I want my XP back

[anneokie100]

I hate Vista 64 bit. Have had nothing but trouble ever since I got this machine in early March 2009. I am in contact with Gateway to try to find fixes for so many problems I can't even name all of them.
My XP machine works fine except for a short between the base and screen. Jiggle it and I can read again.

I truly think I have a lemon. Every day something new goes wrong. All updates are done and every day I get notice to do them again. But they all show as
Completed or whatever term they use.
My typing is not the best but this darned thing doesn't think vowels are needed so I am constantly correcting errors. I end up spending more time correcting posts than writing them.


Now my question for you. Can I buy a new XP SP2 and put it on this machine and dump Vista completely? I have found the XP software. Just not sure whether it would work. Then I need to replace this sick keyboard.
Annie

 

[archie123]

you can dump vista yes , but make sure Gateway dont have any custom parts in there with no XP drivers! (not custom as such they tend to rename certain parts with their unique codes etc custom bios , impossible to know what it is or what drivers to get) a friend of mine made that mistake with his new laptop , brought it round my house with a puzzled look on his face and a useless piece of hardware in his hands , took me an age to sort the drivers out in the end i gave up and put Vista back on it for him , he loves it now :D

May i be so bold and say its more than likely your dodgy gateway pc causing the problems and not Vista , not so long ago gateway were getting fantastic press for its customer support and good value pc's now all i read is bad things about them

 

[avgwarhawk]

Personally I would print every email etc between you and Gagway that concerned fixing your computer. Bring it to their attention the dates, times etc and demand a new computer. I'm believing it is the machine and not the OS.

 

[Tinkerdog]

It's probably the machine.... Vista 64 runs like a dream on my Gateway DX-4720-03.

 

[anneokie100]

It's probably the machine.... Vista 64 runs like a dream on my Gateway DX-4720-03.

You can't know how much it means to me to hear you all say that. I had decided I was just not smart enough to run Vista.

I was so used to XP and Vista is so different. It takes me a long time to even find a document I put in yesterday. I know how to search, been researching (in libraries) since I was a kid but this has me beaten.

I may have mentioned that I have my sledge hammer and am bulking up muscles. I am ready to bash it in.

First I will contact Gateway and see if the tech will come in and find my problems. I have nothing to hide.
Thanks a bunch.
Annie

 

[pdsnickles]

I agree with you that Vista sucks - even though mine is running relatively well (I've had 2 freezes on loading software, both MS's updates and my own)...

But you make me glad I did not buy the Gateway the guy at Best Buy was trying to push on me.

As to finding things, that should not be a problem. Just pay close attention to where you are saving them and take some time to see where your folders are.

For example, Vista by default wants to put photos in your photos folder, music in your music folder, documents in your documents folder, etc. Very logical, and it's all found over on the right of the Start menu under your user name (click on your user name and you'll see all the options). Of course if you want to save them to another folder you have that option when you click on Save, you can choose another folder just exactly like in XP.

Also if you know the name of the document all you should have to do is type the name in when you click the Start menu and it should find it rapidly.

Having just returned an HP machine, I can give you this advice:
If you become convinced the Gateway is not for you and you still are within your 30-day return window, consider returning the Gateway and buying something else. In my case I returned the HP and bought a Dell which I am happy with. And if you are less than a week past the return window, as I was at Best Buy, your store or vendor may agree to exchange it anyway, especially if you agree to spend a bit more $ on the new one.

In any case, good luck!

 

[Martee]

Sorry to say this, but finding all XP drivers for your Gateway MD series is none.

 

[96accord]

I said the same thing about Vista ummm about 5 months ago. I've dealt with it.

But my laptop has Windows 7 Beta and it's AWESOME! :D

 

[avgwarhawk]

Vista takes a bit of a learning curve. I find it fun to mess with and have no issues. Sorry you are having bummer time with Gateway.

 

[SMOKKINU]

Nothing wrong with Vista 64 IMHO.... sounds like the machine. Tell gateway you want a replacement.

 

[pdsnickles]

I said the same thing about Vista ummm about 5 months ago. I've dealt with it.

But my laptop has Windows 7 Beta and it's AWESOME! :D

Glad to hear you like "7"! If it is that good, this will be the first time I will ever voluntarily switch to a new MS OS instead of waiting til they shove it down my throat... I think Vista sucks in many ways. It's just way too intrusive and doesn't make it easy to customize things like whether or not you want it to remember your "recently visited" programs, files, etc.. I hate all that stuff. Those things should be options you choose to turn on, not defaults!

 

[robertpri]

I don't know why people say vista takes a learning curve. My lockups, freezes, are vista related, not the computer. I boot to a blinking cursor and cannot proceed and have to reinstall can hardly be called user error.

I paid a lot for this "insert profanity" laptop and it's a new problem all the time. But getting drivers for XP is impossible, so I'm stuck with it.

Totally fed up, I bought a refurbished HP laptop with PX Pro for $400, and it's a DREAM! I use it now 80% of the time because vista errors are sooooooo common!

But I'm stuck with it, so keep posting here for fixes for my albatross.

When can I buy MS 7?

 

[smarteyeball]

Nothing wrong with Vista 64 IMHO.... sounds like the machine.

or the users.....

Seriously though, if the machine has blue screened since day one, it's Dell's fault.

If it started failing after installing / adding things, then it's the applications/ drivers or user fault.

In either case, neither of the two are Vistas fault.

 

[anneokie100]

Nothing wrong with Vista 64 IMHO.... sounds like the machine.

or the users.....

Seriously though, if the machine has blue screened since day one, it's Dell's fault.

If it started failing after installing / adding things, then it's the applications/ drivers or user fault.

In either case, neither of the two are Vistas fault.

But, smarteyeball, we all add things. I added 2000 family pics, none with a virus. I added editing software for my photog hobby because the program that came with Vista is garbage. Are you saying you have added absolutely nothing and run it just like it came from the factory? Naw, you couldn't. How much fun would that be?

Now, the user, me, may be the culprit. But I didn't mess up the other 3 I have had, and still have 2 of them at the moment. Good ole XPs.

My son is very good with pcs so he is coming to spend some time trying to figure out this machine for me tomorrow. He and the Gateway tech may be able to find my problem. I hope!! If not, it goes back from whence it came. Luckily I have an extended warranty even though this thing is only 6 weeks old.
It got sick when it was less than a week old. Should have taken Hubby's advice and returned it then, but being OC decided I could fix it myself.

I could wipe out my stuff myself and start over but being OC demands that I keep on keeping on.
Annie-the obsessive compulsive non-guru

 

[pdsnickles]

Anneokie you are right - it ain't always us users causing the problem. I too have had 3 other computers and 3 other OS's and never have had so many problems as with Vista. HP techs tried to tell me it was "my fault" that the machine I had to return was bad, that it was because I had added some funky software. But everything I added worked fine with XP and I downloaded the upgrades that were to work with Vista. In the end, it was pretty much proven it was a hardware error. So stand by your guns and don't let people tell you it's software problems.

Now with the new Dell I am still having a few crashes and freezes. Some of which MAY be my fault, I'm not sure yet. But when you're getting restarts and blue screens it's probably not your fault. Everyone adds software. The software I use is THE REASON I need a computer, not the other way around. Sure, if you just use the net and nothing else, chances are Vista works great. But if you are a power user, Vista seems to have problems interfacing with you.

 

[nate42nd]

It's too bad you are having problems. I have had x64 for 9 months now and the 1st day had BSODs but not a problem since. See if you can find the right drivers for your system and get it running right. XP is an option.....but if you are going to do that....try Windows 7....see if that runs better for you.

 

[smarteyeball]

. Are you saying you have added absolutely nothing and run it just like it came from the factory? Naw, you couldn't. How much fun would that be?

lol, of course I add things and I certainly wasn't implying that you shouldn't

All I was saying was that if the PC was crashing from day one, before you installed anything, then there's a good chance it's a dud. It could either be incorrectly set up from the factory, or more likely, a hardware fault. Either way, it's Dell's fault and since it's so new, a replacement should be done to avoid further frustration.

However, if it only started crashing after you installed something, then there's a very good chance it's an incompatible driver that belongs to an application you've installed. The photo editing software or camera software for example.

If this is the case, regardless of whether it works with XP, then it's the applications fault , not Vista.

Believe me, I understand the annoyance of a constantly crashing computer and the sheer frustration derived from not being able to easily solve it. Unfortunately just because it may have worked in XP, doesn't guarantee it will work with Vista. It's a nuisance, but it's still not the OS'es fault

I hope it's an easy problem with a simple solution that your son picks up quickly. Best of luck with it

 

[echrada]

I agree with Smarty if you had problems from the get go then Gateway should replace your machine or at least attempt to fix it.

:D

 

[robertpri]

I should perhaps clarify my earlier "onion" about vista. I just get annoyed when people say it takes a learning curve or it's user's fault. I cannot imagine an operating system that breaks if the user hits the wrong key or something simple. The only thing I have on this machine is Open Office, which does most everything for me, malware protection, and the very latest 2009 Norton's Security Suite.

I am not a junk down loader or installer, and keep my machines rather pure with frequent scans, disk cleanup, etc. I check system properties for failed hardware and Device Manager for the same.

But I have been building machines since the Radio Shack TRS-80 [Trash-80] in 1980, when you had to almost buy a second machine for spare parts because their tech support was in Texas. Any fix took a month for turnaround.

I've built probably 100 computers over the years for local businesses, friends and family when it made more fiscal sense to build rather than buy. Of course, today, the average builder cannot compete with mfg's.

So, in all these years, I have never had a computer that caused me to hold my breath while booting, never confident it will work this time.

I will buy MS 7 the same day it's released! Can anyone comment on the current version? Stable?

 

[pdsnickles]

As to 7, if someone is having problems with wrong drivers, or programs that are not completely Vista-friendly, would they not have the same problems with "7"?