How reliable is Vista?

Did you ever have the feeling that something wasn’t quite right with your PC? Vista’s Reliability Monitor can validate your intuition and help you diagnose your computer’s ills. Or, if your PC is in the pink, it will tell you that as well.

The Reliability Monitor tracks failures that occur over time, then ranks your system on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is best). A graph depicts the status of your system day-by-day. But you get more than numbers and a pretty picture: Daily listings of events like hardware and software failures paint a more detailed picture of problems that may have affected your system’s operation at a particular time. The events tracked by Reliability Monitor are:

• Software (Un)Installs: Software installations and removals including operating system components, Windows updates, drivers, and applications.

• Application Failures: Application failures, including the termination of a non-responding application or an application that has stopped working.

• Hardware Failures: Disk and memory failures.

• Windows Failures: Operating system and boot failures.

• System Clock Changes: Significant changes to the system time are tracked in this category. (This appears only when a time change occurs.)

• Miscellaneous Failures: Failures that impact stability and do not fall under previous categories, including unexpected operating system shutdowns.

To view the Reliability Monitor, click the Start menu, then right-click on “Computer” and select “Manage.” In the Computer Management console, click on the arrow next to Reliability and Performance in the left pane, then on the arrow next to Monitoring Tools, and then on Reliability Monitor.

You’ll see your system’s daily score at the top right of the screen. Recent failures are weighted more heavily than past failures, so you’ll see improvement over time once a reliability issue has been resolved. Icons below the graph point you to instances that were problematic: Yellow triangles with an exclamation point indicate minor problems; an x inside a red circle represents major troubles. Vista updates the Reliability Monitor once a day as long as the system was turned on.

The Reliability Monitor is more than just a tool for confirming how things are going. If you’re porting older applications to a new computer, or running them for the first time on Vista, Reliability Monitor can show you what’s going right and wrong. It’s also useful for tracking down errors and troubleshooting problems. As a first step, check the category the problem occurred in from the list above. Or click on specific dates to see determine when problems began. For example, Reliability Monitor might report that errors in a software program started occurring only after your last update. If the Monitor shows that hardware memory errors began after you installed more memory, you can check to see whether the new memory is faulty.

A low reliability number doesn’t mean system failure is imminent. If you see a 1.29 on your Reliability Monitor—as we did on a home system—don’t panic. In our case, that low number began climbing back up, albeit slowly, as problems resolved. What caused the score to drop in the first place was the gradual installation of old applications onto the new system, as well as attempts to patch problems, use incompatible utilities, and install hardware that lacked Vista patches. In fact, that system’s score has risen back to 7.22.

As with any new operating system, you’ll probably encounter some rough spots with Vista, especially at first. Reliability Monitor can help you get through them and maintain your computer into the future.

--Richard Fisco, Senior Project Leader

Comments

[Tawana Jones]

I have the vista system and of coarse you are going to have problems with anything thats new if you don't know all the ins and outs on how its run.Give vista a chance,It's brand new as with all the other progams that you had to learn when they came out. Thank you.

[J. Onslow]

In the past year I have looked at replacing my AMD K6 III with Windows 98SE, (purchased in 11/99) and based on the above comments I think I will stay with what I have. It may be slower and I do have some issues now and again, however never anything I cannot fix, and find a fix for. So for now I just have to find a new printer that is still compatible with windows 98.

I will keep my money and have less frustrations.

Long Life
Jim

[Steve]

I have been having numerous issues with a Vista machine I bought from Dell in August (XPS 720, gaming rig essentially). About 2.5 months ago I began getting video driver errors that would hang up in various gaming applications (TF2, EQ2, etc.) These error messages grew in frequency to the point that I can no longer play *anything*. Then the problem began occurring when I was web browsing as well, and my machine will crash out after some 10 minutes of use. After 8 hours with Dell's customer support (which I found to be excellent, btw) I am basically waiting for MS to work out this known issue to magically transform my rig back to a working computer. As it stands now, it is a $3k paper weight.

[AG]

Ive had Vista since May of 07, and I have never had a problem with the system. My computer has never crashed, I never lose files, and the computer runs smoothly.

[Conley]

I don't understand why everyone is so upset with vista.
I have had it with my new computer since July and I haven't had one problem with it. Actually, I went from xp back to 98 and winme because xp ran the system very sluggish. Well, honestly, I believe that vista is the best OS system to date. Here is why.
The simple fact that new support is on horizon for it.
Plus everyone going to xp is in for a rude awakening.
There will be no support for xp, and that will have everyone
that is "afraid of change" that is running xp even more mad.
They will eventually have to eat their words and go back to vista. I am sure that Gates has figured that one out already.

So, I am inclined to say.

STOP being babies and accept change.
No OS is perfect.

[Mike D.]

A friend of mine received his first laptop a year ago as a present loaded with Vista. Being a new user he had many issues with the system. Constant loss of files, troubles navigating, sporadic system crashes, it even blue screened on him a couple of times. He called me to help him fix an issue he was having where the system would consistently reboot every thirty seconds. It was crazy! Ive never had such a short window to identify a problem and rectify it. I tried everything I could think of for being mostly self taught and talking with some IT friends of mine and finally ended up wiping the hard drive and reinstalling. It was the only thing i had time to do in my 30 sec. window. I had many reminders and flash backs to my brief stint with Windows ME and decided Vista DEFINITELY is not worth the hassle. In time they may be able to sufficiently cure Vista's short comings but for now and probably the next 2-4 years of its life cycle it just turns your pc into a $1,500-$4,500 dollar paper weight.

[Ivan]

It took 4 years for Microsoft to improve XP and call it Vista. I'd like to know what improvements were made.
1) System runs slower in Vista
2) You practically need 3 GIGs of RAM to run it.
3) Security doesn't allow you to navigate freely within its own system
4) Forget about finding drivers for old equipment.
5) Crashes are about 1 once every 4 hours.
6) Memory cache is non existant
7) Freeing up unused memory, well MS thinks that everybody has lots of RAM.

I went to an Apple store to see the Macs, and could not believe how stable and smooth there OS is.

What really puzzles me is that you actually have to pay to install this garbage on your machine...oh by the way, once you buy a computer with Vista, and you don't like it, good luck getting XP on that machine...strngly recommend a no go on this!!!.

[Chris L]

It is interesting reading all of these comments. The vast majority are negative posts with maybe one or two positive posts. There does seem to be a pattern though. People complain about how much memory that Vista requires - is it surprising to have to use more?

Try and run XP on and old 133mHz machine with 16 mB of RAM - doubt you can. I will offer the same challange to OS X - run it on an Apple machine that was put out 10 years ago.

I purchased a new computer about 10 months ago with Vista Home Permium on it. 2 gB of RAM, 3.2 gHz Dual Core processors and a 256 mB graphics card and have not had any issues with it. I had to get a new scanner, but it was 5 years old anyway (how long should I expect hardware support?). I have changed graphics cards to a 512 version and added 2 more gB of RAM, and of course everything runs better but I did because I have a couple of PC games that are real system hogs and will not run on an older system (should I be upset with this or enjoy the better graphics, sound and game play?).

Now, I do know a bit about messing with the insides of computers and also the use of memory management in software, but I have a number of friends that request advice concerning issues with Apple products and XP - usually because they are trying to mess with stuff they do not understand. When asked my advice on if they should upgrade to Vista, my answer is yes, if you are going to buy a new machine, and no if they are keeping the old.

I am not saying that everyone issues with Vista is user related because there is not an operating system out there that is perfect, but I imagine there is a lot of issues due to lack of knowledge. I have 2 development environments installed on my machine, connect to multiple TVs in the house, connect to my XBox 360 and have been able to set all of this up with relatively little issues (I have had more issues at work with our Dell laptops running XP and drive failures and then trying to get the environment set up correctly again).

Anyway, Vista is not for everyone, just like OS X and all the Linux hybrids are not either, but give it a more time and then everyone will be spouting the same remarks aimed at the next OS put out by Microsoft and how Vista was great in comparison.

[William Darr]

I've been a MS customer since 1984 and Vista is the most miserable OS so far devised. Rates in there with ME. I've been tracking crashes, hangs backup errors (one good back up in 6 months)and the problems are now too numerous to mention in this forum (printed my log today 137 pages of errors, hangs and crashes, ect, ect, ect. I see now my loyalty to MS for these years was a vain exercise.

New software has difficulties and is understood by compentent users but the resources Hp and MS use to train their techs ( I use the word loosely)to stonewall their customers and try to upgrade you to special services (HP
$157.00 per incident) would be better utilized developing an OS that works and sports wide spread compatabilty.

I spend at least a hour a day attempting to find answers or get support from Best Buy, HP or MS. As a stock trader this is costing thousands per hour. These guys just don't get it and have nothing to offer but do a recovery. HO HUM, big yawn

MAC here I come, as far as I'm concerned these guys are history and have lost my business forever.

BD

[henry cothern]

I am a novice as far as where computer programing knowledge is corcern. Even from this point it is very obvious that MS Vista O/S has avariety of problems that Microsot needs to address. Vista problems are evedently many and serious enough that another O/S producer is using these many problems to promote its' product. It seems also that Microbesoft and those computer makes such as Dell,who push this Vista O/S on the buyers of their product have little interest in solvig Vista's problems.Windows 98 compared to Vista is a far better O/S.My personnal feeling th at if one is looking for a good O/S then they should not buy or get the Windows Vista O/S

[David]

OK, Vista is pretty - but does it really need to make your computer run so sluggish? I mean, really, does Bill Gate$ really need to control everyone's computers? Another thing, this is the biggest software maker in the WORLD. They at elast could come up with something that works as well as Linux.
I have also seen that Micro$oft has a habit of copying work others have worked so hard to put out there (Apple, Linux, ect.)
Bottom line : I will NEVER install Vi$ta just as I am always forced to install OSes that are bloated and gaudy.

[Janet N]

Vista is about the most usless piece of software yet since the Millenium version. I utterly despise it, can't do a thing with it and can't wait to go back to XP.

[Rob R.]

I've been running Vista since it was first released to manufacturing. In the first half of 2007, there I had various issues with drivers either being unavailable or unstable. Now I have all the drivers I need except for a Canon MultiPass multi-function printer for which Canon has decided not to release Vista drivers.

Vista is ultimately a graphically pleasing (the Windows Aero visual interface is quite nice) but technically disappointing successor to Windows XP. Vista is slower (I've benchmarked this several times), requires more resources (processor, memory, video), and the new security enhancements are spear-headed by "UAC" (User Account Control).

Unfortunately UAC is a mediocre attempt to emulate Unix user access rights escalation (Mac OS X is based on Unix by the way). So while Windows Vista now prompts one to "Allow" system access to programs which attempt to access or modify certain system settings and files, many programs I've encountered provide no meaningful information on exactly what program is trying to gain said access. I installed an Adobe Acrobat Reader security update for which Windows prompted me with something like "09dsfsdj.tmp is trying to access your system... Allow? Cancel?" If I didn't know better, "09dsfsdj.tmp" certainly sounds like it could be a virus trying to do something. So ironically, UAC may have prevented me from installing an important security update to my computer because of the horribly inadequate description presented by UAC. One step forward, two steps back?...

So on the one hand, all of the new Vista security features are quite desirable on paper, but it seems that it will take some more time for 3d party software vendors to "catch up" to Vista and actually make proper software and installers that will provide meaningful information via Vista's UAC.

Then there's also the long list of features that were supposed to be included with Vista (as promised by Microsoft over several years) that didn't make it in time to be released. Such a large company as Microsoft seems desperately incompetent if they can't deliver on their promises despite having delayed the Vista release by 2 or more years.

Ultimately Microsoft missed the big picture. They focused so much on security - which all users want - but security is a "behind the scenes" kind of thing. Corporate customers will see security as a feature, but personal users have little use for it other than keeping computer viruses from sprouting up on their PCs to cause frustration which is often followed by expensive support calls. Other than an eye-candy face-lift to the graphical interface, there's little difference between Vista and XP. It strikes me that all of the performance enhancements in Vista are really an effort to try to bring Vista performance closer to XP performance, and I believe Microsoft has fallen short of that.

[dennis]

For those of you interested in getting a computer w/o vista, there are several sites out there that allow you to customize your setup to include xp. For instance, if you want a dell laptop (inspiron 1521 specifically), you can get that with xp. Beyond dell, most of the mainstream brands are all vista offerings (HP, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba, etc). Try sites like:

http://www.pcsforeveryone.com/,

http://www.ibuypower.com/mall/lobby.htm.

http://www.pctorque.com/

You can also find used laptops at

http://www.usanotebook.com/index.php

Used has the downside of being "used" but you can get machines cheaper and with xp. Local vendors around your area may have xp machines but that can be chancey to find. Check out the computer mags for ads that allow you to customize a machine. Chances are they will offer xp in the online config.

If you want to try linux, be careful with laptops because linux may not detect all of the h/w with every machine. There are few h/w standards with which laptops comply with so it does become a hassle if you have to go searching for drivers or workarounds. Linux is a decent OS but it is something more geared towards advanced newbies. Understand Linux is an OS base but that there are literally hundreds of the same versions out there, all with their little subtle differences. You will find people devoted to their versions so asking for advice can be confusing. The more popular versions are opensuse, ubuntu, pclinuxos, and perhaps fedora. Besides opensuse, the others mentioned do have what are called live CD's. Try those first before installing anything to make sure all of your h/w does work or, if not, make sure that you are comfy doing a little research to fix problems. Understand that in Dec 2007, Linux is not a prime player just yet. It is not an idiot's OS. You can not just be a "knuckledragger" and get away with it. Windows and Mac are more "idiot" friendly. I say those terms not to denigrate anyone but just that this is the it is.

[Welder Guy.]

Vista is (in my opinion) complete and utter junk. If I knew I would have this many problems and incompatible software issues, I would have stuck with XP.

Remember what happened to Bill Gates in the South Park movie?

Get Vista and you will have a deeper appreciation for that scene.

[frustrated girl]

I got a laptop with vista and it absolutely would not allow me to download or install anything at all, and I've tried everything with the security because it always says that I do not have permission to install anything. It's driving me mad!

[wendy]

Yea, vista has big issues, so did XP when it came out, thousands of bugs and everyone wanted to stay with windows 98 (still the best) but eventually XP will not be supported and you will HAVE to run vista, that is untill their new release of yet another version coming soon down the pike...LINUX? hey, Lindspire (lindows) is Linux with an interface that looks just like windows, and CHEAP and the user agreement is reasonable...check them out...or Unbunto, FREE...Linux has many easy to use interfaces now...and yes, many people are migrating to apple...oh well microsoft, snooze, ya loose

[Pam]

I just just recently ordered my new computer with the vista. After reading these comments, I think I'm going to call & cancel. Upgrading the xp is sounding better all the time. Vista sounds like a complete nightmare that I would have no patience for.

[William Clements]

I purchased a hp media center m8020n with vista and have had trouble ever since. hp has replaced the mother board twice. why! they say the system is coruppted by non compatible software and hardware.well it is all micro soft or hp.
hp support is like talking to a brick wall. they know absolutly nothing about their products.they are also rude and non responsive to their customers.

[Michael Blank]

I have bought a laptop and a desktop, both with the new Vista system. Other than the fact I had to make sure I had extra RAM, I have not encountered any issues with Vista. It does seem to hog memory, but as improvements are added to operating systems, this is an expected outcome. I have to say that I am happy with Vista.

[Hirbod]

VISTA IS JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FOR NOW.

[Angry user]

Vista is an unpredictable frustrating headache. A repairman dream come true. Going to MAC!!

[franklin carmichael]

vista is a total disaster in my opinion. I have spent over $1,000 dollars on service calls to fix security issues with my computer. There are also shut down problems and system freezes I am encountering. The backup system does not work. I am using a computer whiz for my service, and he reports many people are switching off of pc to mac. He helped me make my decision. I am buying a mac. If I could sue microsoft for the wasteed timme and money, including launching what in my opinion is a faulty product, I would due so. I guess Gates is spending lot's of time remodeling his house, collecting art and managing his foundation, and my guess less on other matters.

[d.mauthe]

cannot connect to browser after hooking up router. any suggestions.d-link 704up. d.m.

[Graham]

Windows Vista and XP are both page file hogs.
Find your Virtual memory settings in Control panel and be sure to set them both for the same amount in multiples of 1024 IE.1023 fails in virtual 1024 works 2040 fails 2048 works.
You will notice an immediate speed increase in almost all aspects of computing IE printing Internet email scans networking.
I run my system at 3072 in both minimum and maximum and it works perfectly.
The default setting in both operating systems is incorrect so you are running no virtual at all.