STUPID VISTA: A question... - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

LUVMBDiesels · #1 06-05-2009, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeus

Cool, glad that problem was fixed!

The clean install is a must, IMO, so it's good that was done. So many companies load a TON of proprietary crap onto boxed PCs and laptops. It usually just replicates existing Windows services and rebrands them - which eats up resources and CPU time.

One thing about Vista is that when it first boots up, memory usage will be slightly higher. After it has run a while (10-15 mins maybe), Vista caches a lot of services and optimizes itself. With all active apps closed, my PC usually runs at about 22-26% background RAM usage. This is with 3GB DDR.

Not sure how much memory you have in your laptop, but I would max it out. This is one area that really helps with Vista. It's a complex system, it needs a decent platform to run on. 2GB should be minimum. I use 3 as that is the practical max for a 32-bit system. With 64-bit you could use even more - provided your system's hardware can map more than 4GB of memory resources. Since memory is so cheap right now, I'd max it right out.

If you know all this already, please disregard.

The Toshiba came with 4GB DDR ram! Woo Hoo!

I did the clean install of VU for just the reasons you mentioned. The original Vhome came with a ton of crap installed.. trial ware for a bunch of applications. I always just do a format install when I get a new brand name PC.

The tapping setting was in the touch pad driver. Right click it in the tool bar (down near the clock) and just turn off tapping...

MTI · #2 06-04-2009, 05:05 PM

Last week I helped a friend with his new Vista powered HP box from Costco . . . interesting.

1) We tried the "Easy File Transfer" method via a wired network to get the settings from the older HP P4 tower running XP . . . that failed (kept crashing) and I wasn't going to hack up or buy a USB transfer cable . . . so, instead I ended up creating and importing PST files (mail, contacts, etc) and redoing all the settings manually.

2) No Vista drivers or support software for his HP flatbed scanner . . .

3) Property management software not Vista compliant, so we had to create an XP partition to dual boot.

I had to laugh that the HP comes with a PS/2 keyboard and mouse.

JonL · #3 06-04-2009, 05:57 PM

If nothing is as expensive as a cheap Mercedes, maybe the second most expensive thing is a cheap PC. (Trolling for PawoSD here....)

Gurkha · #4 06-05-2009, 03:47 AM

Try updating your video driver to see if this goes away, also it could be your security apps causing this scenario.

Either way, consider switching to XP or Ubuntu.

LUVMBDiesels · #5 06-05-2009, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurkha

Try updating your video driver to see if this goes away, also it could be your security apps causing this scenario.

Either way, consider switching to XP or Ubuntu.

Unfortunately This laptop cannot use XP (no drivers) and I need to be on Vista for work for now... I think that shutting off 'tapping' on the laptop fixed the issue...

Has anybody tried a dual boot Vista/Linux setup? I would like to do this but I remember what a PITA it was setting up SuSe/XP a couple years ago.

Gurkha · #6 06-05-2009, 05:11 AM

Few choices you have.

http://www.pctipsbox.com/how-to-dual-boot-vista-with-ubuntu/

WUBI
http://wubi-installer.org/

LUVMBDiesels · #7 06-05-2009, 05:45 AM

Cool, thanks!

I will probably do the Wubi install and go with OpenOffice, Mozilla, etc

Gurkha · #8 06-05-2009, 05:47 AM

You are welcome......either way you gain. Make sure to join www.ubuntuforums.org

Zeus · #9 06-05-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUVMBDiesels

I have a question about mouse behavior in Vista. When I hold the mouse over a something like a thread in SF or a choice in a dialog box it seems to wait 3 seconds and then choose the option as if I had hit the left button on the mouse. I do NOT want this to happen, but I cannot find a way to turn it off... I am not happy with this. Can anybody here tell me how to make the mouse behave like it did in XP?

Thanks!

Oh By the way Vista has only frozen twice and blue screened once on my brand new laptop

Try and update all drivers. Was this a hand held mouse or laptop touch screen? Not sure if you answered that?

I'm still puzzled with the Vista bashing. I'm running two home PCs with Vista (Ultimate and Home Pro) and ZERO issues. My personal PC has been running it since it came out now and it hasn't crashed once. It's been the most stable Windows platform I've used since 3.1

My extended family members' PCs also run Vista (and I maintain these for them), and again - no problems at all.

There are a lot of settings in Vista that can be modified to make it run smoothly and with less resource use, if you so choose. My wife's PC I've left Vista more or less as is in terms of default settings, so that it updates itself constantly, the UAC control is on, etc.

With my PC, I do some gaming, etc. so I have Vista tweaked where I control most aspects, including updating, backups, scans, etc.

There are some excellent features bundled with Vista, like Defender's ability to screen all running processes and block/stop certain ones.

I use the Windows Firewall and AVG's free anti-virus. Have not had a single virus/trojan/malware on this PC install ever.

I am guessing many problems come with PCs that were not setup correctly, or the installation process was not complete, or controlled. I don't trust PCs out of the box, where proprietary software has been installed - e.g. Dell, HP. They load a lot of their crap on the PC and it just slows it down, IMO. Completely useless software and all for branding/marketing purposes and not user benefit.

If you can, I would install a clean copy of Vista on a formatted drive (Vista setup will do this for you, no need to preformat). If you do so, then perform regular Windows Updates and driver updates on third party hardware like video cards, you should be able to have a very stable and secure system.

All IMHO.

MTI · #10 06-05-2009, 06:49 PM

Is Peter Norton still in the loop? I thought he sold his pink shirt to Symantec years ago.

My strong issue with Symantec products is that they seem to install themselves so deeply onto a system, it takes a treasure map and compass to dig all the pieces out.

Zeus · #11 06-05-2009, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

My strong issue with Symantec products is that they seem to install themselves so deeply onto a system, it takes a treasure map and compass to dig all the pieces out.

Lol, treasure map, compass, Sherpa guide, K9 units and a special ops branch of the CIA.

Most...pervasive...software...ever.

Maybe Symantec itself is the Storm Worm?

Gurkha · #12 06-05-2009, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeus

Lol, treasure map, compass, Sherpa guide, K9 units and a special ops branch of the CIA.

Most...pervasive...software...ever.

Maybe Symantec itself is the Storm Worm?

Thats true.........560+ registry entries alone and heaven knows how many hidden system files around. Remove Norton and you pay heavily with a crippled system.

Gurkha · #13 06-05-2009, 09:49 PM

So called computer guys and OEM retailers make heavy money from selling stuff like Norton and McAffee. In fact most PCs come bundled with either of these two. Norton used to be the biggest crud around and most of Windows woes were actually caused by either of these two culprits. Norton lately has improved a bit its nowhere near the top.

Do yourself a favor, go to the definitive authority on Anti virus testing that is www.av-comparatives.org out there you will see that just like the cars we adore from a particular region, that same region i.e. Germany also makes the best anti virus programs out there period. They are called Avira and G Data, the former comes in paid and free version, both equally effective, after that consider Avast which is a Czech product and ranks second to Avira in terms of protection and is also available non-crippled for free. Also Eset's NOD deserves a mention here as well but its paid, no freebies.