General Discussions

**drgeorgep** · 01-06-2008, 12:02 AM

Hi ... I'm in, yet another, fine mess.

Installed Vista, on well-intentioned advice. I know, I know, but now I gotta deal with it.

Vista doesn't recognize any of my software. In particular, Thunderbird, FireFox, Office 2003 and, it seems, various settings and preferences.

Any way to get Vista to recognize my software? Is there something simple, which I'm missing? Ugh.

Thanks, in advance.

**ForrestCroce** · 01-06-2008, 12:09 AM

I haven't tried upgrading an operating system ... your best bet is probably to uninstall and reinstall the apps.

**drgeorgep** · 01-06-2008, 12:25 AM

Hi FC ... oh my gawd, I hope not. First, I have to get Vista to recognize apps before I can uninstall. It's quite a mess. Thanks and Happy New Year.

**fastreplies** · 01:20 AM

You can try my solution

Google for “Virus”
Download everyone you can find and then install them on your system
Go to Start > Run and type: attack Vista
It will take a couple of hours or more before viruses defeat Vista and after they done
reinstall your apps.
If that doesn’t work then get in your car and go to the nearest explosives supplier
and buy one, make it two sticks of dynamite.
Remove your HD and go to your basement and call Ambulance.
Using duct tape strap it to dynamite and then lighten the fuses.
Grip tightly package with both hands and wait for dynamite to explode.

You will loose both hands but it will teach you a lesson about how using Vista again

fastreplies

**ghettocars** · 01-06-2008, 01:24 AM

better idea:

www.distrowatch.com

locate your favourite linux flavour and install it. dual-boot if you must, and if you have any questions. holler.

you won't have these problems.

**drgeorgep** · 01-06-2008, 01:24 AM

Hi Fast .... funny and wish I could do as you suggest. My life is in my apps.

Do you or anyone think if I install Vista Office it'd pick up my apps and documents? That would save my butt for the moment, give me time to find a work around this ^%$#! Thanks, as usual.

**ForrestCroce** · 01-06-2008, 01:44 AM

What error are you getting, specifically...?

**fastreplies** · 01-06-2008, 01:48 AM

If I should guess, I would say "M$"

fastreplies

**drgeorgep** · 01-06-2008, 01:56 AM

Hi FC ... no errors, no nuttin'.

Over the years, when I installed 98, 2000 and XP, for example, each OS picked up my apps. When, for example, I went from 98 to 2000, Netscape worked as if nothing had changed. Vista recognizes nothing. None of my apps, which are housed in the "Program Files" folder show up in the Vista Program Files folder. All that shows up are some MS files, such as the media player. Nothing else, nada.

Yes, Fast, the message is "MS got your money," now go forth and multiple.

I have document back ups and such, in fact, my docs and apps exist, on my disks, in the right places, but Vista just won't recognize anything.

Should I try re-installing?

Ugh.

Thanks for all the ideas and support, to everyone,

**ADAM Web Design** · 01-06-2008, 12:06 PM

You're going to have to reinstall the apps, one at a time. You should be able to get away without uninstalling them (you should go the reinstall route first simply because you don't want to lose your settings), but sometimes it's the only way to go.

I've never been big on upgrading Windows versions for this reason. About the only smooth one is 2000 to XP (usually).

**ForrestCroce** · 01-06-2008, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drgeorgep

Over the years, when I installed 98, 2000 and XP, for example, each OS picked up my apps. When, for example, I went from 98 to 2000, Netscape worked as if nothing had changed. Vista recognizes nothing. None of my apps, which are housed in the "Program Files" folder show up in the Vista Program Files folder. All that shows up are some MS files, such as the media player. Nothing else, nada.

I've always formatted the drive and installed a new version from scratch. I've never had trouble that way. For obvious reasons, I'd recommend it ... but then you really should be able to upgrade software that has an upgrade option.

Where are your old and new Program Files folders mapped on disc? Did it move the old set? What happens if you go in and try to run Winword.exe or Excel.exe, from Windows Explorer? It probably won't work ... but sometimes the error message can actually lead you in the right direction.

Are you using the same user name under both installations?

**drgeorgep** · 01-06-2008, 04:03 PM

Hi All ... thanks for the feedback.

Tried re-installing T-bird and FireFox, but neither work in the copy of Vista I have, in place. It was a good idea, though. I called Microsoft Pay-4-Service, but Vista is handled by IT people, who only work 9 am to 5 pm, M-F. Can't even pay for help!

Computer goes into the shop, tomorrow, to either get Vista working or revert back to XP, without losing apps or documents. Apparently, can be done, for money.

Guess the IE7 problems, I had a week or two ago, presaged this fine mess.

Ugh.

Thanks to all.

**cbwm** · 01-06-2008, 05:17 PM

It sounds like you are stuck. Since you are stuck, now would probably be a good time to install Umbuntu, or your linux flavor of choice, as well as WINE. My understanding is WINE will run pretty much any program that will run under XP at only a 3% performance hit.

You could then start exploring some of the nice programs being written for native linux and start the slow migratory path. The more people who catch on to this, the faster Microsoft's inevitable decline into the grave will be, and thank god for that.

Just my $.02

**drgeorgep** · 01-06-2008, 05:24 PM

Hi ... thanks for your $.02, cbwn. Seems this is the path to go. First, gotta get apps working, so I can work, then a slow migration elsewhere. You're the second or third to mention Umbuntu or linux, and the first to mention WINE. Will check out all, once I can get going, again. Right now, am on limited access, a band aid, of sorts. Thanks, again.

**ADAM Web Design** · 01-06-2008, 05:57 PM

First of all, anyone who thinks Microsoft is going to fade into relative obscurity is taking too many hits off the wrong pipe. It's not happening now, and it's not happening any time soon. You may not like it, but that's the reality of the situation; they're simply too entrenched, and while they're far from a perfect company, there isn't a serious, legitimate contender to any of the core stuff they're trying to do...yet. Before anyone argues on the basis of quality, I'm also speaking about marketing efforts, partnerships formed with major computer manufacturers, etc.

Second...while Vista has its problems, the bigger issue here may well have been the fact that it was upgraded. As Forrest quite rightly pointed out, a clean install of any OS will always outperform an upgrade, simply because an upgrade is more complex and often requires the consideration of additional parameters and things that aren't always taken into account.

Third...what no one has yet mentioned (to be fair, including me) is whether or not the system is even capable of handling Vista in the first place. Realistically, if you're not running at least a single-core 2.4 gHz processor with 1 GB of RAM, it's going to slow your system to a crawl.

Fourth, Firefox will work on Vista. I will personally vouch for it working, as it's installed on my laptop and works fine. I don't use Thunderbird, so I can't say for sure, but Firefox does work, and the fact that it doesn't implies that there's a deeper issue.

So, there are four logical steps to take at this point:

1) Back up all of your data.

2) As Forrest quite rightly suggested, wipe out the computer hard drive (if you've got the Vista CD, just put it in, format the hard drive when asked, and install a fresh copy of Vista...depending on your system specs, it should take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours).

As far as which OS to install, this again depends on the specs of the machine. A good IT-type will be able to advise one way or the other as to what to install.

3) Copy your data files back on.

4) Install your apps and test them one at a time.

This is all a very large pain in the *** (anyone who's ever installed an OS will probably groan out loud), but at least if you hit a problem, it will be much easier to solve. Not only that, you'll more or less restore your operating system to "factory/showroom condition", if you weeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllll.

**ForrestCroce** · 01-06-2008, 06:25 PM

This is a good time to point out how wonderful external hard drives are...

**cbwm** · 01-06-2008, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

First of all, anyone who thinks Microsoft is going to fade into relative obscurity is taking too many hits off the wrong pipe. It's not happening now, and it's not happening any time soon. You may not like it, but that's the reality of the situation; they're simply too entrenched, and while they're far from a perfect company, there isn't a serious, legitimate contender to any of the core stuff they're trying to do...yet. Before anyone argues on the basis of quality, I'm also speaking about marketing efforts, partnerships formed with major computer manufacturers, etc.

Sounds like IBM management speak in the late 70s talking about their hold on the market. I was referring to Microsoft's desktop OS, Windows Vista, but in reality, Microsoft is loosing ground on all fronts. Not that I'm a fan of Apple, but they are finally starting to do some of the right things to buy their way into a larger share of the desktop market. Linux is on the cusp of becoming a viable product for home and business desktop use. Firefox is certainly a legitimate contender for the browser market, the real business application platform of today.

I'm not saying Microsoft will fade into obscurity, but their hold on the desktop market is in decline according to every chart. Sadly for Microsoft, their decline in the desktop market spells decline in their business applications market as well, since none of their business applications run on anything but Windows, which inevitably leads to the "Quality" discussion.

For longer than I care to remember, Microsoft has leveraged it's second rate software on to my computer through business practices, ethical and unethical and I can hardly wait for it to end. If business relationships market share precluded paradigm shift, I would be writing this post on an IBM 3270.

**ADAM Web Design** · 01-06-2008, 06:27 PM

Or failing that, a Flash key is a wonderful thing.

**cbwm** · 01-06-2008, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

Third...what no one has yet mentioned (to be fair, including me) is whether or not the system is even capable of handling Vista in the first place. Realistically, if you're not running at least a single-core 2.4 gHz processor with 1 GB of RAM, it's going to slow your system to a crawl.

Doesn't anyone see something inherently wrong with this? Why is it that I can run Fedora Core 7 on a 386 with 128mb of ram and it runs WELL. Sloppy, poorly written code should be be left in the domain of Web and Business Application Development where it belongs.

**ForrestCroce** · 01-06-2008, 06:50 PM

Poorly written and resource intensive aren't necessarily the same thing.