Topic: Help me with my 'puter question dammit!!! (Read 6576 times)

Vespertine · « **on:** February 22, 2008, 12:18:17 AM »

I fully realize this is a dumb question. I apologize in advance.

Over the summer I bought myself a new computer. It came with Vista. I thought I'd give it a try, but I just haven't gotten used to it. In fact, I hate it. Can I partition off part of the hard drive and install XP Pro on the remaining (very large) partition?

Chris · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2008, 12:24:24 AM »

Assuming that the current partition occupies the entire drive's capacity, you're going to need a program like Partition Magic to repartition the drive without the loss of data.

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2008, 12:26:34 AM »

I recommend an exorcism, and subsequent planting of possessed hard drive in holy ground to keep Vista from escaping.

Vespertine · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2008, 02:18:24 AM »

Quote from: Chris on February 22, 2008, 12:24:24 AM

Assuming that the current partition occupies the entire drive's capacity, you're going to need a program like Partition Magic to repartition the drive without the loss of data.

Okay, let's assume I don't want to do that...

...will Vista allow me to create a dual boot situation (vista/xp)?

Socrates · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2008, 07:56:46 AM »

Quote from: Vespertine on February 22, 2008, 02:18:24 AM

Okay, let's assume I don't want to do that...

...will Vista allow me to create a dual boot situation (vista/xp)?

I think you would still need the separate partition in order to install the XP into to have something to duel boot to. Other smarter members can correct me if I'm wrong.

Chris · « **Reply #5 on:** February 22, 2008, 08:12:45 AM »

Quote from: Vespertine on February 22, 2008, 02:18:24 AM

Okay, let's assume I don't want to do that...

...will Vista allow me to create a dual boot situation (vista/xp)?

I don't see why not.

I guess I'm not too sure of your drive's current condition. What size drive do you currently have, and how large is your Vista partition? The answer to those two questions will smooth things out for me.

dcrog · « **Reply #6 on:** February 22, 2008, 08:27:56 AM »

http://apcmag.com/5485/dualbooting_vista_and_xp

That might help. But no guarantee from me.

dcrog · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2008, 09:05:53 AM »

Oh and if it was me I would wipe it and put XP on it. I've got vista on this work laptop. I've gotten somewhat used to it but still don't like it.

Chris · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2008, 09:34:02 AM »

Vista was one of the worst tech products of 2007, according to Yahoo! Tech

dcrog · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2008, 11:34:08 AM »

Quote from: Chris on February 22, 2008, 09:34:02 AM

Vista was one of the worst tech products of 2007, according to Yahoo! Tech

I can believe that. When companies started getting it on new machines it caused all kinds of problems. That forced MS to start letting manufacturers put XP back on their products. Many companies, mine included though we don't buy that many, began refusing to buy something with Vista on it. Lucky me and one project manager got stuck with it.

Joe Sixpack · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2008, 02:44:24 PM »

Yes, you can dual boot XP and Vista. You don't have to have a separate partition, but it would be better.
I don't know why you would want to keep Vista on if you hate it. It's just a waste of space at that point.
Your PC probably came with some kind of restore disc, so if you ever wanted to you could go back, without the dual boot stuff.

As Chris Rock said: "You can drive a car witcha feet, but that don't make it a good idea!"

Novice · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2008, 10:47:42 PM »

To go on what dcrog said, MS pretty much said F the world and made vista difficult to implement as far as businesses go. My Cisco experience with Vista is that they changed some stuff that conflicts with new ASAs (security appliance). Which, isn't really a good idea on their part.

Of course, I still use it on my laptop, and it still jacks up all the time. *Sigh* . . . I'm going to be taking advantage of my three year warranty.

Vespertine · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2008, 11:52:14 PM »

Thanks all. After carefully reading through all that, I think I may just wipe the damn hard drive and start over with a fresh, new install of XP pro.

Chris · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2008, 08:07:13 AM »

If you're going to do that, I would leave several gigs of unpartitioned space just in case later on you do want to dual book Vista and XP Pro for some reason.

ivan · « **Reply #14 on:** February 25, 2008, 01:24:49 PM »

I'm getting used to Vista. I have to work on Vista, XPpro and Win2K machines every day.

I do miss Win 3.1.

Hell, I miss DOS 3.22.

But anyway, Vista is Ok after a little getting used to, and they just released Vista SP1, so, you know, it all just keeps rolling forward.

dcrog · « **Reply #15 on:** February 25, 2008, 02:23:53 PM »

Quote from: ivan on February 25, 2008, 01:24:49 PM

and they just released Vista SP1

I wonder how many gigs that is.

I almost hate to put it on this machine. No telling what it will fark up.

The thing that annoys me the most about it is the UAC's built in. No matter how many times you go to open something it wants to know for sure that you really, really, really are sure that you want to see what's in your device manager, or whatever else you've opened 100 times. But since this is a work machine I won't turn it off.

Oh and since you work on them Ivan,

Where the hell did my nosehair clipper sidebar and nosehair clippers go?

Sorry for that but I looked a long time ago and couldn't find an explanation of why they dissappeared.

ivan · « **Reply #16 on:** February 25, 2008, 02:38:47 PM »

Ya, I don't think installing Vista on an otherwise functioning machine is a good idea. Besides the nosehair clippers, I don't see what Vista has over XP. I'm sure this has been written about everywhere on the internets -- I'm really not interested. I just need my machines to turn on and do what I need them to do, which these days is mainly running various MSSQL tools, Vis Studio 6 and Vis Studio 2005. When I said I work on Vista, XP and Win2K machines, I meant I do my work on them, and keep hopping back and forth between the operating systems. If someone put a gun to my head and demanded that I install Vista, I would very quickly make my peace with my maker.

Currently on my nosehair clippers bar I have: streaming radio from Russia, a clock with a second hand, RSS feeds from The Drudge Retort (not Report -- Retort), and a system resources monitor that looks like a speedometer.

I don't know why yours dissappeared, dcrog, but I would guess it's because it got broke.

dcrog · « **Reply #17 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:03:51 PM »

Yeah, I liked my little clock in the corner. But months ago when I looked it was a mystery to everyone it was happening to, even Microsoft. Just turned the machine on one morning, probably after an update but I can't recall now for sure, and it was gone.

Just wait. You'll wake up one morning to find it's GONE.

ivan · « **Reply #18 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:12:40 PM »

You're.... scaring.... me.....

I just checked, and the Vista SP1 will be made public in mid-March. I'm hoping it will fix the dissappearing nosehair clippers problem. Here are a couple articles I haven't read yet. (So I actually have no idea what they contain -- hopefully something worthwhile like TJ Hooker slash fanfiction).

http://www.windows-now.com/blogs/robert/archive/2008/02/07/windows-vista-sp1-performance-the-real-first-look.aspx

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9871317-1.html

dcrog · « **Reply #19 on:** February 25, 2008, 05:16:38 PM »

Well, I couldn't find anything about nosehair clippers in either of those pages except for the about Crave listing.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

pbsaurus · « **Reply #20 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:54:10 PM »

Work hasn't gone to Vista yet. Hopefully they never do. I was just happy that I found out how to turn off the annoying dashboard on my Mac at home.

jeee · « **Reply #21 on:** April 01, 2008, 04:05:43 PM »

DC, try setting the them to windows classic, reboot and then set it back to windowsVista. It sometimes let's you set up the side bar again.

I have vista for a year now and I love it

dcrog · « **Reply #22 on:** April 01, 2008, 04:15:26 PM »

If I remember I'll give that a try tomorrow.

Although I may already have it set to windows classic. Maybe that's the problem.

If it is they can keep their nosehair clippers.

jeee · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2008, 02:38:21 PM »

Classic theme for a classic man. But then no nosehair clippers buddy !

Vampire · « **Reply #24 on:** April 25, 2008, 07:52:46 PM »

Quote from: Chris on February 22, 2008, 09:34:02 AM

Vista was one of the worst tech products of 2007, according to Yahoo! Tech

Yahoo tech also said the Iphone was a good product... Let alone Vista is a baby it is still learning and growing every day and you can dual boot with separate partitions honestly if I ever get a mac I would dual boot it with vista! because vista is my friend=3

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