Home Basic on Gateway 200 ARC?

[Turner Morgan]

I was going to install Vista Home Basic onto my Gateway 200 ARC laptop. I
replaced the 40 Gb original Hitachi HD with Windows XP Pro on it with a
squeaky clean Hitachi 120 Gb drive and started the installation of Vista
Home Basic. I already knew the on-board video wouldn't support Aero.

I got an error screen saying the computer is not ACPI compliant, which I
think it is to a certain degree. OK. I put the original Hitachi 40 Gb
drive back into the computer, booted XP Pro, went to Gateway support and
got the latest BIOS, flashed the BIOS (Gateway #9527736 dated 07/13/2004)
and did the whole thing over again with the same result. The larger drive
is needed if I am to continue using the coputer as I have just about maxed
out the 40 Gigger.

Is there any way around this or should I just use the 120 Gb drive, put XP
Pro on it and go buy another laptop if I want Vista? There are some
applications, Mathcad 13 for one, that won't run on Vista. I haven't tried
running it in Vista "as" a Windows XP application. I assume that
capability exists in Vista. I was just going to take the easy way.

Any comments of a helpful nature would be appreciated.

Turner

 

[Charles W Davis]

I continue to recommend that no one upgrade an existing computer. I can tell
by your comments that you have almost arrived that that conclusion.

Have you run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor? You will probably finde
another bunch of devices that won't support your upgrade.

My opinion...

 

[noaim]

I would suggest upgrading to a new laptop!
seeing as ur laptop probably doesn't support everything.

 

[Guest]

You really should have 1 Gig of RAM for Vista, even in basic, no matter what
the computer manufacturers say!
You are not missing out on much"WOW" not having Aero.
If you do install Vista on another computer, or buy a new one, you can
install that program that you want by right-clicking on the .exe of it,
select "properties", then "compatibility" mode, then do it in "XP SP2" mode.