Vista check: An OS tool confirms startup pains

As with using any new computer operating system, pioneering Microsoft's new Vista OS is an activity with high potential for failures, troubleshooting, and cussing. And unlike any other OS before it, Vista comes with a tool that allows you to monitor how well (or how poorly) Vista is working on your computer.

We've been running the tool, known as Vista Reliability Monitor, on a new desktop since the beginning of February. It uses a scale from 1 (worst) to 10 (best). According to Microsoft, the Monitor's score considers how well the system has handled time changes and software uninstalls. It also scores a full range of failures, including those by applications that stopped working and/or were terminated; the hard-disk or memory; and Vista itself.

The score for our PC, shown in the screen shot (click for a larger view) above, is currently 3.07 and has gone lower than that--as low as a dismal 1.29. The low score reflects the unfortunate reality of new operating systems, as well as the (admirably) tough way the Monitor scores Vista performance.

New OSs never work with every peripheral and piece of software right off the bat. Some components do make the transition from old OS to new seamlessly; we had no trouble with our PC's printer and external USB hard drive, for example. But many more don't work or play well with the new system, at least at first. If you load applications that aren't yet compatible with Vista, the Monitor takes note and responds by lowering the index score. Trying stubbornly to reload those applications just to be certain they don't work further degrades the score. The same applies to trying out supposed updates to the application that also don't work and using (obviously unsuccessfully) hardware that doesn't yet have working Vista drivers.

Utilities like disk defraggers, antivirus software, and firewalls are especially notorious for failure to work with new OSs. With Vista, Microsoft has built the utilities you'll likely need, except for antivirus, into the new OS, but in versions that are less full featured than the third-party versions, and you may want to pay to upgrade the Vista versions (which generally aren't available yet).

Consumers of a new OS, then, are to some degree trapped in a corporate technology tussle. Microsoft may say it's up to the third-party hardware and software makers to have all their applications, drivers and firmware updated for the new OS. The third parties may counter by saying the new OS should be able to run all the existing software and hardware with no updates necessary.

What does our test (and the above reality) mean if you're poised to go Vista? They add to the good reasons not to rush into using the new OS. If past OSs are a guide, the landscape will change for the better. More drivers and application fixes will invariably arrive through Vista's first year, culminating in the first service pack, probably in the second half of 2007. By then, the hardware and software manufacturers should have most if not all of their products Vista-compatible.

Already have Vista, or can't wait to buy a new PC until the bugs are worked out? You may then want to use Monitor to confirm (or challenge) your feeling that all is going well, or badly. I'll cover how to use the tool in another blog entry soon.

-- Richard Fisco, Senior Project Leader

Comments

[mtalmage]

I am buying a mac.

[Janine Polk]

Tomorrow I will be sending back my second brand new HP Pavilion. First one had a hard drive problem, and I made the mistake of asking for an exchange. With the second one I have become intimately acquainted with the dreaded Vista "black screen of death." Today I ordered a new Dell with XP installed--thank goodness XP is still available in some machines.

[randy]

I bought an E machine with vista a month ago all upgrades from ms have worked fine all else seems to be ok so far. after reading the posts here am keeping my fingers crossed that ms has fixed these bugs. As previously mentioned tho every new os has everyone in an uproar that the previous one was better from dos3-6 an win3-xp an we should all keep that in mind when buying into somthing new like vista etc. that we are the testing ground til the bugs are worked out, fair or not buyer be aware don't buy the first one out of the box an shop around.. Good luck

[pat]

I was given a new desktop for Christmas with Vista home premium already loaded.
My CD/DVD drive has given me problems from the first day I tried it. Once every week or so I would try to play a CD and it would not play. The comment was "Media Player not responding or windows explorer stopped responding" I have AOL which I have had with all my computers and I have had a CD drive previously.
I felt I need to examine the settings because I may have had them set wrong but that seems not to be the case! I have tried a CD with changed settings to no avail. I have, on rare days, had the CD play a CD which was even more confusing since I had changed nothing by that time.
I HATE THE VISTA operating system and tell everyone I know not to get it!!!!!!!!
I took the cpu to the Geek Squad once and the damn CD played so they sent it home and said "there is nothing wrong with it!" So we immediately put in a CD and it did NOT play. I had no better luck with the Media Center
Sometimes I think it is the CD?DVD drive that is corrupt! Today I put in a new CD and it worked so I immediately ripped it to the computer but the drive was very noisy as it did it's job.

[James H]

(Any software developers...yes, I know I'm over simplifying this)

And I know I'm going to get some hate mail on this post.

I've been looking through a lot of these post and with almost no exception, users are commenting that there programs are not working or there hardware is not working.

I'm an Apps developer and it's not surprising to me to see users immediately blame the OS. In many cases, the user is correct in that the OS will not work with their old programs or hardware. But I think it is not correct to blame the OS. In Microsoft's case, they have provided developers with a vast array of documentation and notices with about the upcoming OS's. For quite some time, Microsoft in great detail has given developer information on new services coming, old services that are going away and if and how existing OS services are being modified. It is up to the vendor of the software to update their software to continue working.

If your hardware or software does not work, It is more than likely because the vendor off your product has failed to prepare an update or new driver for their product or the vendor has decided to discontinue support for the product....AKA they are not going to write an update or driver (Usually to encourage users to purchase newer products)

As more vendors get around to issuing update, I believe many users are going to find the Vista is a truly remarkable OS.

This is just like the transition from the 9x OS’s (95/98/98se/me) to XP. When XP come out, a lot of vendors found themselves scrambling to update their programs due to Win32 running a much tighter ship. This is no different, Developer are being force to write code to a higher standard.

I could say more, but think I’d stop here

[Catherine]

I am planning to purchase a Dell computers. However, I've been quite leary about using Vista and, apparently with good cause. Thanks to everyone on this blog, my concerns have been validated. I will certainly pay more to have XP installed on my new Dell. Whew! Close call!

[Tina]

Just an FYI for everyone...you can still purchase a new computer with XP on it through Dell although it has to be through small business. I'm not sure they really check on anything so you can probably put in your work name and get through things.
Hope that helps!!

[Ann Green]

We purchased a brand new computer w/Vista already installed. Day one we had problems trying to re-connect to the internet...Vista's was incompatible with our ISP. Connecting Microsoft just lead to the run around. Today I can not type on the machine at all...I believe I must now activate the Product Key. And, yet again..I have to try to locate contact info to resolve this problem. How can we, as consumer's, revolt against Microsoft. This is poor business...where the consumer is left being shafted.

[Amanda]

I have an HP Pavillion with, you guessed it, VISTA! Everything worked great for about six months, then the internet went dead slow and boot up was a random success that most often ended up with it telling me windows was not shut down properly, yadda yadda yadda. Restore here, Safe Mode there, Start Windows normally...etc. I went through HP Total Care and wasn't able to get updates to load. I checked the box to remind me weekly of updates, that box did not like staying checked. I had to find a back door to get my updates installed, most of which failed. I would shut down the computer and it would attempt to install updates, fail and them revert to previous settings. I have most the issues figured out, except for needing updates that won't install, the system boot taking forever, and the system not coming out of sleep without a restart battle. I have taken this computer to Best Buy and the Geek Squad guy told me to do this and to do that...none of which fixed anything. I was told I could wipe the HDD and load XP, but the hardware might not be compatible. Like the hardware is compatible right now?? I lost sound for a bit after installing updates...said no device was installed even though the system said everything was working correctly. **Le sigh** it's been a headache. I don't see why XP wouldn't work...I thought MS was supposed to be backwards compatible. If I have to keep VISTA and my only option is VISTA, isn't that a monopoly? I can get a new desktop or laptop through Alienware with the choice between XP and VISTA. Makes me wonder why my computer wouldn't work with XP.

Vive la XP!!!!!!

[Doug Thomas]

My Dell Inspiron 1501 came with Vista Home Basic, no fax capability, so 300 dollar upgrade to Vista Ultimate, and I can fax the same way I could on my 486 Windows 3.1. Loading the upgrade also disabled all the sound, 'no device' is the prompt-- it was there before. Two months later, after buying a usb headset for 80$ got the sound to work again, but still boot time is about 45 minutes, and it freezes a couple times a day. This is being typed in the 'safe mode with networking' which I use most of the time. No audio or video in safe mode. The sidebar in Vista won't load fully most of the time. The warranty on this Dell was only 90 days, which expired by the time I worked the bugs out of the Ultimate upgrade. I double the the ram on purchase to 1g, still not enough. All the trial version software it came with expired wouldn't reload after I purchased the full versions, so after a couple months my refunds did come for those. Stay with xp if you have it, if you need a new laptop- go Apple.

[Mike D.]

Ive noticed in a couple of places now on Consumer Reports that some users are accepting the fact there are myriad programs, hardware, and games that do not work with Vista and state that we should'nt expect them to cause they were "made for an older os". Im not a computer tech. or an IT guy, but I do have a better than rudementary knowledge and alot of experience with computers and if I'm not mistaken programs arent made FOR and operating system. I have games and programs from windows 95 era that work flawlessly with XP. XP's hardware support has been phenomenal. And to top it off, XP has never once crashed on me. I SHOULD expect all my equipment to be supported, I SHOULD expect all my software to work. If it does'nt I SHOULD have the right to blame Microsoft and its apparrent lack of quality control, and the companies incapability to hire programmers who are willing to take the time to write the code. It falls on sheer laziness and Microsoft as a company should be ashamed of what they do. We as consumers should not have to feel FORCED to upgrade to Vista which is the conclusion most have come to. XP will run everything I have and need to use just fine for the next ten years. Maybe by that time Microsoft will have put some of its INFINITE funding in the right pockets make a product worth buying.

[Trang Dao]

Vista and LiveOneCare do not always agree with each other although they are born under the same house. Small example: recovery system backs up with Fat32, which Vista cannot read and OneCare cannot convert to TNSF.

If we call Vista or OneCare, we have to identify ourself, prove that we are a vista owner, name of my mother, repeat our story over and over again, etc etc. Worse than that, OneCare called me dayly, left messages asking me to call back. What if they have new answers for me ? Well, after giving out my identity again, I found out it is only dayly psychotherapy.

OneCare sends me again to Vista to solve my issue, but I refuse and set a precise appointment time and day with OneCare. Each time the phone line, work, appointments and domestic schedules are paralyzed because we never know when they will call back... I have lost immense amount of money over this.

I am not computor litterate. When buying a new computor, one has to live with Vista. This tells how Mr. Gates is powerful, we are paying him to serve as slaves and lab hamsters for his experiments. Is anyone of readers a lawyer ? Is Consumer's Report interested in this mass action ?

[Fred Estill]

I purchased a high end HP desktop pc with Vista loaded. I'm a pc tech and I can truely say VISTA barely has the right to be called an operating system. Attempting to add an external harddrive and other hardware is a nightmare. Now when I ATTEMPT to bootup my pc I get error messages and have to go through a recovery process each time. VISTA is a total nightmare for an experienced pc tech. I can imagine the agony someone with little technical pc experience goes through when they "discover" VISTA on their new pc! VISTA rates the operating system on my pc with a 3 out of possible. Horrible! VISTA took the joy out of the experience of a new pc.

[Ray Heath]

Vista is a complete and total piece of crap. I cannot believe that a company like Microsoft, which has 95% of the market, could be so uncaring as to bring out a product like this. Time for a new Mac. I certainly will not purchase anything associated with Microsoft again. Merry Christmas Mr.Gates. Your company has caused nothing but misery in our household.

[ROY SCHILLER]

I AM NOT A COMPUTER ADDICT. I CALLED DELL AND ORDERED A NEW DESKTOP IN MARCH AND AFTER MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING THEY IMPORTED IT BACK AND THREE HOURS LATER RETURNED IT WORKING IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER.IT HAD VISTA HOME PREMIUM. THREE MONTHS AGO I HAD THE NEED FOR A LAPTOP AND ORDERED A LATITUDE 531. IT CAME WITH VISTA BASIC. MY LAPTOP WAS VERY SLOW AND I HAD ALREADY REMOVED MANY PROGRAMS THINKING MY DESKTOP WAS WAS SLOW. I DISCOVERED THAT THEY BOTH CAME WITH ONLY 1 GIG OF RAMM.I BOUGHT AN ADDITIONAL 1 GIG OF RAMM FOR EACH AND THEN DISCOVERED WHEN ADDED TO THE DESKTOP I STILL NEEDED ANOTHER GIG. I FOUND ON THE LAPTOP I ONLY HAD 1 1/2GIG. THIS AT A COST OF 116.00. WHEN I CALLED ABOUT ANOTHER GIG THE PRICE HAD GONE UP $10.00 PER COMPUTER. I BELIEVE DELL SHOULD PAY FOR THE UPGRADE SINCE THEY KNEW ABOUT THE INABILITY OF VISTA WORKING CORRECTLY WITH 1 GIG.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT EVERYONE WHO GOES TO DELL SHOULD MAKE SURE SINCE THEY STILL RECOMMEND USING VISTA HOME PREMIUM, TO LOAD IT WITH AT LEAST 2 GIG OR KEEP THE WHOLE THING.

[Alfred]

Vista- What can I say. 7 months later the acer I bought from Best Buy is still not working right. I even had to send it back to Texas for repair in September. I just want my money back. They can have the extra memory I had put in there. I am so angry with this system. What can we do?

[V. Reid]

Connecting my older Canon BJC-210 printer to work with the Vista OS system was a nightmare. But once I discovered how to do it, it was pretty basic. First under add printer, choose UBS virtual printer port (if connected using a UBS port), port name USB001 Then when asked about a driver choose Generic IBM Graphics 9pin. After that run a test page.

[ritz]

i want to buy a new computer, but i am worring that it may come with the Vista program is it optional or can i purchase one with the window XP.

[sselig]

My new laptop was loaded with VISTA automatically. What a bummer! Please stick with your current system if you can. In my opinion, VISTA is a bad joke and only Bill Gates is laughing as the American public performs his bata testing. VISTA was born prematurely. It will do things I don't need, but has trouble performing routine tasks and cannot get along with existing systems. When I asked Dell if they could just remove VISTA and replace it with Windows last OS, which worked fine, Dell said it could not be done once VISTA was in the unit. And, yes, I had to buy a new printer. Thanks for letting me air my opinion.

[Earl Lumadue]

All the comments about vista I find very interesting. I'm a real non geek but when I
went to Vista I did not expect all my old
programs designed for another operating system to work on an entirely different one.
I'm sure that when the next one comes out we will all be griping because it is not as good as vista. A little time and patience solves a lot of things.

[jackye hodge]

Purchased Acer laptop 2006 with Vista. As stated many older programs are not compatible with Vista. In order to get older programs to work (games, e.g Scrabble, Jeopardy, Who Want to be a Millionaire)had to go to Microsoft.com to download older versions of dll's for free. Vista's program compatibilty did not work by itself.

[Debbie Robinson]

This is my 5th pc. 1st one with Vista. This pc with Vista has been nothing but a headache. Hardly any of my older programs work. Even my practically brand new Lexmark printer I purchased 3 months before Vista came out was incompatiable. My canon scanner incompatiable. My nero programs and family tree programs, my Pinacle Studio movie & picture software programs I have purchased in the past are all incompatiable and I have to "upgrade" to get them to work. $100.00s of dollars in programs! The old programs worked just fine with Windows XP and I shouldn't have to pay for an upgrade on new programs just because of Vista. It has cost me so much more money than just buying a new pc system. Plus my pc takes forever to shut down and boot up. AND Vista takes up alot of hard drive & memory space. Blah.Blah..Blah...the complaints can go on and on...I think we should have a choice when we buy a pc on what we want to install as our OS.

[Kim Harris]

I hate vista, it is a royal pain in the ass!!!!! Can i somehow uninstal it? and then install xp?

[Jim C]

Bought a laptop that came with Vista.
Hardly any of my older programs will work in Vista. Some even load, and if you check the math, it is incorrect.
What a waste of my time and money. I am going to give Bill Gates some more of my money and order WinXp and start over.
If I had known I would have them install Xp before I bought or NO Sale.

[katherine debrow]

directed to this site from Yahoo Answers. I have read Consumer Reports on and off for many years; always found interesting and helpful info. Thanks!! Keep up excellent work.