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Hell with Windows Vista

by Toby Ward on Thu 03 May 2007 10:38 PM PDT | Permanent Link | Cosmos

I’m not in a position yet to invest in a Mac yet, but I have purchased a complete version of Windows 2000 so that I can delete this horrific Windows ‘upgrade’. I can’t use my previous Windows XP upgrade version to replace it because it’s an upgrade; and I can’t upgrade from Vista.

What’s worse is that the bundled-with-Vista-whether you like it or not and horrendously crappy MS-Office 2007 trial version is now trying to take over all of my functions instead of the MS-Office 2003 that I installed. (You should see this piece of annoying crap and how they’ve changed everything around to make it more complex to use (e.g. MS-Word has a completely different set-up and set of buttons and functions). You see Vista comes bundled with a trial version of MS-Office 2007 but it’s only a trial version.

Not only has the MS-Office 2007 taken over my default settings (e.g. opening a spreadsheet from an Outlook message defaults to the bundled 2007 instead of the full 2003 version that I enjoy and installed), but the computer won’t even let me use 2007 because it demands a product key. So I have to work around that to find a way to open the spreadsheet in 2003). But do you think I can uninstall 2007? Just try… it’s an exercise in futile frustration. There is no such command for Add/Remove Programs under Control Panel. I once found it and it didn’t work. I can’t find it anymore…

Worse still, my computer which has a processor speed of over 2 MB is incredibly slow. Outlook is constantly freezing. Internet Explorer is constantly freezing. The performance of Vista is embarrassingly poor. Oh it looks pretty – it’s really pretty. However, it’s not even remotely in my top 20 priorities when it comes to my computer’s operating.

I just rebooted after it froze on me again in Outlook. It took me 5 minutes to shut-down and fully re-boot. It was so slow and clunky that I re-boot again. This time it took 3:45 seconds to re-boot. And yes, I have had virus scan and protection enabled since the beginning. And I don’t even have enabled that idiot Vista Sidebar featured enabled on my desktop (shudder).

I just rebooted again and got into Outlook and it’s not responding. I can’t send and receive… I’m opening the task manager now (which requires an extra step that MS has smartly added to my workload. No, CRTL+ALT+DELETE no longer opens the task manager – now I you get a pretty screen with a menu of more options. Friggin’ unbelievable!!). It doesn’t end!!

Okay, I’m now back into Outlook and I hit SEND/RECEIVE…. Guess what I get? “Please wait while Microsoft configures Microsoft Office 2007!!! All I did was hit SEND/RECEIVE to collect my e-mail!!!!! Unbelievable!!! A minute later my e-mail starts to download...

Wow! What a productivity tool!!

Okay, I finally found the remove programs tools – it’s buried a couple of clicks away under a different view of the Control Panel. That’s right, a different view. So, I uninstalled Office 2007 and then as it completed it prompted me with several windows including 1) to reboot, and 2) an error message (Error 1719) telling me that the uninstall had problems because the Install service was improperly installed! It won’t let me properly uninstall this! The second time I tried to uninstall a program and was blocked by Windows Vista!!

Microsoft should be taken to court over this Windows Vista. It is unfriendly, invasive, productivity killing, and is a massive irritation. I can’t tell you how much I hate Vista. When the full version of Windows 2000 arrives I will wipe this computer no matter how many days it takes to back-up, uninstall, copy and transfer files, etc.

STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS VISTA!!!

I know I’m going to get hammered for this and the folks at MS who read this will slam me, but I think my story speaks for itself. And frankly, I’m not afraid to call a spade-a-spade. Before Vista came out I did a couple of promotional stories touting the new features. In other words, I gave it free promotion without critique. I’m sorry that MS has failed to deliver the goods, but I’m not sorry for writing a brutally fair critique. If you’re with MS and want to help, that’s fine. But save your flame-mail because if you flame me, I will quote you on this blog for all the world to see (150,000 readers per month).

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Comments

Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Bob Steen on Fri 04 May 2007 06:26 AM PDT | Permanent Link

I sold my copy on eBay yesterday. Un-opened (note: I didn't pay for it so I didn't lose anything on the sale). I haven't heard many good things about it since it's release, but to be fair... we all know how those first releases go.

None-the-less, I have to do it. I have to say it, because someone always does, and this time it'll be me. If you aren't a gamer. Switch to a Linux distro. Use OpenOffice. If your stuck on Outlook, try Evolution. The flavor of the day is Ubuntu... but I've been with SuSE since the early days. Go on. Take the plunge, my 80 year old father uses it, so know one can convince me that it's not desktop ready. Trust me, my father is the ultimate usability tester.

Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Toby Ward on Wed 09 May 2007 11:25 AM PDT | Profile | Permanent Link

Hmmmm, interesting. I'll have to play with some of those solutions some time. As for OpenOffice, how does it work when someone sends you a Word document you need to work in? Or vice versa?

Re: Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Bob Steen on Tue 15 May 2007 07:32 AM PDT | Permanent Link

You'll need to be alert, you can save it as a Word doc, you just have to make sure you change the file type on save. It opens word documents just fine (I haven't tried the latest word doc type, though).

Re: Re: Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by flamedot on Tue 25 Sep 2007 03:39 AM PDT | Profile | Permanent Link

I had an issue opening a Word 2003 doc with OpenOffice. Hmmm...must try again...

Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Anonymous on Fri 11 May 2007 02:01 AM PDT | Permanent Link

Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by CB on Fri 04 May 2007 06:27 AM PDT | Permanent Link

Mostly agree. Vista's not going to be decent until a service pack hits, and maybe not even then. Office, however, I do disagree on; once you get used to the ribbon it's actually a good piece of software. Tons of functionality over the previous version. I might be a bit biased, though, since I'm a SharePoint admin. :D

I don't understand the differences in quality between Microsoft products. Things like Visual Studio 2005 and SharePoint are great, but then Vista is awful. All the subdivisions and teams really just seem like their own unique company sometimes.

Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Catherine Elder on Wed 09 May 2007 08:16 AM PDT | Permanent Link

Have to agree with Toby on Vista and Office 2007. There could not have been usability testing. The menus in Office 07 have all changed. Try and add a worksheet in Excel - the option isn't under Insert or the windows icon - you have to search for it, of course why would you want to add a sheet? And if you use any object in PowerPoint you will be informed, even though the same squares and circles were available in all previous versions, that it is no longer compatible with older versions, nope, cause now they are Smart Art - yep. And time yourself on how long it takes you to find the "Change Shape" option. Now Word - ah the bane of my existence - I still haven't figured out what they heck they've done to styles - oh and speaking of which - try and set a global footer in PPT - let me know how that works for you. And Office 2007 is NOT compatible with any version of Acrobat prior to 8. You get error messages up the wazoo. As for crashing and slowness - it compounds - the first day I installed Office 2007 on my new Vista loaded laptop I "froze" 5 times. It gets better, my machine only locks up about once a day. But I know my boss understands...right Toby?

Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by James Rubinstein on Thu 17 May 2007 07:28 AM PDT | Permanent Link

MS Office 2007 is awesome.
I have it at home, I was a beta tester. When my Beta license ran out, I almost panicked enough to BUY it, thankfully my school came through for me and got the site license. The thought of going back to office 2003 left me in a cold sweat. It would take minutes at a time trying to find that "one" special button to operate some function-or-another.
With 2007 things are organized by task, as they should be.
I also use linux at home, and one of the major considerations for NOT switching all the way over was open office is as good as office 2003. Which is to say, it's great...until it's compared to office 2007.

Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Toby Ward on Thu 17 May 2007 10:38 AM PDT | Profile | Permanent Link

Well to each their own. But you see i've never heard anyone complain about Office 2003 (cept little tiny things that we all have about software). And its been hugely successful. So why completely re-engineer it? I was completely confused and I don't have time to re-learn another piece of software. But again to each their own. What is usable to one person, is not to another and we all have to respect that.

Your computer specs

by Anonymous on Sun 20 May 2007 10:54 AM PDT | Permanent Link

You have a processor faster than 2 Megabytes? Do you have 44Khz of memory to go with that? How about a 12ohm monitor? No wonder you're having problems

Re: Your computer specs

by Toby Ward on Sun 20 May 2007 06:29 PM PDT | Profile | Permanent Link

Sorry, but that's not the problem. The problems were not my fault because i dont' have the minimum requirements. This is a brand new computer that exceeds the minimum requirements and came BUNDLED with Vista. Microsoft Vista is the problem, not my computer.

Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Ray on Mon 28 May 2007 05:26 AM PDT | Permanent Link

I was given a copy of the Vista trial version and it completely eliminated my Windows XP which came with the computer purchase. Now, however, the computer will not let me re install my original windows once the trial period ended. The Vista just shuts down now and will not let me into the operating system unless I purchase the complete Vista. Guess my only solution is to buy a Mac as this has completely turned me off buying any Microsoft products!

Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Toby Ward on Mon 28 May 2007 10:23 AM PDT | Profile | Permanent Link

I'm sorry to hear you're having problems with the computer and Vista but rest assured you're not the only one (there are many thousands of others). Here's what you do:

1- Get a copy of an XP disc and license (if you don't have to do it today you can buy them reasonably on eBay).
2- Back up all your files (don't forget your e-mail files and Favorites under IE and Firefox).
3- Boot from the disc and install XP. If you need help. phone the help desk of you're computer manufacturer and they will walk you through it.

It took me a total of a week or two's worth of hours to back up all my files and wipe Vista and load XP and then download all the drivers and load all the software and files again. It was very difficult, and I spent many hours on the phone with tech support because my computer came with Vista and had no previous OS on it. But it was worth the effort and wait. XP is a dream in comparison.

Best of luck, Toby

Re: Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Anonymous on Tue 29 May 2007 08:32 PM PDT | Permanent Link

I just retured a new Toshiba laptop because VISTA was loaded on it. After a week of hell I had to dump it. I thought it might have been a problem with the Toshiba computer AND VISTA combo or maybe just bad luck so I bought another "different" HP laptop yesterday with VISTA loaded on it. After two more days of VISTA HELL I'm returning the second laptop tomorrow and buying a MAC. How could they screw up so bad? I'm buying my first MAC tomorrow. All it needs to do is work and MAC will have me for twenty years.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Toby Ward on Thu 31 May 2007 07:46 AM PDT | Profile | Permanent Link

I'm sorry to hear it. XP is pretty good though if you're not ready for the learning curve associated with a Mac.

Re: Hell with Windows Vista

by Chris on Fri 21 Sep 2007 11:09 AM PDT | Permanent Link

Vista sucks! Office sucks! The ribbon is a joke, hot keys are gone, can't find anything. I've been a windows user my whole life, but I'm taking the leap of faith and converting over to a MAC.

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