Installing Vista is fun!

[Pekka]

So I got a new hard disk and started installing Vista on it. So my disk wasn't recognizable, so I had to boot with my old stuff, just to format the new disk. Well, XP wouldn't recognize it either so I had to use a tool from the manufacturers website. Ah, now this baby works. I simply choose the ONLY option, that is "partition and format".

Then at some point the tool announces "making this disk your primary boot disk" or something like that. OK... no problem, I didn't want this to be so but ... can't stop it either.

So, I remove all my disks except this new one, pop in the DVD and it starts installing. Everything goes smoothly, until I'm done. Vista can't recognize my network card at all. Great. So I can't connect to the internet and do my thing.

So I just take the new disk off and put the old ones back and figure I should get the drivers for the network card. Except now my XP won't boot up properly. Excellent. So now I can't get connected, period. And since the Uni allows access using your MAC address, it means I can't hook up my laptop and just do it that way.

So... I actually had to jump into my car and drive to the parking lot, and I'm now using the wireless connection, searching for the drivers.

Like I said, installing an OS has never been this much fun

I hope the sucker works and accepts the drivers though. If not? Then I'm a bit let down.

[Japher]

It's like a scavanger hunt! 'cept you don't know what you need to find when you start looking!

[Pekka]

Yeah well, got my drivers now. Well, they aren't for Vista, but they're for all other versions so maybe this will work. I hope so. If it doesn't, it means I have to use the NIC in my motherboard (so don't have to buy a new one), but that means my MAC changes so I have to call the Uni to change it, it'll take a week, and I have to pay for it.

If I'm not back in here in an hour, it didn't work. Wish me luck.

[Pekka]

So NOW I really go. If I can't get the network card to work, I'll try to change the MAC address in the one that is integrated on the mobo.

If more than an hour, I'm in trouble

[Dinner]

Vista seems to have limited hardware support right now since it is still kind of new and XP continues to out sell it. In time this will change but I wouldn't recommend Vista as an upgrade option and instead only get it if you buy a new computer where all the parts are supported by Vista. It's just less of a hassle.

[Japher]

seems like Pekka is in trouble

[Dinner]

He's dead. I'm afraid we'll have to go on without him.

[Provost Harrison]

Well in that case, can I have his new monitor?

[Kuciwalker]

The wireless on my laptop worked out of the box...

[Pekka]

HAHAHAAAA! Ohhh you people with so little faith!!

So now I'm posting using a new OS. Hmhh. Not sure what to think about this yet, I guess I need to fiddle around a bit more. I'm not yet oriented.

Anyway, yeah, what Oerdin says is quite true at least in my case. It's a pain in the ass when you can't have your connection working, since you can't do anything really. You can't even get the updates or nothing.

Vista wouldn't even work with the drivers I got to it. It recognized the NIC but... just some generic "Pleaaase, I dont' want to talk to you" error.

So I had to change the MAC address manually, it kind of sucked since I didn't remember where to find it in the registery, so it took all this time for me to find it and change the address, so yeah, I have to use this other network device. Oh well. Doesn't really make much of a difference.

All I can say is that ... if you're not sure what hardware you've got and you don't have any experience with computers... have someone stand next to you while installing Vista. There might be some problems you have to work out. They'll be fixed in the future I'm sure. It's just a problem of ... lack of support as of now.

The thing I really didn't appreciate was that the DVD somehow was able to **** up the partition table with my other disks. That was definitely not cool. Especially when there's warnings always like "OOH you want to make a new partition? ARe you SUUURE?? This is dangerous, are you really really sure?".... but then, things like screwing up my partition tables seemed to not be worthy of a warning or mention that it happens. Oh well. It's not a problem anymore.

[Kuciwalker]

Or, download the drivers before you install the OS, like I did for my graphics card...

[Pekka]

NO WAY? You suggest people should actually have drivers with them?

Well, of course I have all the drivers for my hardware, EXCEPT the network card . Kind of sucked. Besides, even when I got them, it still refused to cooperate with it so... wouldn't have made a difference.

[VetLegion]

The thing I really didn't appreciate was that the DVD somehow was able to **** up the partition table with my other disks.

Note to self: disconnect any other disks when installing Vista.

[Chemical Ollie]

What did you pay for Vista?

[Pekka]

Not much. My friend has a computer store so I got the same price as they can buy it themselves. Besides it's the OEM so.. not much. It is a secret