Vista Upgrade - Yay or Nay?

[Keiron]

Misleading in what way? When you install an application it is given Administration Status, is that true or false? I don't have Vista so I will bow to your experience on this matter. If it is given Admin Status when installing then it is potentially an enormous security threat, hence being raised by this particular security firm, hence an actual response from MS saying "Yes, it could be a problem"

Anyway, this is just a relatively minor point when combined with the DRM, WGA, CPU intensive problems that Vista has at the moment. There will be plenty more security holes discovered soon enough we can discuss at depth.

[GCParris]

The point is that most applications need more administrative rights to be installed. When they subsequently run they run in user mode.

When you are installing an application you are verifying that you are happy for that application to install on your machine because you trust it. Therefore you click accept on the elevated privs dialog to give it full rights to install.

If you are surfing the net or using your email client and you accidentally download some mal-ware or trojan etc, it tries to install and it can because it has no access, the elevated privs dialog pops up and asks you do you want give it elevated privs to install, and you say no way! Then it can't install.

The risk is if you press the accept button on the dialog (and even then there is a secondary prompt) the trojan or whatever installs on your machine with full rights, but this isn't really any different to XP/2000 previously if you are running as an administrator.

[Ali]

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1671/915gm8.gif

Ali

[Woz]

Personally I would not touch Vista with a dirty turd. I know a few people who have "upgraded" it and it's slow, won't run stuff, doesn't have drivers for their hardware and is generally a complete PITA. Yet again MS release bloatware that looks good but is in fact an expensive crock of shiite.

[Bardo]

Originally Posted by Woz

Personally I would not touch Vista with a dirty turd. I know a few people who have "upgraded" it and it's slow, won't run stuff, doesn't have drivers for their hardware and is generally a complete PITA. Yet again MS release bloatware that looks good but is in fact an expensive crock of shiite.

But isn't that true of *all* software these days?! I still remember with fond memories my first computer - a Commodore VIC-20 - with it's 3.5k, 8 colours and very, very low resolution screen. The sad thing is that you could still run stuff like word processors and spreadsheets on it... in 3.5k!!!!

And there were some pretty cool games on it, too - personally I used to like the little 'Blitz' game that came with it where you tapped the space bar to drop a bomb on a city in order to clear the buildings to allow you to land safely. Ahh... those were the days!

[UPDATE] - Went looking for a PC version of Blitz and found this...

http://www.dpw-shane.pwp.blueyonder....tz(onekey).zip

[Bantam]

I wouldn't touch Vista with a barge pole (and I'm a Vista MCP(Beta)).

We've made a policy decision not to install Vista across the whole business for the moment. In fact, I would wager it would probably be a couple of years before we even look at a small rollout.

All new machines that come with Vista on with a vista licence are licenced for downgrade to XP by default anyway, so we're just going to wipe and rebuild with XP.

I ran it for a couple of days at home on my MacBook Core2Duo and hated it, so removed it, bought Parallels and now run predominantly MacOS, with XP and Ubuntu loaded into Parallels should I require them.

M.

[Garf]

Originally Posted by Bantam

IAll new machines that come with Vista on with a vista licence are licenced for downgrade to XP by default anyway, so we're just going to wipe and rebuild with XP.

precisely what we are recommending.

[EdHornby]

totally agree with garf (and woz's colourful description ) wait until SP1

but if you do buy an upgrade version and you are adamant that you want it, and you reckon your hardware can handle it...

don't install XP first - or if you have XP already on, wipe the drive

start with a freshly formatted, no partitions drive

install vista straight onto the new drive - when it asks you for the upgrade OS, point it back to the CD (yes this works )
DON'T register this install

start again - reinstall the upgrade over the top of the existing (unregistered) vista install

register this one - M$ only sees the upgraded install you've just done

hey presto, cleaner install, less disk bloating

[Jezza]

We're currently testing Vista, our initial experience isn't good. I would avoid it until you have no other option

You need a new processor, 2Gb memory, loads of disk space, high spec graphic and the patience of a saint.

[MartinS]

As always, thanks guys.
I'll stick with XP then! The laptop definitely is compatible, except it only comes with 512MB RAM, and although I can get a 1GB strip for just under £50, I'd probably want 2 , plus the cost of upgrade goes to nearly £170!
As i said, XP it is then!
I did hear SP1 is due out iminently!
Thanks again
Martin