Must Remove Vista!

I bought a new laptop today and already i cant stand vista, i said pretty much the same thing about XP when it came out and i started using it, but frankly, i like xp and i'm pretty much not keen on trying a new OS out....

i've got my copy of XP here, but i'm curious how much of a pain in the ass it will be to just pop it in and do a cold format and install of XP....the laptop i bought didn't come with any software CDs or recover CDs

it's an acer....uhm ..... aspire 5610-2328

plus its got a bunch of junk on it i dont need, standard out-of-the-box software and crap i jsut dont need...

i am a moderate to advanced computer user...but this is my first laptop, so i know nothing about them....

 

Popping in the XP CD will wipe the computer's hard drive and format the entire computer in Windows XP. You will lose any manufacturer software that was included in the original computer.

I'm interested why you can't stand Vista. If I were you, I'd just bear with it and get used to it. Not being able to stand something after a day really isn't anything. You'll get used to it, and then it won't be half bad (you once thought XP was annoying, but now you want to switch back to it - oh, the irony).

Just go through Add/Remove Programs and uninstall all the bloatware. Stick with Vista. It's awesome. You'll get used to it within a few weeks, I promise.

 

I have to agree with FREN with this. Eventually many PCs in the next year or so will transfer over to Vista. And that means businesses, schools, libraries, etc.

Just pop in the XP CD, wipe the partition and install. You will looses 100% of all those specialty programs and customizations.

 

alright, if you say so....

*grumbles about having to learn a new operating system all over again*


lol...

 

It isn't that different, not like going from XP to Mac... it still has the start bar and the programs and stuff, but everything seems to be better organized and easier to use.

 

you know I'm beginning to realize maybe i did jump the gun a bit, things are nice in vista...but I'm kind of wondering what the draw backs are....i guess I'm going to have to try and do some homework....and see what the major differences are....

 

Well I was going to do the same. However, I had another laptop where I did a clean install of MCE, it came with XP Home, and it was a pain. It was a Toshiba Satellite, I had to manually download and install a whole bunch of proprietary drivers. I spent an entire evening and I think I am still missing a few. That is the reason why I exchanged my U200(XP MCE) with a U200(Vista Prem) last night because I knew the upgrade was inevitable and didn't want to deal with a clean install.

 

A normally make an image of the disk on a new laptop before I screw around with it, so I can put it back to factory easily. You may have a hidden recovery partition anyway, but I still like to do the whole disk.

I nearly gave up on Vista in the first few days, but like others have said you will have to use it eventually so stick it out. With a bit of tweeking it can be made to be a bit more like XP was anyway.

 

I fail to see the logic in "You just have to get used to it". Why? Why shouldn't he go back to the OS he likes? Do you intentionally use inferior word processing software too? Do you seek out the spreadsheets you hate working in the most? Do you only play games in genres you don't like?
The best piece of software is always the one you like working in.

So what if he years ago didn't like XP? Maybe in a few years he'll start liking Vista and then upgrading to that will be a great idea. But until that happens, give me *one* good reason why he should use software he dislikes.

As for the "many PC's will use Vista soon" argument? BS...

A lot of companies (including many public PC's at libraries, schools and similar) have only recently switched to XP, if they don't still use 2k.

Maybe in 5 years, all these will run Vista. But the next year or so? Not a chance....
And even if they did, so what? Do you have to "practice" at home to be able to use a Vista computer at school or work? I hope not. XP didn't require that, and people keep saying Vista is at least as easy to use...

Anyway, to answer the question: Check Acer's website to see if you can download any drivers from there. If that's possible, you should be able to just format and install XP using the drivers from their Website.
Alternatively, well, it might still work, and the drivers should be available from the individual hardware manufacturers websites too...

Of course you can also stick with Vista, but don't do it because "you have to get used to it". Do it because you think it's actually better than XP.

 

Well it's always good to keep an open mind and try new things.
Hating Vista after a day isn't really giving it a chance. I don't see how you can make a good opinion on someting after using it for such a short period of time. The logic here isn't "You just have to get used to it", it's "Use it before you judge it".

That being said, it's your laptop so you should do what you want with it so that you're happy. If you want XP back on it it's not very hard to do. Like others have said you just need to pop in your Windows XP cd and format the hard drive. Then you install XP.
As for the drivers you can get all of them online.

 

I agree with Jalf. My work still uses Windows 2K Pro. It works. It is sufficient for our use. I personally use XP pro with R60 I just bought. Lenovo offered a free upgrade to Vista. But I said no. There are those who likes to explore new OS, or enjoy constantly tweaking with their system. Then there are those who just simply wants to use the machine to do what they wanted to accomplish when they bought the machine. I am one of the latter. I like well-trodden path. Vista still ain't.

I will stick with XP for years to come.

 

Is it? So you play *every* new game that comes out? Even if it's a genre you never play normally? You've run every Linux distro as well?

Of course not.

You have a point though. Before you can *judge* Vista, you have to *use* Vista. But the OP didn't want to judge Vista. He wanted to use XP. Whether or not Vista is good may not even matter.
In the same way that I don't bother to play sports games, because I just can't be bothered. True, I ought to play them before I could judge them, and some of them are probably good, and I may just be missing out by not playing them. But even so, I choose the easy path, and stick with the games where I know there's a good chance I'll enjoy them.

 

okay i gave it two days

and now i pretty much hate it...

my computer guru friend is telling me the reason its crashing while i play world of warcraft is because vista is a POS that cant game...

how ever, when i throw my xp CD in, it installs the setup files, then as its about to start windows for the instal, i get a blue screen error...(this is of course after i've booted it from CD)

any one have any ideas? i'm this close to taking the thing back before its to late to get my money back.....**** vista...><

 

Instead of deleting Vista, you should have created another partition and installed XP. You would have had the best of both worlds.

I dont know why someone didnt mention that...

 

I really like vista. For every aspect but its gaming capabilities as of now.

Otherwise it is truly amazing.

 

"Is it? So you play *every* new game that comes out? Even if it's a genre you never play normally? You've run every Linux distro as well?"

Jalf, I think you are missing something here. Rather than saying "yes" or a flat "no" to Vista, why not pause in between and think critically? I don't buy every game that comes out because I judge them and, in some cases, I research whether it's a good buy. But just saying no to a product without even bothering to judge it is, I think, astonishing. You're probably going to ask me "what does Vista bring?"

Well, do the research, because few people here have the time to it.

 

Hmmm....
First off there are far too many games out there for me to play *every* one of them.
And it's not even the same thing...

If I bought (let's say) a PS3 and it came with a game... Let's say a sports game (because I don't play sports game). Would I play it? Yes I would... Would I say I hate it before I even try it? No...
If I bought a new computer and it came with Linux would I try it? Yes I would.
Not only that but Vista is the next Windows... It's not that huge of jump (say from a MAC to Windows).
If I bought a MAC and it came with Mac OS X, would I try it? Yep.

Using your idea of games: If you played Square Enix games... And you bought a new system that came with say Final Fantasy XII. Would you hate it right away and go back to playing your favorite Final Fantasy or would you try it?

Now let's not go in a random argument. My point here reamins: it's not "You just have to get used to it", it's "Use it before you judge it".

Anyways back to the topic.

What exactly are you doing?

 

Yes, why not?
Let's think critically.
First, what is Vista? It is an operating system.
What purpose does an operating system serve?
It allows you to run your applications, and it keeps your computer stable and secure.
And just as importantly, it does not get in the way. An OS should not require any effort. An OS should not be something you need to work on. It should be something that is there, does it job, so that you can work in all your serious work apps, or play your games. Any OS that requires attention or effort is a failure. (That's one of the few thing Apple *really* gets right)

So far so good.
Now, is there an inherent magic advantage to using Vista itself?
No, all your applications already run fine on XP. XP is stable and secure (assuming you have a firewall and antivirus app, which you should have anyway even under Vista).

It may offer a few minor things, such as the new search functionality, but on the whole? Nothing major.

And now, what disadvantages are there (objectively speaking. I'm ignoring subjective stuff like "I don't like the new explorer", or "UAC sucks")? I can name a few:
- Some apps and games have compatibility issues. That's a minus for stability.
- There is a lot of new things to get used to, which, at least initially, lowers your productivity.

So even though you're undoubtedly going to say that those two things are only a matter of time (the first may be fixed, the second is a matter of habit), and even though you're probably right, that still means Vista requires more effort. As I said above, I consider any OS that requires effort of the user, to be a bad idea. Even if it's only a matter of time before you get used to it and become just as efficient, it's bad. Of course that pretty much means any OS switch is bad. And essentially, it is. However, that can obviously be offset if the OS offers anything nice in return for your (initial) effort.
Switching to Mac OS or Linux might be worthwhile on this account. Takes some work initially, but once you've got it up and running and are used to it, there are countless advantages that may make it worthwhile.

Now, for the XP -> Vista transition? Again, there's the initial effort required (getting used to the OS learning to find your way around, solving compatibility issues), which is bad.
Is there something that makes the investment worth it?
Well?
Does it improve stability? No, on the contrary, it breaks some applications that worked under XP.
Does it improve security? Tough to say. Compared to what? Compared to an up to date XP system with firewall and antivirus? No, not really.
Does it get in the way any less than XP? Does it require less effort?
Hmm, tough one, and this is pretty subjective. But initially, it requires *more* effort. There are a lot of menus and windows and applications and control panels to explore, and a lot of things to get used to. In the long run? Hard to say.

So what does this leave us with? One might spend his time 1) configuring and 2) learning a new OS which offers no real benefit (at least of the categories I highlighted above). Or one could go back to the OS he likes and knows. The one that requires minimal effort to set up (because we're used to it) and use (because we're used to it)

When you look at it like that, I'd say sticking with XP is almost a no-brainer.
Of course, different people have different priorities. Some people will upgrade the OS just to get a nicer-looking solitaire game. Some will do it for the fancy 3d GUI. Some will do it simply because it's new.
And so on. And all of these people are right.
I have merely presented one reason why it is entirely valid to *not* want to invest any time in Vista yet. Not a week. Not an hour. Not 5 minutes. I might be persuaded to give it 5 seconds, and even then, I'm generous. An OS that takes extra time is not one I want to use.

I'm not saying this because I think Vista is "bad" objectively speaking, or should be avoided by everyone. But because I'm tired of people saying you "have to" try Vista. Or that you're somehow "cheating", "close-minded", "ignorant" or "conservative" if you don't give it a chance.

Because there are people who simply regard an OS as a tool that makes their computer work, no more, no less. One that doesn't have to be pretty or entertaining, but simply has to stay out of the way and allow the user to concentrate on what he or she wants to do.

Ultimately, it is (to some of us, at least), just an OS. As such, it is not entitled to a second chance, or a fair judgment or anything else. It is not entitled to a minute of our time. If I can get things done in XP 5% faster than I can in Vista, then XP is my preferred OS. That is the *only* criteria I have for an OS. Does it let me get stuff done without slowing me down? Does it let me do what I want without having to argue with a grumpy piece of software?

Does it require me to spend time "giving it a fair judgment"? If so, I'm not interested. I'll let others do the judging, and later on, when Vista is commonplace, the bugs have been ironed out, and I'm more used to the OS, I'll install it.

It seems like the OP feels much the same way.
Some of you don't. That's fine. If someone have different priorities, and consider Vista a worthwhile investment *in itself* (because it looks nicer, because it's new, because you like the name, or because you like giving Microsoft money, or because you like evaluating and judging software, or whatever your reason might be), that's cool! You're entitled to use the OS of your choice. And there certainly are valid reasons to use Vista. Some of us just so happens to give very little priority to those particular reasons, and consider other factors more important, and so we arrive at a different "ideal OS".

Well, you discard a lot of games without giving them a chance. Without trying them. Why shouldn't the same be allowed with Vista? "Researching" doesn't count if it doesn't involve *trying* it, because that's the only currency you will accept with Vista. The OP has (probably) "researched" Vista by reading about it.

*If* I liked FF games, then I'd obviously play it. If I thought I *might* like the game, I'd play it. If I already knew I had better things to spend my time on? No, I would spend my time on those better things instead.

And I fail to see how Vista is different. If one is happy with XP, and the initial impression of Vista is not favorable, *why* on earth should one spend the next week test-driving Vista? That is a week wasted that could have been spent on software you *knew* you liked, rather than on software you *might* end up liking.

 

Bravo Jalf, Bravo . I agree with you full heartedly and could not have said it better.

I fear for my sanity once DX10 games start hitting the shelves for then I will have to install service pack 3 (Vista).

 

I have been doing a lot of research on the Acer Aspire 5610 and have heard that those who want to install XP have been having some problems getting the drivers needed to run all their hardware on XP.

I am planning on running a dual boot of Windows Vista and SimplyMepis 6.0 Linux (SML) just so I can become familiar with Windows Vista but all my real computer work will be with SimplyMepis 6.0 Linux (SML) since it is so much like using XP but it is secure and free.
DonEc

 

Well I'll just throw my thoughts in, if you get something for free (or if you get it as part of another purchase) you may as well see what's up. If you decide you really don't like it or it simply isn't compatible with what you are trying to accomplish with it then just put it aside for a while, and use the OS that serves you best.

 

I have read that removing the empowering-crap-technology that consumes way too much memory...will help. I'm a brand spaning new acer laptop owner (like a week ago) and after trying my damnedest to like this little purchase...I want to get rid of the fluff...
however, there is no way. at all...to remove the empowering technology. it. just. sucks.

so..I know its not a popular opinion..but its just my experience. if there was a way to remove it, I think I'd actually give it a chance. at this rate, I am about to head back to the store and get my money back.
is it vista? is it acer? I don't know...but if there was a way to get rid of it...it's not a bad little OS.

 

Yup thats what I did. I really didn't need the Empowering stuff. The regular XP windows settings can do everything Empowering can do, and the Vista settings can do even more.

I just removed it via "Add/Remove Programs" Menu under Control panel. Never looked back since and boot up is faster.

 

Good post Jalf!

Now, I understand why after installing firefox for my sister and telling her to use it, she went back to IE6 after less than a day. It also gives good insight as to why a large chunk of users are still using IE6.

 

Well, I'm pretty sure the dozens (ok maybe hundreds) of people who made the switch from Windows to Linux would have something to say about this. The points in your argument could be easily used against a user switching to any OS, whether it be from Windows to Linux, Windows to OSX, Windows to UNIX, Windows 3.11 to Win95, etc. etc. etc.

The fact of the matter is, when a user switches OS, there is always a period of adjustment. Arguing from a programmer or IT professional's perspective does not change this fact: if you want an OS "without the frills", then you better invest some time learning say...command line syntax for Linux or shell operation for UNIX. Whatever it is, you'll need to spend time to acclimate yourself to your OS.

Now I'm not arguing Vista is a better or worse OS than XP---both have their pros and cons, and frankly I don't care to address the issue further with the zealots from either camp. As you said, the preference of the OS belongs to the user. You should add an addendum to that, "so long as the user is willing to devote the necessary time to learn how to operate under that OS".