Vista - first impressions

crisso · Post by **crisso** » 15 Apr 2007, 19:39

I took delivery of a new (reputable) pc last week loaded with Vista OS. Find it too protective and not as user friendly as XP. Opened a temp folder with sub folders to put all my Flight Sim and other stuff which has subsequently completely disappeared today! (Search finds nothing.) Also, have Creative Sound 7.1 System of which only 4 (incl. sub-woofer) out of the 7 speakers seem to work despite running both MS and Creative diagnostics and double-checking/downloading upto date drivers. Installed FS9 which seems ok but, LDS 767 has a flickering VOR2/NDB gauge. Then, when you scroll S through the screens you can't get back to the 2D cockpit.

Anyway, the short version is that there is something in my water that tells me Vista is not quite right, as oppsed to XP, the latter for which I had no real problems on my previous computer.

Any other thoughts on this from British Flight Sim users? since, I will give it another week and then if still unhappy, may replace it with my copy of XP Home!

Buggyman · Post by **Buggyman** » 15 Apr 2007, 20:47

Got a brand new machine which ran on XP. Took the option of an upgrade to Vista Home Premium. Did the upgrade on Friday and am not impressed.

My ATi 1600 video card has been 'demoted' to a 1300, AVG firewall is not acceptable to Vista. Catalyst Control Center will not work under Vista.

FSX runs like a slide show which is a shame because I was getting 15 - 25 fps under XP. This may be due to the fact that ATi and Vista are not working together properly.

Over protective? Yes, mine too. Tried to rename a folder of photographs and was told that I had no right to order this task.

So far - not impressed at all. MicroSoft have produced a very pretty pretty eye candy front for what seems, at this time, to be another bag of nails. If I cannot get things working as well, if not better, than with XP then I intend to revert to XP.

Sad really, FSX then Vista - complete pants.

crisso · Post by **crisso** » 15 Apr 2007, 22:27

Further my opener - I have just looked and the LDS767 load manager shortcut has disappeared from my desktop. Moreover, when I tried to select the LDS767 from the FS9 aircraft drop down menu - it is no longer there! However, the plane folder is still there according to the windows explorer tree.

In mitigation, the only thing that 'security conscious' Vista may have objected to is the fact, I used system restore twice earlier today - once to back-track (to try and find my missing temp folder) and secondly ,to come back to the present settings. Surely that wouldn't screw things up - would it?

However, I am getting more and more cheesed off. I do not have the time to waste in getting a system to work that should do so out of the box!

My previous computer was from the same people, fitted with XP Home which, worked perfectly from day one and I immediately felt at home with it. During its lifespan, I used FS9 and the LDS 767 (also incidentally system restore) with no problems whatsoever and, my only discontent is against the Vista OS.

Quixoticish · Post by **Quixoticish** » 15 Apr 2007, 23:21

I honestly don't know why so many people have rushed out to try Vista so early. Usually it's not worth touching a new OS for at least 6 months (12 to be on the safe side), I recall OEMs taking ages to pick up XP and still seeing PC's being sold with 98/ME a good year after XP was released. This time around it seems to be the latest "must have" for some bizarre reason. And the depressing thing about it all is XP with SP2 has just started to become a genuinely good and stable OS.

Good things come to those who wait.

Post by **Garry Russell** » 15 Apr 2007, 23:30

I do remember quite a few people buying XP when it came out then going back to 98 before eventually returning to XP once it was fully supported.

Like her with Vista.....they found they couldn't operate as the peripherals had not caught up with the new OS

Garry

Chris Trott · Post by **Chris Trott** » 16 Apr 2007, 00:01

Which is why I've always waited at least 6 months before even considering an OS upgrade. Only reason I'm getting a computer with Vista before July is becuase my grandparents need a new one and I want to ensure that it's fully supported by MS for at least 5 more years.

kit · Post by **kit** » 16 Apr 2007, 11:10

I still run my main FS PC on Win2K, let alone WinXP!

As far as I'm concerned Win2K is just about bulletproof and the WinXP powered laptop I use is rubbish by comparison. Apart from starting faster there is nothing that works better than 2K does.

No WAY am I going anywhere near Vista with a push pole.......... :crying:

crisso · Post by **crisso** » 16 Apr 2007, 11:23

My problem is that the new PC came with Vista - I had no choice! However, I am intending to replace it with my copy of XP Home which I still have sealed as a back-up from my previous (expired) PC.

Thanks for the input guys, as wanted to hear from some like-minded Flightsim Brits, on what they felt.

Buggyman · Post by **Buggyman** » 16 Apr 2007, 19:26

Update on my Vista adventure.

Downloaded the latest drivers from ATi and now I have an operational Catalyst Control Center which means I am now able to set AA etc for operation by the card and not FS9 or FSX. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in fps in FSX - FS9 never was a problem in this area. It still insists that my graphics card is a Radeon 1300 and not the 1600 and I am sure that this is having a detrimental effect on my fps.

Finally mastered the 'whos in charge' button and can now change whatever I like without a 'nanny' scolding me.

Vista is still nowhere near as good as XP and it is a shame that - like FSX - it seems to have been rushed into the shops before all the rough bits have been ironed out.

DanKH · Post by **DanKH** » 16 Apr 2007, 20:26

I think you have to take into consideration before you judge Vista all the way that:

First of all, that glamour thing is, well yes, glamour. Can't you turn it of if you don't like it?

But the goodies are the one you won't see, extended security, a whole new way of memory using, a completely new kernel, moving things inside the kernel that before where exposed outside the kernel, and so on and so forth...

Yes there will be service packs, workarounds, updates etc. but I think MS has bro9uhgt the OS a giant leap forward this time. And I don't even have Vista --- Yet.

But a good Googling will no doubt be in place and I'm sure educating as well.