Windows Vista

I have finally had it with this piece of garbage. It has been a weekly battle to just get the damn thing to run from the start.

My machine has more than enough horsepower to run this steaming heap of garbage, that is not an issue.

The issue is the crap "Windows Genuine Validation" that constantly fails. I evidently don't have a 'valid' copy of Vista (or as I will refer to it from now on Windows ME 2007), even though I purchase it from Amazon, have the original packaging and license key. I seem to have acquired a 'high quality counterfeit' instead of a genuine copy of Windows ME 2007. I have had to redo the validation now 5 times because of supposed hardware changes. These hardware changes are in fact finally being able to install drivers for features on my motherboard. The last being a Windows ME 2007 update for the raid drivers of my motherboard that I have no intention of ever using. But by God, that was enough of a hardware change that it invalidated my Windows ME 2007 and now I have to revalidate. But since it is my 5 time, they have decided that my copy is obviously counterfeit and as actually been installed on 5 different machines or something.

I have had it and wonder why Microsoft still exists as a company and why people even bother to buy there software.

 

Playing devil's advocate here--

I had XP invalidate on me by merely testing my ram.

Also, you have limited numbers of reactivations over the net in a 120 day period. That is documented. After 120 days, the database is purged and you can reactivate online. Otherwise, you gotta call it in. A couple quik stupid questions and they give you a reactivation code. TBH, this is no different than XP.

Vista has been fine for me, although I feel restricted in what i can do. Linux gives me a larger playground, with more sand, and cooler toys

 

When Vista first came out, I hated it too... it looked different, there's no obvious 'Run' button (you have to use Search- wierd), and other stuff. Now, the main thing I don't like about Vista is IE7. I really don't like IE7; but I do like IE6- alot. I use FF from time to time, but I've been using IE for 8 years or so, and I'm so used to it that anything else feels cumbersome, including IE7. Anyway- just my 2 cents- Vista is OK, it's better than I thought it would be, ALOT more stable than I thought it would be, and the only major problem I've had (IE7 being a minor problem) is with drivers when you upgrade from XP to Vista. Too many hardware companies are sleeping when it comes to releasing updated drivers for Vista.... that's my main problem with Vista.... and why doesn't Bill Gates enclose $100 bills with every MS software purchase? He can afford it!

hd2k

 

You don't have to use search.

Just enable run in the start menu options.

*shrug*

 

Hey BM....have you called the 800 number? I had issues with activation as my license key didn't seem to be fully recognized, and they resolved it very quickly. Since then everything has been running sweetly. I've also heard other people have similar issues which they have resolved very quickly over the phone, again, with a code to tap in for validation.

 

I never had anything like this happen to me with XP. Not saying that it didn't happen to people, just never happened to me.

What irritates me to no end about all this is not that I have changed the system. My system specs have remained constant throughout all this. It's that the drivers for various functions of the motherboard or something else have become available and this causes Vista to invalidate itself. Or even better yet, Windows update decides to install drivers for motherboard functions that I don't want, then figures that it is a new system. This has happened several times to me. I find it very annoying indeed.

I know that all I have to do is call the number and get it fixed. That is not the point. It's the fact that this is the 5th time through this that I have had to take and each time it has been for nothing that I did.

 

The same arguments were made when XP came out.

Business as usual.
There are whiners who complain about change. People complain when the OS isnt secure. Then they complain when a little user friendliness is sacrificed for security. Cant have your cake and eat it too. Then there are whiners who complain that their 6 year old PC that came with XP wont run Vista worth a damn.

Then we have those 'experts' who complain about compatibility and driver problems, when that has nothing to do with Microsoft, as third party companies develop those. They have had more than a year to get ready, they chose not to, and MS gets the blame. I don't like MS, but blame them for the right reasons!

Nothing new.

As for BM, I respect his decision, and I understand why, as he explained it. zbd21, do you have anything to add, or simply articles that we can all find on the internet?

 

O, don't get me wrong. I will continue to use it. How can you expect people to use anything new, if you yourself are never willing to work things out. It is one of the reasons that my home machine is triple boot. Linux, Vista, XP Pro.

I just feel this time the issue has gone beyond the pale.

 

zbd21, have you even used Vista?