Vista and XP Home question

[Guest]

I'm a pretty knowledgable teen with an advanced knowledge of computers... I
am downloading hte Vista 32 bit version to install on my Turion 64 laptop,
with 1GB of RAM, and a Radeon Xpress 200M (I think it is capable of 128mb if
the RAM is shared... so, that is called 64mb shared I believe.. I could be
wrong about that). Its got a 100GB hard drive. currently loaded is the XP
Home that came with it. I am interested in installing the 32 bit vista as a
second OS (NEVER done this, not sure what it's called, I only haev a general
idea of how to do it). I'm assuming all I have to do is put the DVD in, and
it will walk me through this, with an option of setting it up with the two OS
installed. This is where the questions begin: Am I OK with this setup, and am
I correct on how to do it? Just as important is my safety... If I do this, am
I going ot be able to wipe out the Vista later on if I hate it? Or will I
have to wipe EVERYTHING (both OS's)? I have also heard that Vista has some
extreme problems with massive slow-downs. If I decide to use my XP one day,
will having Vista on my computer affect the performance in ANY way of my XP?

Thanks in advance for your help (hoping you provide some).

Mike

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It is called dual-booting. The first step is to ensure that you have an
available partition (target) on which to install Vista.

"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Guest]

Ok... I THOUGHT it might be dual-booting, but wasnt sure. I have never done
that before though.... Will Vista give me this option? Or will I have to find
out how to od this myself?

 

[Ted Ruoff]

If your current drive has only one partition (not counting any Restore
Partition from the Manufacturer) on it you will need to repartition it using
a third party software such as Partition Magic. BACK UP all your data first
and then repartition your drive so that you have a fee partition of about
40GB. Once you have done that you can boot from the Vista DVD and go from
there. Be aware that doing this MAY VOID any warranty you have from the
laptop manufacturer.

Ted






"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Guest]

mm... new laptop... working fine... I'm kind of iffy on this whole thing
now... Would there be any benefit of me installing Vista Beta and then
applying the final version later?

 

[Ted Ruoff]

The only "advantage" to installing it now would be to play with it, learn it
and report any bugs you find to help make the final product better. This is
a Beta release and is not "ready for prime time". If you install it now you
would have to format the partition and reinstall the released version when
it comes out. Installing it is not something I would recommend doing just to
do.

Ted


"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Mark D. VandenBerg]

Any Beta software is meant as a test and should not be installed on a
computer you actually use. Vista is very complicated, very incomplete and
very short on drivers at the moment. The only benefit of installing a Beta
O/S is for the manufacturer to have a wide source of testing.

You will most likely not have the option of Upgrading Vista RTM froma
previous build.

 

[Jimmy Brush]

There is no benefit to installing a Windows Vista Beta, except for the
exhilaration of installing a beta OS, making it work, and finding bugs.

In fact, if you plan to eventually move to the Vista final release,
installing the beta OS is probably a bad idea unless you have a good reason
to do it, as I doubt you will be able to upgrade from beta to final.

Some words of wisdom: If you're new to this, and you want to test <insert
operating system here>, do NOT do it on your brand new shiny laptop.

- JB

 

[Guest]

I am cancelling my plans as I type this... I no longer plan on trying this,
now that I see all the risks. Now, if I may state my opinion on Vista, from
all the research I've done on its requirements:

Vista is a GIANT resource hog that will require home users to- a)buy a new
powerful, top-of-the-line computer in order to run the new OS (even if
they've splurged on a new computer in the last 2 years) or b)have spent
atleast $1500 CDN in the last year (only at futureshop... about $2000 CDN
anywhere else)

I have a pretty powerful laptop to todays standards (although the graphics
card could be more "dedicated") with a Turion64 1.8GHz, and 1GB of RAM, 64mb
dedicated and 64mb shared of video memory. According to the Vista Update
Advisor and the minimum reqiurements tables I've seen, my laptops CPU and
memory will take the Vista burden without complaining, but I will, in no way,
experience AWESOME performance... But my video card is a different story...
The Update advisor tells me that, to run windows aero and to enjoy the full
benefits of photo editing, I will need a full 128mb (although, I'm trying to
figure out whether it even realized that I have 128, half shared half
dedicated). 128mb video card will JUST scrape a user by with the video
requirements... That is TOO demanding. Does anyone else here think the same
thing or have a reply to this?

P.s. This is just me venting steam on the resource-hogging OS we know as
Windows Vista...

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Folks kept asking for all this stuff. Now they are finding out what it
takes to run it.

"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Resource hog, possibly.
"require home users to- a)buy a new powerful, top-of-the-line computer in
order to run the new OS "
Not at all.
My Vista computer is far from that and it works very well in Vista, but not
the latest Vista build.

AMD 2400
1.5 GB memory
NVIDIA FX 5500 256 MB AGP video card.

As always people should not upgrade operating systems unless there is a
specific benefit expected.
The vast majority should not upgrade to Windows Vista.
Instead they should wait until a new computer is needed and get Vista with
the computer.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Guest]

Well, it's said that, such a large company has to resort to providing those
people with an example in order for the "folks" to realize what they are
asking. They could've pointed it out, that what people want isn't REALLY what
they want. But then again, it also seems like Microsoft ups its OS
requirement standards each time it make an OS.

As for the top-of-the-line comment I made, I take it back... I didn't mean
top-of-the-line, I meant that you had to get a powerful computer, even to
todays standards. 256mb video card isnt what normally pacakges with most
computers, at least not here in Southern Ontario... Its an add-on, or you
must specifically choose a computer which is much more expensive and suited
for video and photo editing. And same with anything over 1 GB of RAM.

Vista is a road-block in lowering computer hardware prices.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

"it also seems like Microsoft ups its OS requirement standards each time it
make an OS."
That will almost certainly slow or even stop as soon as users stop demanding
more from their computers.
Until then, program manufacturers make programs that demand more resources
that customers then demand on their computers.
To a large degree, Microsoft and other manufacturers are simply responding
to the demands of the customers.
It is currently a never ending circle.

"Vista is a road-block in lowering computer hardware prices."
I really doubt that.
But we will have to wait and see what the prices for new computers with
Vista will be.

Look in the various newsgroups and you will see many successfully using
Vista with lesser machines than mine.
Video of 128 is not uncommon and seems to work well.
Many report success with as little as 64 bit.

Of course the lower the specifications, the less you will get.
And some features such as Glass may not function properly.
The person needs to determine if the lost features are important on a less
than optimal configuration.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Where do you get it that MS "could've pointed it out, that what people want
isn't REALLY what they want."?

What do think they are running in Redmond, the Psychic Hotline?

Are you using the same hardware you had in 2001? I have been through three
generations of hardware since then.

"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

"Vista is a road-block in lowering computer hardware prices."

Not if you don't buy anything.


"(e-mail address removed)"