to get rid of the virus once your data is safe.....or just reformat the hard disk (after making sure you have your Windows/software passwords....

Knoppix is also a CD that can do this for you......but there are many different ones.

Other than the Internet Explorer crashing all the time my 64 bit Vista runs OK. At least when the explorer crashes it does not take the system down with it.

My big problem with Visa is that I have thousands of dollars in software that will not run and upgrading is either none existent or too expensive. Some examples of this are Solid Works 2000 ($5000), TestPoint (no drivers available need to upgrade to Labview $5000.). These are just a few examples.

I either need to cough up the money or wait to see if Windows 7 will run these programs.

I guess I will wait.

I did learn from the past to store a back up of all my personal files on an external hard drive. I lost too much data a few years ago.

...or sell the programs!!

...by the way. It could still be a virus!!

Get Linux. You won't this problem. Vista reminds me of Windows ME or 95. Good luck. You didn't say which version of Vista you were trying to install. If you are installing a 64 bit version some or most 32 bit software has trouble running. Good luck

If you are installing a 64 bit version some or most 32 bit software has trouble running.

I've performed this installation many times an actually IMO not using 64bit is tantamount to shooting self in foot, I haven't experienced any trouble as you say except with the early XP 64bit; that is a nightmare.

I have been using Vista professionaly now for about a week. I do program development on a 64 bit dual core machine. I have had no problems with it other than the fact that the way things operate and the way you access them has changed significantly from XP that it takes some time to figure out how to do some things (i.e. configuring IIS). The Vista version I use is Vista Business.

I would not touch Vista with a 10 foot poll. I have heard from PC techs they do not like it. I recently bought a refurbished DELL (in very good shape) on eBay 2.8 GHz 80GB HD 1GB Ram and XP Home SP3 updated XP also. My old computer flew south for the winter. I paid only $165 bucks and it works great XP is great and proven. Hope you fix your problems and my advice is use XP best OS I have ever used.

I have been using Vista now for a month. So far it has been bulletproof. I discovered that a LOT of my old programs didn't work...MS Works for instance had been my business software for 14 years, and it won't work on my new 'puter. (This is that 64 bit thing) Not that it matters, all my backups are on three inch floppies that I can't run anyhow, and really, who needs old paperwork but the government and the bank? (And I think I can just rob the floppy drive from the old tower anyway. If that ever becomes an issue.)

A lot of games don't run any more...but hey...they are only games. So what! There are better and newer games out there if I want to waste my life playing video games.

So I am tentatively going to add myself to the list of people who are satisfied with Windows Vista. It seems to do what I want when I want. Microsoft has created many opportunities to bash them in the past, Vista seems to not be one of them.

(So far...)

I hate Vista because at least 2 computer experts said they hate it.

You want more kool aid

You are correct in following their advice. I have read the same from several sources (ones that I trust and know) ever since Vista hit the streets.....thats why I buy certain German Computer Magazines.....every month......to be fully and correctly informed, as well as upto date.