Vista Install Round 5

[Big Dan]

http://www.bigdanee.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/xp-vista.thumbnail.jpg (http://www.bigdanee.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/xp-vista.jpg)Yesterday marked the fifth time in the little over three weeks since I purchased this computer that I have reinstalled Vista. It’s no fault of HP or Vista really it’s just my own indecisiveness. The first format was to install XP but text looked like crap on my screen even with the drivers from HP. So, I formatted and installed Vista again. Next time I tried to triple boot, XP, Vista, and Ubuntu which totally fried my MBR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record) and a full factory restore was the only option. From there I got frustrated with paying for an XP license then not using it, so the decision was made to wipe Vista, install XP and figure out the ugly text problem. The ugly text problem was figured out quite easily by downloading the original drivers from the nVidia website. All was well for a good week, I was more than satisfied with my XP/Ubuntu dual boot setup.
Until I tried to burn a DVD as part of my weekly backup procedures. It appears even though XP recognizes, installs from, and reads discs from my DVD-RW drive it won’t burn to it. XP just plain won’t recognize any blank media in the drive. For me, this is a deal breaker as I need to be able to burn. A quick chat with HP’s live technician tells me what I thought there is no drivers under XP for this drive.
Now, I find that a little out of the ordinary. Ubuntu burns to this drive why cannot a commercial OS? HP even has a whole page (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01274160&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&product=3658911&dlc=en&lang=en) dedicated to “downgrading” to XP while it warns that downgrading may limit functionality, HP still felt the need publish an entire document on it. Obviously the “may limit functionally” warning is a CYA (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cya) maneuver. My issue is there were Light Scribe DVD-RW’s before Vista came out, why cannot they just provide drivers for it to keep their customers happy?
Nonetheless, No DVD burner means no sale for me. Time for a format and reinstall of Vista, everything went smoothly. I downloaded all the Windows Updates, my favorite sidebar gadgets, and programs. In fact I’m posting from Vista right now. Overall, I like Vista sure it’s a bit of a resource hog but it’s eye candy accounts for that. With 3 GB of RAM, I have rarely gone over the 50% mark of RAM utilization even with Open Office and Firefox with 30+ tabs open.
All in all, I’m satisfied with Vista. Sure, I’ve installed Ubuntu and still use it but for now Vista is my primary OS. What are you thoughts on Vista in comparison to XP or any other OS?


More... (http://www.bigdanee.com/computers/windows-vista/vista-install-round-5.html)

[THERESA]

I am pretty much pc illiterate so I can't answer any of your technical questions and it looks like Techguy (http://www.discussny.com/showthread.php?t=672)is just too good to answer them :hide:

However, I am thinking it's a safe bet to tell you the next time you decide to buy a new pc it would be easier to just hang yourself instead. :rofl:

[Big Dan]

lol. :D I pretty much know what I'm doing. I just get indecisive and inpatient then wind up chasing my own tail. :eek:

[THERESA]

lol. :D I pretty much know what I'm doing. I just get indecisive and inpatient then wind up chasing my own tail. :eek:

I might find that amusing. If I have nothing better to do sometime, can I watch? :rofl:

[Big Dan]

You're on a roll today. :D

[Kaos]

You confused me just with your rant Dan can't imagine actually doing what you are doing. So what ever happened to your XP? If I understand right you are sticking with Vista?

[Big Dan]

You confused me just with your rant Dan can't imagine actually doing what you are doing. So what ever happened to your XP? If I understand right you are sticking with Vista?

Yup Vista is installed but I'm using Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com) as my day to day operating system.

XP is being ran in a virtual machine inside of Ubuntu for what ever Windows apps I need. Basically XP thinks it's on a seperate computer when it's really running inside of Linux.

Now if I could only get XP to activate. :banghead: ::soapbox::

BTW: Did you ever find your drivers, Kim?

[popowich]

When I used to dual / triple / quad+ boot ( :eek: ) my systems I had software that managed the boot loading for me. One of them was called System Commander. I forget the name of what I used before that. It's from the '90's. My #3 computer still uses it. Primarily a Linux box but can also boot dos / windows 3.11 so I can play an old game Wing Commander Armada, has some other linux not touched in ages probably slackware or debian, and a Windows 95 or 98 also not touched in ages. I do remember the fun and challenges of getting it all to fit and working though.

-Raymond

[Kaos]

Yup Vista is installed but I'm using Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com) as my day to day operating system.

XP is being ran in a virtual machine inside of Ubuntu for what ever Windows apps I need. Basically XP thinks it's on a seperate computer when it's really running inside of Linux.

Now if I could only get XP to activate. :banghead: ::soapbox::

BTW: Did you ever find your drivers, Kim?

Yes, I finally found the drivers, what a pain. But I have fuzzy fonts now, they look pixalated for lack of a better way to describe it. Is that the same issue you had with your fonts? If so how did you solve it?

[Big Dan]

Yes, I finally found the drivers, what a pain. But I have fuzzy fonts now, they look pixalated for lack of a better way to describe it. Is that the same issue you had with your fonts? If so how did you solve it?

Yes same problem. I found the driver on File Hippo (http://www.filehippo.com/) under the [url=http://filehippo.com/software/drivers/]Driver's section.

Use caution when installing these things, installing the wrong driver can cause you to have NO video at all (ie a blank monitor)

If you know what brand and model of card you have, post here. If you don't know post your PC's brand and model number and I'll hunt for the info.

[Kaos]

Actually, I got lucky! Its a Nvidia driver and their website has a great new beta tool that scans your computer and tells you which on to download. Hopefully it works when I restart my computer. Thanks as always Dan!

[popowich]

That must be nice. The Dell site keeps asking me to download drivers from 2006 for my computer that I already have newer versions of. I asked their support about it. Essentially, their answer was, "our site has issues". Heh. :)

-Raymond

[Kaos]

^I Know, I hate that. Mine are all Dell's too, so you figure since you have to put in your key tag for your individual computer, then they pull up your system that they could just list the drivers you need not all possible drivers. And then they say "Oh, by the way, if you download the wrong drivers it could damage your system/programs" Nice. Well, my nvidia driver didn't fix my pixalated fonts. Grr.. not a big deal, but you like to have you system looking and performing at its true potential, you know?

[Big Dan]

Kim look around in the Nvidia settings dialog.. I think you right click on the desktop and you'll see nVidia Control Panel or something like that... Also try the personalize dialog for screen resolution and play around with the color depth.

Lastly if your monitor has it's own menu (buttons on the screen itself) look in that for "auto-configure" or something along those lines.

Hope it helps :)

[THERESA]

Maybe Dan should be the new Techguy. (http://www.discussny.com/showthread.php?t=672)

:D

[Kaos]

Dan saves me on nearly a daily basis.

I tried playing in the control panel, usually making it worse. I could just be too picky. I think I'll wait for the weekend to make Scott fix it. You guys are good at this stuff.