Bugs and Advice for Vista Users

[speedcanhurt]

I just upgraded to Vista, which is actually pretty good. However, there are two problems I have found:

1. Kept switching resolutions when first installed.
2. Some programs and games don't run.

For the first, I had uninstalled XP, reformatted my HD and installed Vista. When I started Windows, it would constantly switch between the available screen resolutions, resulting in a screen that was constantly flickering black, and resetting the cursor to the center of the screen. I solved this by installing XP first, then upgrading it to Vista.

As for the second, I am going to run BOTH operating systems, on seperate partitions or hard drives. When I start the computer, I will only need to select which OS I want and it will start that one, giving me the best of both worlds. XP for gaming and computer graphics, Vista for administration, internet and work.

There are a few issues for the above plan though, which I have found through speaking to others:

1. System Restore will function incorrectly due to XP overwriting Vista files, and Vista overwriting XP files.
2. I need to have seperate versions of XP on each partition/HD (if I continue to use Vista as an upgrade) for legal purposes.

There may also be more issues, which I will list here as I find them.

 

[PC eye]

No problems found when dual or multibooting Vista as well as installing Vista as a stand alone on a separate drive from XP here. The last build here saw 4 hard drives with one set aside for storage and backup.

When planning to dual boot Vista along with XP there is a work around to preserve Vista restore points. http://vistasupport.mvps.org/preven...ng_lost_when_dual_booting_with_windows_xp.htm

Here XP home was first on the first of two ide drives with Vista replacing XP Pro on the second then seeing XP Pro go onto the first of two sata drives. XP Pro was left behind along with one ide drive on the old case. The current build sees Vista on the one remaining ide drive with Home on the first of the two satas until a third larger sata for storage/backup sees Vista go onto one of the two 500gb sata drives.

Vista will "always" want the first primary on the drive you install it on. That was seen when first trying to see Vista and XP Pro on the second ide drive in the last build. XP will easily install to a second primary for a dual boot with Vista installed last being the newer version of Windows. Articles on how to add XP after Vista is installed prove incorrect when tried. Vista has to "install" the other version once it detects an existing installation.