Jackie--
You need to get better information from people who know something about
Vista. Have you even read the MSFT users sites on Vista--i.e.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx
How about the Vista articles on
www.extremetech.com ?
Vista has a number of improvements over XP; they are profound and you could
spend years reading about them. I strongly advise you to look at some ot
the Radio 9 Videos if you want to appreciate them in depth.
http://channel9.msdn.com/tags/Windows+Vista
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=14&TagID=9
Vista could have been better, but it has to RTM sometime and given
Allchin's revamp orders that Gates and Ballmer supported not everything
could be included and some of it had to be deferred until the next
OS--Blackcomb or whatever it ends up being named. I would be surprised to
see anything major in any SP down the road.
My answer to you would be this. Does Jackie D. like to learn about software
and hdw and Windows or does Jackie D care about learning? If you like to
learn, there is a ton of material in Vista for you to learn. If you dig
into it under the hood, even on a level that is not a developer level, there
are many major improvements over XP.
Did MSFT fail to make many things work--yes. Why? Because many of them have
unsurpassed arrogance, tin ears, and failed to listen to Beta Testers. But
it's a lot more complicated than that. With about two years to go, Jim
Allchin did a brave thing. He sent a memo and pushed to revamp Vista. The
memo is well known and you can read it here:
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/110354.asp
I would definitely recommend that you upgrade to Vista,if for no other
reason than the powerful search mechanisms. I also would recommend that
when you do you read Vista help on folders, because there is pandemmic
ignorance on how to tweak folders to get them the way you want them. They
can be pretty customized, as can handling of your pics.
That slow internet connection is pure BS--it's an urban myth built on
ignorance. People who hold that Vista or particularly the brower in it is
slow to connect ot the internet or just plain ignorant. That doesn't mean
they are stupid; they just haven't bothered to learn and they haven't
drilled into the many improvements for networking and connections to the
internet that took a lot of work and were very carefully constructed. Try
reading MSFT's Cable Guy to get an idea if you can understand it.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cgarch.mspx
Try putting this is a search engine: whatever windows subject jackie d can
think of +the words msdn blog or technet blog.
I'm the farthest thing from a MSFT Fan boy. I criticize when I see things I
think need it, but only in the interest of getting them better not for any
satisfaction of slinging arrows at MSFT who is a huge company that would
hardly feel them and is full of thousands of talented engineers, and PMS
with business backgrounds, etc. I know a lot of things they refused to fix
during the Beta and will never fix.
But if you have any interest in Windows at all, I don't see how you could
resist digging into the next OS they have or server if you use them
(Longhorn Server).
I'll make you a quick bet. You get Vista on the box, and anything you can't
make work, we can. You post on this group or the general group or a more
specific Vista group for help and you'll get it.
Are drivers out for every piece of hdw and video card? Not yet. But it's
likely they are out for whatever you have. Does every 3rd party software
work perfectly on Vista. No but the compatibility lists grow every day and
MSFT provided what was needed to these companies over a year ago for them to
work with Vista.
There are legacy hdw drivers for older hardware you may have trouble
finding. I had every piece of hdw and peripheral working on Vista when the
Beta started except for my old scanner. It took a year and a half of
struggle but I have it working now perfectly despite HP's insistence it
wouldn't.
I'd be willing to bet you have few issues some of us can't fix. I also
think that people who say Vista is slower to browse with IE7 need lessons in
Windows hygeine because it's not IE7 that is slower. On dual boots on the
same box IE7 is significantly faster as a browser for me than IE6 and it has
been for the 20 months or so I've had it. It's faster on my XP boots as
well.
Also MSFT was slow while Vista was in Beta to get out some instructions for
some of the components that were new but they are catching up in MSKBs and
on their help site. I strongly recommend the Help and Support you have
available on the web or built into the Vista start menu. It's very good and
it's getting better.
I must have posted Speed Vista recommendations a couple hundred times and
here they are for you:
(By the way when I want my directions for Speeding Vista I don't have to go
to a folder or email--I just type it in the Search Box and it comes up):
The best defragger you can get is essential to getting the most speed out of
your hdw and Vista.
Don’t judge a book by its cover – why Windows Vista Defrag is cool
http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/ar...s-cover-why-windows-vista-defrag-is-cool.aspx
Perfect Disk
www.raxco.com
Below is a general outline for cleaning and speeding your PC:
******Speed PC and Control CPU Tips/Steps******
SPEED AND CPU:
_______________
1) Trim processes you don't need in TM. Google them or "search engine of
your choice them" if you have to.
2) Go to
services.msc in run box and turn off services not needed and there are some.
SERVICE CONFIGURATION REFERENCES*
*Vista Services*
Part One
http://www.tweakvista.com/article38662.aspx
Part Two
http://www.tweakvista.com/article38664.aspx
Windows Vista Services Tweak Guide v1.0
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=87443
3) Run System File Checker.
SFC:
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html
In Vista run it from an elevated command prompt. Right click command on
start and run as administrator.
4) Run 3 or so spyware scans Windows Defender, , Adaware, and Spybot
5) Probably the most important for speed consistently and efficient resource
use DEFRAG with
www.raxco.com or
www.diskeeeper.com with 15% free space on
drive if DK and or >5% if Raxco's Perfect Disk.
http://groups.msn.com/windowsxpcentral/spyware.msnw
Download Adaware and
Spybot from here.
GOOD Overall Review for Defending Your PC:
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/
MSFT Defense Site MSFT Security:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
Protect Your PC from MSFT Security:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx
MSFT Windows Defender
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
MSFT MSRT: (Malicious Software Removal Tool)
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
MSFT "Windows One Care" in Wings (AV and Spyware Scans)
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/may05/05-13WindowsOneCarePR.mspx
6) Unck items from msconfig start tab you don't need starting and some
won't start--peoiple who think just uncking for many are naive because there
are 12 places things can be started including several reg keys like Run Once
keys and there are serveral.
7) Turn off Messaging service--it's a security vulnerability and it slows
you
8) Defrag very often every other day actually.
9) Turn off indexing.
10) Clear TIF and %temp% files (delete) and go to safe mode to get as many
as u can.
10) Do troubleshooting with msconfig.
11) Do Clean boot with msconfig utility and search for the directions here:
Vista RTM Tweak Guide (Tweaks to Improve Performances)
http://www.google.com/search?source...,GGLJ:2006-47,GGLJ:en&q=vista+rtm+tweak+guide
1) Task Manager lists the services on the services tab in Vista.
2) Type services.msc in run box and using the list of services, click the
service and you'll get a description of services.
3) There is a list here of the default services and a description>>click
"default settings for services" in the left pane.
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...afb8-43ce-b39d-50e6d5b89bf81033.mspx?mfr=true
4) To view service dependencies
1.
Open Services.
2.
In the details pane, right-click the service that you want to view
dependencies for, and then click Properties.
3.
Click the Dependencies tab.
4.
To view services that are associated dependencies of the selected service,
in the list on the Dependencies tab, click the plus sign next to the
service.
Many of the services but not all in Vista are the same as in XP, so in that
context:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/services.htm
Also see the extremely helpful site:
Black Viper's Service List
http://www.dead-eye.net/WinXP Services.htm
Black Viper's Site (Many of the same services in Vista)
http://www.dead-eye.net/WinXP Services.htm
http://www.z123.org/techsupport/xpservices.htm
http://www.geocities.com/ziyadhosein/xpserv1.htm
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php
This will be helpful
http://web.archive.org/web/20041128084144/www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm
______________________________________________________________________________________________
How to troubleshoot by using the System Configuration utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560/
Resources for troubleshooting startup problems in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308041/
How to perform advanced clean-boot troubleshooting in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434
How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353/
How to Disable a Service or Device that Prevents Windows from Starting
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310602/
Also ck out these references:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,5155,00.asp
http://www.speedupyourcomputer.windowsreinstall.com/index.htm
and
http://www.extremetech.com/search_r...=how+to+speed+windows+xp&filterapp=&site=4P.S.
Defragging with a decent defrag every day will make a huge dent inefficient
resource/CPU use.
Perfect Disk has a 5 month full functionality trial on now for Windows
Vista.
If you run Win One Care, it has its own spyware scanning, so you don't need
Windows Defender which ships with Vista turned on.
Good luck,
CH
