Exploring Windows, Oct 3, 2006

Folks, here is what MSFT is saying: "Windows Vista: Now available for test
drive
Did you miss the last opportunity to try Windows Vista? Now is your chance.
If you're tech-savvy and comfortable running beta software, we invite you to
try Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1), the latest pre-release version
of Windows Vista."

I don't think this sounds like MSFT is trying to discourage us from trying
Vista, though seems that many of the MVP's here are saying not to unless we
have need for the new OS's function.

If we based the aformentioned reason for not trying/using Vista we'd still
be using DOS 6 perhaps. My first GUI was Geoworks Ensemble and have been
upgrading ever since. Not based on NEED, but based on WANT. That is really
what marketers are after. If we bought things based on real need, we would
not have overweight people buying, say, ice cream or cookies or cake. We
certainly don't need these items, but we want them just the same. I don't
need Vista, but I'm driven to use the OS and I'm very frustrated not to be
able to get any version to work since Beta 2. I could do a clean instal
from BOOT, but in the real world how many people are going to do it this way
when Vista is RTM. So I insist on trying everything in my computer
vocabulary to make Vista load to no avail. And, since Vista fails not
durning the actual install, but during the final reboot there is noting to
go buy to solve the problem. So I have gotten rid of almost ever piece of
hardware and have delected every bit of software that Vista says it is not
compatible with. I have disabled many start up items, such as printer
monitor's etc and other TSR's, terminated all AV services. Still no install
of Vista from Beta 2 on. Vista gets to the Logo and copywrite screen with
green moving bar and version logo in lower right corner, checks the keyboard
(I guess, as the lights flash and Numlock stays on like normal) then
constantly reboots. Runing Fix from DVD boot offer no errors at all, but
says can't fix the installation. At this point Vista won't even boot into
safe mode, gets to the safe mode screen with mouse pointer in the middle of
the screen (which will move with mouse movement) then just continues to
reboot.

PMS