Missing Programs

[Guest]

I have struggled the entire week to get our software (both business and
personal) loaded on a new computer. I've used an external drive to transfer
data files, but have used installation disks to get the programs loaded
first.

Several times now, I've done this, checked the program, opened it up, made
sure it could find the appropriate files - and later, it disappears!!! In
fact, when I have re-installed everything a second time, the program will not
work at all.

What's happening here? I've never worked so hard to get up and running
after a new computer....this has been the most difficult transition of all.
A couple of programs simply won't work, and I will have to purchase others
for those very specific business functions (tracking fuel taxes, for
example)...which means another outlay of big bucks. (They are not going to
write new code for Vista.)

I also got a computer shut down when I was on a website looking at
screenshots - geez...how unstable can an OS be? If this continues, I may
still pack it up and return it. I have an 8 year old Gateway which has shut
down on me exactly twice. The new computer running Vista beat that in just a
few days.

BJ

 

[Charlie Tame]

I have struggled the entire week to get our software (both business and
personal) loaded on a new computer. I've used an external drive to transfer
data files, but have used installation disks to get the programs loaded
first.

Several times now, I've done this, checked the program, opened it up, made
sure it could find the appropriate files - and later, it disappears!!! In
fact, when I have re-installed everything a second time, the program will not
work at all.

What's happening here? I've never worked so hard to get up and running
after a new computer....this has been the most difficult transition of all.
A couple of programs simply won't work, and I will have to purchase others
for those very specific business functions (tracking fuel taxes, for
example)...which means another outlay of big bucks. (They are not going to
write new code for Vista.)

I also got a computer shut down when I was on a website looking at
screenshots - geez...how unstable can an OS be? If this continues, I may
still pack it up and return it. I have an 8 year old Gateway which has shut
down on me exactly twice. The new computer running Vista beat that in just a
few days.

BJ

Most of your problems will probably come down to incompatibility between
your software and Vista, and you may find that "Fixed" versions of it
are only partially fixed. If you need to keep using this software, and
it sounds like you do, see if the machine vendor will supply a copy of
XP and start over.

You may find some will run in one of the "Compatibility" modes, but for
business use you don't want the risk that at some time in the future
some little used function will trash your system when "Compatibility"
mode can't handle the differences.

 

[Paul Randall]

I have struggled the entire week to get our software (both business and
personal) loaded on a new computer. I've used an external drive to
transfer
data files, but have used installation disks to get the programs loaded
first.

Several times now, I've done this, checked the program, opened it up, made
sure it could find the appropriate files - and later, it disappears!!! In
fact, when I have re-installed everything a second time, the program will
not
work at all.

What's happening here? I've never worked so hard to get up and running
after a new computer....this has been the most difficult transition of
all.
A couple of programs simply won't work, and I will have to purchase others
for those very specific business functions (tracking fuel taxes, for
example)...which means another outlay of big bucks. (They are not going
to
write new code for Vista.)

I also got a computer shut down when I was on a website looking at
screenshots - geez...how unstable can an OS be? If this continues, I may
still pack it up and return it. I have an 8 year old Gateway which has
shut
down on me exactly twice. The new computer running Vista beat that in
just a
few days.

You might want to run upgrade advisor on your old PC to get a list of
programs that are probably incompatible with Vista. That should help you
decide whether you should take the risk of moving to Vista or searching for
a computer with WXP preinstalled. You might want to find forums for your
problematic software and see what others have done to get around the
problems. Perhaps running them in a virtual PC under Vista would work.
Perhaps dual booting between Vista and WXP would work for you. If you can
return the new PC for a full refund, you have lots of options.

-Paul Randall