RSSShould you downgrade to XP from Vista?
Posted by callthatgirl on July 2, 2009
Vista? Should I downgrade to XP?
Many of my clients have purchased new laptops that has Vista preloaded on it. Many of you have software that is not up to speed with Vista. Should you downgrade or try to get your software up to speed?
Here are my thoughts…
I have been using Vista since January 2007. Yes, Vista is buggy and does things that really bother me. I am also a technician and can fix my own problems (and enjoy trying to fix those problems:). You the customer…can usually only get so far until you decide it’s not worth using Vista.
First thing you may want to consider is making a list of problems are you experiencing since the upgrade to Vista. Some problems are just “configuration issues” that I can assist with. Some problems are seriously the Vista operating system and you may need to go back to XP if your work depends on it.
Second thing is check to make sure that your software is Vista ready. Even though it installs (usually you will get an error during installation that tells you if it’s not Vista ready) it may need to be updated on the company website. Check with the software company website and verify. You also may need what is called “a patch” to make it work on Vista. You can also google the issue and see if others on the net are experiencing the same issues.
Third thing is Call That Girl (612-865-4475) for a phone consultation. I do offer short conversations for free to give you an idea if you should consider staying on Vista or downgrading back to XP. If a home visit is required, we can discuss that. I can also assist via the phone if need be.
Final note: When people tell me “oh Vista, I have heard bad things about that…” I say to them, “Well, if XP was perfect, I wouldn’t have a job right now”
There is a ring of truth to that:)
Please post comments or questions about Vista! thanks and…
Have a good Thursday!
Lisa
When I built my computer, I set it up to dual boot XP and Vista. UAC was so annoying, I turned it off after only a short time in Vista (so there goes a large chunk of the supposed added security in Vista). I wish I’d saved my money and only gotten XP. XP is definitely not perfect but it is much better than Vista. Here’s hoping Windows 7 is better…
If you are on a network or a techie, XP may be preferable – I don’t know b/c I am neither. But I can say this – some tech-head insisted that the answer to my problems was to downgrade to XP. This has been an UNMITIGATED DISASTER. Now, I get all the fun, regular XP freeze-ups where the ONLY answer is to hold down the power button and force a shut-down. Oh, and the recovery disks / backups are of no avail since the machine is now running XP (well, it’s not runnin anything, actually, I am typing this on a mac.
How much will it cost me to wipe the hard-drive clean so I can use my recovery disks to go back to Vista (home premium?)
Or do I just apply any further investment toward a new mac?
Regards,
Greg
The few times I’ve used Vista, I’ve gotten the same freeze-ups. That is one area where MS had not improved their OS. Though, even if Vista didn’t have that problem, I’d take freeze-ups over DRM any day (though surprisingly, my XP install on my laptop, which is still the stock install going on 3 years now, has only frozen up on me once or twice)
As for Macintosh: My main machine has been one sort of Apple product or another going back 25 years (currently a tricked-out Mac Mini with upgraded hard drive), and in the opinion of this tech-head, the MacOS experience is the best OS experience out there, and it’s a lot more future-proof. My partner has a 2001-model dual 500MHz G4 tower maxed out with RAM, tricked-out with 3 large hard drives, and Leopard, and it runs all that beautifully, long after Apple had obsoleted the hardware. It’s basically our entertainment system.
Also.. re: Greg
If you can’t afford a new Mac, Ubuntu Linux is a valid alternative as well, and is my second-fave OS (it runs my server for the website my name links to, actually). It takes a bit of getting used to, but if you’re patient with it, it can work for you.
My greatest success story with Ubuntu is my boss’ son, who is one of those stereotypical sports jocks, not computer literate at all, and he got used to Ubuntu no problem. In fact, he has a new laptop he wants it installed on.