Linux user seeks Vista help - slow system

[MagicAndre1981]

@markjensen

did you updated all your drivers? MS blocks the installation of Sp1 and Sp2 if it detects incompatible drivers/applications installed. And like I said, get a DVD with integrated Sp2 to avoid this hassle.

Install the Vista from the new DVD, setup 2 accounts and put the account from your son to the users group.

[Ambroos]

Downloading a random OEM image for Vista is perfectly legal, as long as it is exactly the same version you have on your pc. You got the licence to use the product with your pc, not the licence to have the OEM recovery partition.

I really recommend you just do a completely clean install and let Windows get as many drivers as possibly from Windows Update. OEM's always put a terrible amount of crap on those recovery images that you really don't want on your 512MB-machine.

[markwolfe Veteran]

Downloading a random OEM image for Vista is perfectly legal, as long as it is exactly the same version you have on your pc. You got the licence to use the product with your pc, not the licence to have the OEM recovery partition.

...

Once again, no. The fact I have a legal license does not entitle me to download it from torrents or such.

I will re-image this weekend. I am also very curious as to why the update was blocked and not installed.

[markahiles]

If it was me, I'd:

1. Re-image

2. Install SP1 yourself from here

3. Install SP2 yourself from here

4. Now use Windows Update

5. Run a full defrag

If your OEM re-image does install a lot of rubbish, I'd also use msconfig or CCleaner to check the startup programs and disable anything unnecessary.

Hopefully doing it this way will avoid what ever was stopping SP1 through WU..

EDIT: Oh, if you do something like this you'll want to disable automatic updates while manually installing service packs. There's nothing worse than downloading and trying to install SP1 to find that Windows Update is half way through something already..

[rawr_boy81]

Upgrade the memory, seriously. Cram as much memory in the thing as you can - and then you won't have any problems for the next couple of years.

The reality is that if you're going to run a modern operating system, its going to use some serious memory no matter how 'optimised' it is; yes, even the holy of holy's, Linux itself needs at least 1Gb or otherwise things start to get a little hairy.

[ichi]

Upgrade the memory, seriously. Cram as much memory in the thing as you can - and then you won't have any problems for the next couple of years.

The reality is that if you're going to run a modern operating system, its going to use some serious memory no matter how 'optimised' it is; yes, even the holy of holy's, Linux itself needs at least 1Gb or otherwise things start to get a little hairy.

Well no, it doesn't. I'm running moblin2.1 perfectly fine on a netbook with just 512MB.

Anyway the issue is a degradation in performance, not Windows being sluggy from the beginning. There's some problem there, and throwing money at it will just hide it (at best) rather than solving it.

Even if he eventually decided to add more RAM he surely would want to make sure that would be to have more resources available and not to bury a memory hungry process under the MBs just to get the computer to work exactly the same as before.

[Subject Delta]

Sounds like "warez" you are suggesting.

I have a legal OEM recovery partition. I just need to perform the re-imaging with it, and click on the "auto updates" correctly and set up the kid account and click "limited user" correctly.

I think you can download a trial ISO that already has SP2 integrated, and just use your OEM key on the disk to do a full install, I think that is perfectly legal, as you already own a license, but I can't remember where to get the download from now, its offered on a Microsoft site, but I can't remember the URL.

Remember, using the recovery partition will overwrite GRUB and in some of my experiences have actually left the machine completely unbootable until I used a Ubuntu LiveCD to reinstall GRUB. Microsofts bootloader is a little.... crap.

Anyway, after reimaging make sure you go through the update procedure a few times as it never finds them all first hit when Service Packs are involved.

Being a Linux guy I don't need to tell you, but if you decide your son would be better on *buntu full time, move up to EXT4 so at least the hard drive is really giving out 110%

Microsoft's bootloader isn't crap, they just haven't designed it to work with non Windows bootloaders (which is admittedly still a bit dumb). And EXT4 is nice, a boost over EXT3 for sure, but I don't really think it is faster than NTFS, they are about equal

[Ambroos]

Microsoft's bootloader isn't crap, they just haven't designed it to work with non Windows bootloaders (which is admittedly still a bit dumb). And EXT4 is nice, a boost over EXT3 for sure, but I don't really think it is faster than NTFS, they are about equal

Incorrect. Microsoft's bootloader works fine with non-Windows stuff. We have Wubi (Ubuntu install from within Windows) that boots from the Windows Bootloader, and it's easy to add chain0 for OSX/Darwin aswell.

[nokiaxion]

I request you stop comparing (Windows) Vista to Linux. Forget EVERYTHING in Linux as this is not Linux.

My suggestion has already been posted. If you refuse to even try to contact your OEM/Microsoft for a Vista DVD (A DVD; Not another key), then I simply cannot help you.

As I said, it is not as simple as just setting a admin and a limited user. You must (best using mmc.exe and the users addon/snap in) configure the users for the best possible way that you wish the user expirence the computer :)

[Guest xiphi]

I request you stop comparing (Windows) Vista to Linux. Forget EVERYTHING in Linux as this is not Linux.

My suggestion has already been posted. If you refuse to even try to contact your OEM/Microsoft for a Vista DVD (A DVD; Not another key), then I simply cannot help you.

As I said, it is not as simple as just setting a admin and a limited user. You must (best using mmc.exe and the users addon/snap in) configure the users for the best possible way that you wish the user expirence the computer :)

Um, it is, too, that easy. I don't know how you set up your PC's to require MMC, but that's not needed at all for mark's needs. He had the right idea with an Admin account for installs, and then a limited user account for daily use which can be configured through the User Accounts Control Panel without ever touching MMC. Which is actually what MS recommends.

[nokiaxion]

Um, it is, too, that easy. I don't know how you set up your PC's to require MMC, but that's not needed at all for mark's needs. He had the right idea with an Admin account for installs, and then a limited user account for daily use which can be configured through the User Accounts Control Panel without ever touching MMC. Which is actually what MS recommends.

I disagree. What if you want the limited user not access/access the control panel? Or if you want the limited user to be able to install updates? The easiest way is manually configuring this thru mmc.

[Guest xiphi]

I disagree. What if you want the limited user not access/access the control panel? Or if you want the limited user to be able to install updates? The easiest way is manually configuring this thru mmc.

A limited user can't install updates without Admin credentials, anyway, and they can't change anything system wide without Admin credentials. Sure, if you want to block them off completely and not even allow them to change settings on their own account, go ahead. Not sure where that really comes in handy in a home environment.

[ichi]

Incorrect. Microsoft's bootloader works fine with non-Windows stuff. We have Wubi (Ubuntu install from within Windows) that boots from the Windows Bootloader, and it's easy to add chain0 for OSX/Darwin aswell.

It still screws any other bootloader, instead of adding the previously available boot options to it's own boot menu.

[markwolfe Veteran]

I request you stop comparing (Windows) Vista to Linux. Forget EVERYTHING in Linux as this is not Linux.

...

I am not interested in making Vista run like Linux. My posts are about making Vista (now) run like Vista (as new). I am not sure why you are so focused irritated by incidental comparisons. Like, for example, when you brought up how Ubuntu doesn't upgrade 9.04 to 9.10. I pointed out how it lets you know about the update availability. Certainly you aren't upset about corrections to points you make on comparisons?

...

My suggestion has already been posted. If you refuse to even try to contact your OEM/Microsoft for a Vista DVD (A DVD; Not another key), then I simply cannot help you.

...

If I refuse?!?!? Now you are irritating me! It seems to me that I have done the OPPOSITE of "refuse". Let's set the clock back a day and see what I posted:

...

I will call HP to check into media options, but pretty sure they are going to charge. OEMs load crap into there, but I have to be able to remove it, right?

...

Sounds like it's part of the plan. Please stop arguing against false positions you attribute to me.

...

As I said, it is not as simple as just setting a admin and a limited user. You must (best using mmc.exe and the users addon/snap in) configure the users for the best possible way that you wish the user expirence the computer :)

I believe it to be. Other updates were being made automatically. Just not SP1. Not even running the updater manually as admin. Sounds like a blacklisting issue, as others have indicated.

Either way, I should be able to try some more on this during the weekend. If drivers, SP1 and SP2 get the system running normally again, I will be very happy. :yes:

[nokiaxion]

I am not interested in making Vista run like Linux. My posts are about making Vista (now) run like Vista (as new). I am not sure why you are so focused irritated by incidental comparisons. Like, for example, when you brought up how Ubuntu doesn't upgrade 9.04 to 9.10. I pointed out how it lets you know about the update availability. Certainly you aren't upset about corrections to points you make on comparisons?

You commented on how in just a few steps you can do this in Red Hat. Thats what my post was refering to :)

I dont mind you making comparisions with Linux. I just would like you to know that setting this up and Linux up have nothing to do with each other

If I refuse?!?!? Now you are irritating me! It seems to me that I have done the OPPOSITE of "refuse". Let's set the clock back a day and see what I posted:Sounds like it's part of the plan. Please stop arguing against false positions you attribute to me.

...

I will call HP to check into media options, but pretty sure they are going to charge. OEMs load crap into there, but I have to be able to remove it, right?

...

I misread (for some reason and I wasnt feeling too well when I read the post) as "media options" you checking and using HP's recovery partition. HP MIGHT charge for clean media but I doubt Microsoft (and if they do just "threaten" them with you downloading a ISO :p) will charge you.

And of course you can remove everything a OEM loads, but it will fragmentate (sp?) your HDD.

I believe it to be. Other updates were being made automatically. Just not SP1. Not even running the updater manually as admin. Sounds like a blacklisting issue, as others have indicated.

Im not sure. Maybe HP has its own Windows updater and blocks SPs. Odd, but like suggested I would get a vanilla DVD.

Either way, I should be able to try some more on this during the weekend. If drivers, SP1 and SP2 get the system running normally again, I will be very happy. :yes:

BTW, have you tried, since SP1/SP2 dont show up, the standalone installers?

Here is a example of what you can do:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/1033...ia/default.mspx

[redvamp128]

I just thought of something-

I know most people will say it is - not worth the effort- but have you checked your -

c:\windows\prefetch

for installers- or programs that you only ran once (I know CCleaner has the option of removing old ones) -

Also -- just another thought- What does the event viewer say? It is quite possible that there may be some underlying issues that may be there.

As going to the OEM site to see if there are any updated drivers there- (I know that sometimes they have more current -non- whlq drivers that may fix issues) but make sure to do a restore point before installing them.