Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

egi setiadi reviewed vService Pack 2 on Jul 11, 2012

good

reacer reviewed vService Pack 2 on Sep 26, 2011

Should you choose another operating system, you should better try Free Windows. The distribution disk is rather cheap (I dont remember exactly, but approx. 22-25 $), software is free. http://free-windows.com

trents reviewed vService Pack 2 on Dec 2, 2010

HI,
I'm using this Microsoft Windows Vista for now and i like the feature they offer..
But lately I'm using windows XP it good effective and good....

hacko reviewed vService Pack 2 on Oct 26, 2010

a dobra je

ZenWarrior reviewed vService Pack 2 on Jun 11, 2009

I began using the alpha of this in December 2008 and thought I'd found heaven for Vista. The great experience continued thru the betas, but then I installed this "final release." And since then, I've seen more BSODs over the past couple of weeks than I saw across years of XP and even the crappy old Vista.

Another perfect example of Microsoft taking 2 steps forward and 3 steps backwards. Having before seen it so few times, I honestly had little idea what the BSOD was until installing this piece of crap. I now know it well. Oh, and there have also been 3 "hardware failure" shutdowns since installing this so-called final release. Bottom line: this release is infinitely less stable than the alphas & betas of it over the past several month.

User beware. I do not recommend this download.

DatabaseBen reviewed vService Pack 2 on May 27, 2009

anyone know how to remove the little message that appears on the bottom right hand corner of the desktop that still infers the "evulation copy of sp2"?

uninstalling the sp2 beta didn't remove it.

skapig reviewed vService Pack 2 on May 26, 2009

Pretty painless install, although it takes an awfully long time for it to "personalize" Windows Mail (which I have never used).

Once up and running after the install, I ran into a problem with Windows Update hanging on load. However, this went away after a reboot (although it did initally list SP2 as being ready to intall on opening which went away with a refresh). Other than that, no issues so far.

Sir_timbit reviewed vService Pack 2 on May 26, 2009

Is this the final version of Vista SP2? There are no references to a final Vista SP2 on Microsoft's site...

mike.smith63 reviewed vService Pack 2 on May 26, 2009

Not quite this one as i installed the x64 version but it installed in 17 mins with one reboot. The whole systems feels a little more stable and responsive but thats just a feeling in my water rather than an analysed opinion.

coover reviewed vService Pack 2 on May 26, 2009

Started process (in Safe Mode) and walked away, assuming the installation would take more than an hour. I checked 24 minutes later, and the installation was fiinished and the computer was running properly. At this point, I see no observable differences between SP1 and SP2. I asume there are differences, particularly regarding safety issues, but they do not appear to be obvious to a casual observer.

It looks like MS has done a good job with this one.

bellemannen reviewed vService Pack 2 on May 26, 2009

Installed in under 30mins on my business distro. Works perfectly fine on my 4gb ram ,e8400 system.

mjm01010101 reviewed vService Pack 2 on May 26, 2009

Worked fine.

H2O_lover reviewed vService Pack 2 on May 26, 2009

donmor46, no Microsoft have not released it over and over again. In fact this is the first (and probably last, ie. SP2a) time SP2 is released to general public. What has been released before are release canidates, and one of these candidates became final. And general public did not have access to that release candidate build.

mjm01010101 reviewed vService Pack 2 RC on Mar 23, 2009

I can't believe I'm installing this on a production system because I don't have the time to get the hotfix from Microsoft.

FmlyRnn reviewed vService Pack 2 RC on Mar 10, 2009

I don't see any difference after Downloading and Installing.

donmor46 reviewed vService Pack 2 RC on Mar 9, 2009

Funny how I got this same update (build 6002) more than two weeks ago. What gives here? Are they releasing the same one over and over again?

BarneyR reviewed vService Pack 2 RC on Mar 5, 2009

Installed without a problem.

ZenWarrior reviewed vService Pack 2 RC on Mar 4, 2009

I've been running the beta of this since early December. Vista finally worked after its installation.

softapo7 reviewed vService Pack 2 Beta on Dec 9, 2008

Screwed up Vista HP bigtime, system reinstall got me back to a workable OS. Big nothing for me. Watch out world.

ZenWarrior reviewed vService Pack 2 Beta on Dec 8, 2008

Installed in less than an hour with only one restart. No obvious problems during or after the process. No apparent operational differences after the sidegrade. It's just another huge Microsoft download.

mancubs reviewed vService Pack 2 Beta on Dec 7, 2008

done it, did it got four black screens two blue ,tried evry thing else, then gave it a electirc joint switch off power and switch on again electric kick start that did it now its fine grrrrrrr and theirs no differences

pdail reviewed vService Pack 2 Beta on Dec 6, 2008

Well, everthing went just fine for me! No problems, what so ever. It took about a total of, 35 minutes. And one restart. So, after a deep search, for anyone, having troubles, with this download, and only finding one, I decided to try it. I really dont see any difference. But, my computer, was alway fast to start with. Just poor old IE-8, still no better.(LOL) Maybe, some day, they will fix that poor creature??

goldengreeke reviewed vService Pack 2 Beta on Dec 5, 2008

Installed fine with no problems, took about 35 minutes with broadband. PC seems to run a little faster than before, pages open faster and bootup time is shorter. So far, so good.

alcaholjunkie reviewed vService Pack 2 Beta on Dec 5, 2008

cris3, More info on that can be found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821 (along with links to downloads towards the bottom)

Also anyone looking for the x64 or ia64 downloads of Vista SP2 beta just search http://download.microsoft.com for KB948465

SP2 Seems good so far. ^_^

Cris3 reviewed vService Pack 2 Beta on Dec 5, 2008

I couldn't get Vista SP2 beta to load. No reason is given. It says to download and run System Update Readiness Tool. No help there.

I shut down everything I know that could have blocked it.

Hope others have better luck.
I really wanted to see the performance enhancement it advocated.

zeeZee reviewed vService Pack 1 on Apr 20, 2008

perfect. run this before trying to install sp1 manually.

KB947821 system update readiness tool

"This tool is being offered because an inconsistency was found in the Windows servicing store which may prevent the successful installation of future updates, service packs, and software."

2ears reviewed vService Pack 1 on Mar 19, 2008

This is the 450 Mb version, and there are only 5 languages in this version :
English (US),
French,
German,
Japanese,
or Spanish (Traditional)

There is another pack version which is 550 Mb with 36 languages (yes, only 36, you are right. Linux has well over 100 languages currently. Anyway ...).

bufftbone reviewed vService Pack 1 on Mar 18, 2008

I like big butts. Is that so wrong?

mjm01010101 reviewed vService Pack 1 on Mar 18, 2008

Decent. I still see a lot of interface bugs with Vista that annoy me greatly. At least it's more reliable now.

statm1 reviewed vService Pack 1 on Mar 18, 2008

I have been running Vista for over a year on a 2.5ghz celeron with 1gbram and it has never been slow. Just to give contrast to previous opinion by some people. I would try it and see if its slow on your computer. I highly doubt it will be though.

ir0nw0lf reviewed vService Pack 1 on Feb 12, 2008

This is indeed the real thing, I just logged into my System Builder account and this is the exact same file the OEM System Builders have access to. It's both the 32 and 64 bit installers, five languages.

64-bit: Windows6.0-KB936330-X64.exe
32-bit: Windows6.0-KB936330-X86.exe

Belarathon reviewed vService Pack 1 on Feb 12, 2008

If you have the horsepower to run Vista, it's a beautiful experience, that was just made all the better with SP1. Having tried Vista early on with a 2.5Ghz Barton core Athlon, it was a sluggish, tedious operating system. I recently upgraded to a socket 939 board and dual core Manchester running at 2.5Ghz. ($100.00 investment) Vista runs effortlessly with the proper hardware - IMHO subjectively faster than XP.
I did have a few minor driver issues after the upgrade, but otherwise rock solid.

kaikara reviewed vService Pack 1 on Feb 12, 2008

To the other poster - a service pack is not suppose to have new features. It should be for fixes and performance stuff.

1uk3 reviewed vService Pack 1 on Feb 12, 2008

I've noticed improvements in performance - worth downloading.

Shame there aren't many new features.

bourgeoisdude reviewed vRC Refresh on Feb 5, 2008

Heh they just fixed it back to the rc1 refresh again...that didn't take long.

jspratjr reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 15, 2008

No problem with Vista, this SP or Republican presidents.

mattinsurfers reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 15, 2008

This should only be used for testing. About to try this on one of my Virtual Vista machines virtualized on VmWare and has a paradox crack. does anyone know if this kills it, that will be interesting. I will give it a 4 because it has been made available!

by the way, " zridling had me going until i realized he is most likely a mac user!
most of them HATE bush with a self destructive hate.

zridling reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 15, 2008

Still has significant hanging problems at boot and during certain searches. For the rubes who like this OS, I've given it a 13-month try and this latest "refresh" still blows. Microsoft would be better off killing Vista where it stands and moving onto Win7 asap. This was, is, and always will be a disaster on the proportion of a republican president.

dougau reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 14, 2008

I notice Microsoft says:
"Microsoft does not recommend installing this software on primary or mission critical systems."

One would think they mean Vista period, not just the beta of SP1.

But seriously after first booting it takes about three min for the first window for "computer" or "control panel" to open the first time I click on it. Also I have to use the touch pad to go into control panel and click on the blue tooth icon to enable my blue tooth mouse after a hard boot but not a soft boot.

treworld reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 14, 2008

I lost my Control Panel after installing the last release. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't open. After getting it to open, it would come out blank. So, after an hour of trying to find a solution online, I gave up and "UPGRADED" to XP Pro.

Cris3 reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 14, 2008

I loaded the command script from here, then used Windows Update to load the Vista update and it went smooth and flawless. My computer seems much snappier and the internet is quicker. I hope that's not my imagination thinking it's quicker, but I would be happy to have it stay the way it's acting now.

scorp508 reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 14, 2008

I uninstalled build 052 (I think) of SP1 RC to install this new build on my work desktop. Installation went flawless even through Remote Desktop and all appears to be working well. Network transfers are well up what they were in RTM, I'm happy to see this. Overall the system differences from the first RC build aren't too noticeable, but compared to RTM it is a dream.

rcadams reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 14, 2008

First time installed failed. Decided to try again and installation completed.

On another computer I have I get BSOD ever boot.

Needs more work!

roj reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 14, 2008

davidtb:

That's because nobody wants it. :)

Typical Vista: takes an Athlon64 6000+ dual core w/4Gb and drops it into low gear. Still not as fast as XP SP3 Beta - and I don't ever expect it to be. Good for what it does do for those who went to Vista but will never convince me to run that OS beyond testing, let alone buy it (I get to test corporately; I don't have to waste my dime).

TWO stars.

arossetti reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 14, 2008

Much improved overall network performance. Previous RC issue where there was an initial delay when logging out of one domain account and into another is fixed in this build. Very smooth install on two desktops (Business 64-bit, Ultimate 32-bit), and a laptop (Business 32-bit).

davidtb reviewed vRC Refresh on Jan 14, 2008

It basically behaved the same as other releases of SP1, slowed down my machine, made me download alot of stuff all over again, told me it could not be uninstalled (it could)to the point that I dug into the white paper to see what actually applies to my purpose (not much), But if you can laugh about everything MS I enjoyed this article:
http://www.msblog.org/20...h-as-xp-microsoft-happy/

turistas reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 20, 2007

In my native language (lithuanian) - vista (višta) - is chicken, so when we talking about what os do we use, we saying - višta - chicken :)

horsecharles reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 14, 2007

EDIT: I fixed this by reinstalling some earlier updates, plus one or two missed ones, which triggered a 'reinstall of SP1 by MS Update':

1. Installed Unofficial Cumulative & all-inclusive Rollups of both:
A. Root Certificates &
B. Time Zone Updates

2. Re-installed:
C. MSXML 4.0 SP2 Fix
D. NFR 3.0
E. NFR 3.5

BTW These were the only updates, out of a whole bunch(though certainly NOT all earlier ones were attempted) that took-- either just plain overinstalling or offering to repair existing install... mostly the former though.
As well some take over MSInstaller, not allowing anything else to install until after reboot(talking about completely unrelated patches not affected by version conflicts).

3. Ran older programs in question, still would not run.
4. Ran MS Update, which triggered a re-install of SP1.

PS Often during the constant downloading / installing / rebooting it will seem like your system is frozen-- whether during initial bootup, welcome screen, scan, download, install.....even after giving it a few minutes to respond. Do NOT be tempted to manually re-start! Go fix a sandwich, walk the cat, etc.... you will need to do so more than once-- have faith in the process, which will right itself each and every time, w/o interference from you.

Presto, all older progs in question run again fine!!!
_________________________________________________

One problem with this Vista SP1 RC: some older programs do not run, returning: Run-time error '429':

ActiveX component can't create object

With original Vista install, this problem was not present-- mentioned programs ran fine... but after awhile some update(s) caused this.
BUT THEN, after installing the LAST BETA OF SP1, this issue was corrected. HOWEVER... it has reared its ugly head once AGAIN with this SP1 Release Candidate.

YES...I do know that MS had warned software developers that they would get a free pass INITIALLY, esp. re Vista's changed folders locations...their programs would still run, BUT they wouldn't with subsequent upgrades IF they didn't recode.

Of course, that doesn't help us with software that still runs fine on ALL OTHER Win versions, BUT that ISN'T being updated anymore.

PS No, Sherlock-- this's not fixed by: installing and/or running in Admin and/or compatibily mode for any / all previous Win versions, as well as fiddling with Ownership / Account / Security settings.

________________________________________________

Apart from that, as I've stated previously / here / elsewhere:

SP1 improves overall speed and responsiveness 'a little bit'... in that sense it's worth getting. HOWEVER, don't expect the rate of improvement as what occurred with XP & its SP's.

HOWEVER TO FIRST HOWEVER: if your system is underwhelming, SP1 will tax it even more & will tend to cause an opposite NEGATIVE effect of diminished performance & responsiveness... even more so if only on Vista BASIC.

The latter may be partly be a result of BASIC's mule-like resistance to tweaks & mods: i guess WC Fields--err MS figures those on BASIC have an even more abysmally-lower IQ than those w/ other versions.

I hate to bring politics into this, but in this instance MS rules EXACTLY LIKE George Bush Jr.:

1. Arbitrarily force policies & changes upon us that most don't want... some so relatively minor they will never affect a significant number of persons.
2. Above done thru the spreading of mass fear bordering on hysteria in the name of Security... 'not to even mention at all' the jumping thru hoops MOST of us law-abinding citizens have to go thru to stop a SMALLER number of cheaters.
3. All the while assuming a LARGE portion of us are of inferior intelligence and/or moral character.

The funny thing is Bill Gates agrees with a lot of the protestations / does not put up with it in his personal systems... a telling example of losing touch / empathy with the common man.

bufftbone reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 13, 2007

I like cheese

pjb reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 13, 2007

Been running it few a few days now, no noticeable issues. A slight improvement in system performance.

David_2005 reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 12, 2007

The installer does not launch, Windows Vista Business (32 Bit installed) cache and all that cleared with Window Washer and CCleaner.
Anyone know what is going on? 1 star for now

coover reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 12, 2007

Cris 3 ... I checked Amazon.com for the book you mentioned but I could find nothing by that exact title (though one title was close). Can you amend your review by giving us the exact name of the book and the name of the author? If you found this book useful, perhaps others may be able to do so.

I have ... at this point ... rated this Service Pack a 5, because I do not believe it would be fair to rate it any less until I have actually applied it. If I do decide to run this Service Pack, and if I find it rates something less than a 5, I shall amend this review to accurately reflect my thoughts on it. But at this point I haven't heard any negative reports ... only that it will speed up network sharing.

The one drawback on this release candidate is that it will expire in June, 2008, and ... evidently ... Vista will not operate properly after than unless it has been uninstalled. Of course, by then, the full SP 1 will be offered, so the RC should be replaced with it.

Cris3 reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 12, 2007

It took a full two hours to install but it installed successfully. No changes evident. A book I bought yesterday called "Windows Vista Tips and Tricks" provided the info to turn up the gas on Vista and I have the performance I can live with. The factory setting defaults are lame and a well written book is going to provide more gain than a service pack based on my experience.

viperiii reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 12, 2007

Just installed and tried, my comment with the this version of service pack is improvement over download speed, however, depend on some particular system to support on vista SP1 i think, haven't tried on video playback and gaming performance. Overall is okay i think..

hideki reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 12, 2007

Totally bogus.
Doesn't even install, after having me wait for hours. Ok, I understand this is not RTM, but hey, it is "RELEASE CANDIDATE" and how hard is it to Microsoft to make sure it AT LEAST installs!?

bradingram reviewed vService Pack 1 Release Candidate on Dec 12, 2007

Windows Vista SP1 RC does not support build-to-build upgrades. If you install this build to your system, you need to uninstall it before moving to the final Vista SP1 RTM version.

found it !!! = the answer is NO - so ill wait for the full relase - uninstalling s/packs never fully gets rid of them - so ill hang on

Biosdegradeable reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Jan 30, 2007

Figures....had to do a bios upgrade on my M2V board to support the Ram ....Hats off to Microsoft...it finally loaded ....but with the release of Vista...dont you think the XP drivers honestly would load..LOL I have HD audio on this board that needs a vista driver...Ha Ha Go figure right?

Traxa reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 11, 2006

I agree with the guy that wonder why the MS Vista homepage dosen't say that this is RC2?
The filename is the same, the size too as far as i can see. So why i this now called RC2 instead of the RC1 issue that it seems to be? Anyone that knows?

mjm01010101 reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 10, 2006

Nice GUI.

Then I started to do stuff, and I realized...What am I really gaining here over XP?

The backup subsystem will dramatically help with backups/restores, but we already have an infrastructure built on that with XP and third party tools.

I see MS has bipolar disorder when it comes to the start menu, they changed it yet again.

Gets a 3. It's almost ready, a few devices not recognized after I installed and started plugging in, and the GUI almost seema tad over the top, dark, and... I don't know... wispy! It also wiped my VPN (Microsoft VPN even) icons. Terrible!

Tenoq reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 10, 2006

Cool - I always wanted a Mac, now I can have one that plays games too. :)

Oh wait, Vista has some serious issues with games at the moment... d'oh. :(

xtool reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 9, 2006

I loved RC1 last build. Didn't run into any problem except couple of drivers which I downloaded from those their webpage. Now, question. How come I can't nor find this build but just RC1? Or do I need to be those tester?

dizzy_davidh reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 9, 2006

Users with Nero installed may have difficulty in reading the disc image once burned due to it having installed it's own UDF driver.

The disc should still work perfectly however if you want to boot off it and install Vista from it otherwise uninstalling Nero will allow the disc to be readable.

CyberDoc999 reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 9, 2006

I think that Microsoft has lost its mind!
I found nothing in Vista that would make me want to
use it...... in fact the networking is all messed up,
the user interface is the worst ever!
If I wanted a Mac I would buy a Mac!

Edpaul reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 8, 2006

I must be stupid. I burn the ISO file and just see a TXT file that says, "This disc contains a "UDF" file system and requires an operating system
that supports the ISO-13346 "UDF" file system specification." [Using XP Pro]

I am using NERO.

What am I doing wrong?

Jordanr05 reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 8, 2006

Well everything seems to be working on my Toshiba Satellite M70 laptop. I'm missing video card drivers so i'm stuck with the world's ugliest UI - Aero Basic.

But UI aside everything seems to be running smoothly, and that ReadyBoost Flash feature is pretty sweet.

I refuse to give 5 stars unless Aero Basic is improved (which i'm sure it won't be). Otherwise this OS is shaping up quite nicely even if it has taken over 5 years.

damndj reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 8, 2006

I suppose the user experience with this BETA software will be dependant on what hardware they have installed on their machine.

For me, Vista RC2 is excellent. Upon first use, I was a bit thrown off due to the changes to the interface, but the more I use it, the more I am getting comfortable with how they want me to use it.

Everything is running great on it with the exception of my network card. I got it working, but it was basically shoving a square peg into a round hole. Until official drivers are released, I can't expect anything more.

The Media Center acts very wonky, with the screen flashing very quickly, but I really don't have a use for it at this time, so that's no big deal. I reckon it’s probably just a video driver problem.

Other than that, I see no reason why I can't use RC2 full time until the release is out. Microsoft has really pulled it together and Vista should make a fine addition to the Windows team once some left over annoyances are fixed and more drivers are released.

mtnsteve reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 8, 2006

While it is stable and actually rather fast, I'm having the same issues I had with all the other releases...it wont let me run my scanner, video card or several of my other programs.

I know this is a driver issue and not exactly their fault of RC2, but if I cant run my chosen programs, it does me little good to use it. I contacted several of the company's that I need the drivers from (Epson and Plextor) and was basically told they would think about it when Vista was actually released.

If you don't have any driver issues I think you will be very pleased with this new offering.

styckx reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 8, 2006

Obviously no one here ran pre release software before.

I remember running pre released version of win2k and XP, and Vista is 10x more stable at RC2 then XP or 2k was during their RC phase. As vista does, XP and 2k RC's had only beta drivers from the distribtors. Quit your yappin and wait for final

Blackhole8746 reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 8, 2006

This is so awful... MS can't be serious to put this up to try and counter Mac OS X 10.5

Good heavens is this a joke or something? Vista... CRAP

DJLunacy reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 8, 2006

Looks nice, runs like crap. Installed Vista then some drivers which are beta as well hosed the system. Tried the system restore and everything was back. Went to bed woke up and system was hung. Restarted system then it went into a restart loop. I think i'll wait till RTM. Hopefully they can smash out the rest of these bugs. I already sent them 4 reports.

munga42 reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 8, 2006

MS sets the standard of the best OS ever once again.

smanofsteel76 reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

Everything seems to be coming together. I have been using RC1 up until today. I upgraded to RC2 overnight and when I logged in it took awhile to get all my display settings and drivers set. But now, it appears to be running great. I think it will be very nice when released!

UPDATE: Have all you people having trouble with drivers and such tried running the programs on your driver disk under Windows XP SP2 compatibilty mode?

Joey Deacon reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

A step back in reliability from RC1 here. BSOD in ACPI.SYS, problems with the Microsoft signed Nvidia RC2 drivers.

PS. Memory useage is irevellent, any efficient operating system should use as much as possible. Or would you rather the memory be sat there doing nothing? How well the operating system reallocates memory when applications need them is important. Linux works like this, it will use ALL the memory you throw at it, this is how efficient operating systems work..

pafinator11 reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

This build of Windows Vista is very nice. It runs faster than XP on my computer (most of the time). The appearence is great. I only have a few complaints, one of them being that with no programs running it eats 53% of my memory. My memory is 1gb so its using around 512mb. I can deal with that though because memory is cheap. My overclocked AMD 3500 is doing better than good with this. Another of my complaints is program compatibility. As an example, AIM does not run at all. Not triton, not 5.9, not at all. A program as popular as this should work. However, GAIM does work. Another complaint is that I cannot find working NFORCE 4 audio drivers. Once these problems are fixed I will be a happy camper.

twosheds reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

About Aero: using the capabilities of the graphics card to enhance the interface is something that could easily have been done 7 years ago, and it would have been a good idea too. It should hardly be a 'premier' feature.

Since I like to be in charge of my PC and my media etc, I shall not be touching Vista.

pjb reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

Still buggy, but a vast improvement from the other builds.
Hopefully other companys will get a move on, and produce software that will work with Vista. They all moan it's a beta - even now it is a RC, and yet they seem complacent. It will soon hit them! - once this hits the shelves!, and the public want to know why they have not done something!

deda reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

English isn't my native idiom.
It works fine, beyond than we expect from beta or RC.
To the people like to "brush bits" I suggest DOS 1.0 (beta 1) or install OS/2, from diskettes, without manuals.

bourgeoisdude reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

Never was able to fully install RC1, was still using the beta 2 until yesterday.

Not sure what everyone else is having issues with, but an unpatched basic edition of Nero 7 works fine for me. I figured I'd test application compatibility, and haven't had any issues. AVG was a little buggy--then I updated the program and it seemed to work fine. Other than that, no major problems, except that it still does not have drivers for my @#% D-Link USB wireless adapter--and D-Link is far from even acknowledging Vista exists on their website, let alone actually providing a 'Vista' driver.

"Vista is over priced and over hyped. It is little more than an update for XP."

Could not be further from the truth--Vista is the first Operating System since Windows 95 that has had most of its archetecture built "from the ground up". It is not over-priced yet, as it is free--I tire of third-parties trying to bash a product because they are linux-fanatics or even Mac users. Maybe tickleonthetum isn't any of those things, but he/she brings things to the table that are irrelevant and untrue. Don't misunderstand, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if the opinion is based on false information or is purposely deceptive, it bugs me.

"The extra security is good, as far as it goes, but I've never had a virus in all the years I've been computing so it is hardly essential, and yes I've visited some dodgy sites."

I would believe you, except that I don't. Even I have found that most viruses these days are actually trojans and spybots purposely designed to be hidden from view. You have likely had many of them--only you haven't seen them. Still, even if you are correct, again you are misleading. Vista is going to change the industry BECAUSE it will arrive preinstalled on new PC's, not because ones such as you or I will buy the Microsoft copy (or pirate it), but because it will come on new PCs. Eventually, it will be crippling not to have it, and in this sense, I am 100% happy with the new security measures.

Incompatible software is unavoidable since the archetecture has changed drastically. Sadley, good products made by great companies that are now defunct will likely fail to work on Vista. Legacy apps made for Windows 98 (that "happened" to work with XP) will not run, any 16-bit apps are almost guaranteed not to run. This will greatly hinder businesses, so likely most will wait quite some time before using vista, but home users? Your 62 year old neighbor down the street who uses a PC for email and solitaire? Those will be the people who use Vista first, followed by the enthusiasts who initially rejected Vista...

"To much of a resource hog, The computer should use it's resource's for the programs they run but not for the OS it's self. I will never buy it.

I dont need pretty windows I need a fast OS."

I know what you mean. I used the same argument to use Windows 2000 over Windows XP for a long time. In time, you will learn to make it work for your needs though--assuming you spend the time and effort learning. I can get XP down to 15 processes + my antivirus pretty easily, and it uses less than 75MB of RAM at startup. I can keep Vista down a bit, by messing with the services and such. Disable Aero too, that'll do the most help.

I've said enough I suppose. All in all, it's great--but I can say that many manufacturors are still ignoring it sadley, and could care less if their software works with it until it's "out there". Idiots, that's what the RC's are for! *sigh* Likely if you have an issue with RC2, it is the manufacturer of the third-party software, not Microsoft, that has the problem.

some guy reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

To much of a resource hog, The computer should use it's resource's for the programs they run but not for the OS it's self. I will never buy it.

I dont need pretty windows I need a fast OS.

tickleonthetum reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

Vista is over priced and over hyped. It is little more than an update for XP. The transparent windows are annoying, and the new look could have been added to XP easily. The extra security is good, as far as it goes, but I've never had a virus in all the years I've been computing so it is hardly essential, and yes I've visited some dodgy sites. The average home user (not the types who visit here) has little to no reason to upgrade. Yet many will be forced to just to run future software I expect. Don't fall for the con, have the guts to vote with your feet and don't buy it. No vote, no whining.

bourgeoisdude:
I can assure you I've never had a TRojan, Virus or Spyware on my system. Windows XP is plenty secure, it's the users who are not, and I feel that Vista won't make a lot of difference to those who go around installing everything that has an OK box!
The look of Aero is flash and the white 'Mac' Version is nice on the eyes, but the transparancy is a gimick that I think many will switch off...

supermanforever reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

I have no problem with aero glass on RC1 but after fresh install RC2. I can't get aero anymore.

Don't know why? I have already install the ATI drivers may be because of the drivers is still for RC1.

HornyToad reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

Totally concur with Cranbers : muchos software are NOT yet working with Vista build 5744, and that's not exactly encouraging, since this is supposed to be the last step before Gold...

Namely, on my Toshiba laptop, the Alps Touch Pad doesn't scroll at all (it does point and click, though ; how nice of it...), and the default screen definition was stuck in 1024 X 768 px, forcing me to tinker with it, when on the build before (5728, if memory serves ?), the right definition (1280 X 800) was found right out of the box. Go figure... The same mitigated opinion goes for all the software that need to be run in admin's mode to work properly (RegCleaner, for example, and no, I don't use it in Vista to clean the Registry, just to check which programs launch at boot along with the OS), such as SpyBot or Resource Hacker (which, by the way, I used to resize the annoyingly oddly-sized notification applets from the Tea Timer functionality ; worked like a charm : now the "remember my decision" function is offset from the "accept the change" one, when they used to overlap before).

Another strange decision on Microsoft's part : why getting rid of the compatibility wizard, which helped immensely when you used a software not exactly engineered for Vista--and there seems to be many ?

As for the rest, it's OK : it looks and feels good, the UI is clean, lean (mean ?), but the whole thing is a genetically-modified resource hog alright (about 400 megs of RAM in my case, with no, repeat no, other application working, but Vista itself). One simple look at the equivalent of Task Manager on a Macintosh, and you feel like breaking down and cry...

Way to go, Bill...

PS : one last thing, there's no need to go fetch another activation key, since the one delivered for build 5728 works on this one ; at least it did for me...

jaredjames reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

Which link exactly give you key?

cranbers reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

There are still a lot of applications that don't work correctly with Vista, namely Nero version 7 and some games. But a lot of others commonly used apps work fine. The performance is fairly snappy the user interface is ok. Everything has been moved for settings so be prepared to visit the control panel often.

As for the quality I would say its good. Vista is stable I haven't had any problems with it crashing with 5728 so we will see what 5744 has in store.

photonboy reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

Vista is shaping up to be a great OS. Despite this, many will have no need to upgrade immediately. I have extensively tested the last three versions. There's way too much to discuss (see Paul Thurrott's website for that). My rating of "5" reflects the quality of Vista for this stage of development compared to where Windows 98 and XP where.

512MB video cards?
This comment and rating of "1" is made in complete ignorance of how Vista works. A 128MB video card of compatible chipset is all that is required to get full benefit out of the new graphical interface. Also, any video card will run the basic interface which works fine. Expensive video cards are for gamers mainly and this situation has always been true. You can buy an $85(CDN) Asus motherboard with built-in Video and still be happy with Vista.

Vista will run satisfactorily on any modern machine. For basic users (most people), a 1.5GHz+ CPU, 512MB RAM and 60GB hard drive will do just fine. There's a lot of incorrect information out there.

Vista will come together rapidly once it is released and manufacturers begin supplying mature drivers.

zridling reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

I'll still go on record as saying that Vista will be the next Windows ME, as many will not be able to afford the hardware and (and Microsoft's stiff pricing), not to mention the businesses all over the world who get their work done perfectly well with XP right now on existing, cheap systems. I'll wait for either the next Windows OS upgrade or at the very least, Vista-SP1 by December 2007. By then, 64-bit hardware should be more affordable, along with some archiving issues sorted out.

utomo reviewed vRC2 Build 5744 on Oct 7, 2006

Still need a lot of improvements. especially:
- Reduce the resources usage.
- Reduce the installation size.
- Improve protections from Virus.
- Improve the system recovery, so it can recover from condition where we can not run the windows/ from the command prompt. This will become really usefull.
if only when we can login to the windows only (like win xp) it is not so much help.

also please look at the review from http://www.winsupersite.com/
it still need a lot of corrections.

mjm01010101 reviewed vRC1 Build 5728 on Sep 25, 2006

Will treat the Gold as an RC, SP1, as Gold, and SP2 as "ready for prime time use."

But I'll still probably buy it on release day or through company procurement. :)

eclipsingdivinity reviewed vRC1 Build 5728 on Sep 25, 2006

I'm personally pumped about Windows Vista. Obviously Mac zealots claim they have all the features and yeah I agree, but it also doesn't have the diversity Windows has with its applications. Now we have a well rounded, polished operating system with a new suite of applications built on the Vista engine. I don't see how it using a gig of ram is a terrible thing. It's up to software to push hardware so we aren't stuck with 512 RAM five years down the road. Obviously that's not progress.

For those who don't like Vista, obviously XP is the most stable operating system out there and it should be for time to come. But a year after Vista's release Microsoft should have a powerhouse of an OS on its hands.

hondaman reviewed vRC1 Build 5728 on Sep 25, 2006

I remember the good ole days when RC really meant "Release Candidate", meaning, THIS IS A RELEASE THAT COULD POSSIBLY GO TO MANUFACTURING.

This release of Vista is so far from going gold, it would take the power of google maps to navigate from this release to a bug-free, polished OS, TRULY deserving a "RC" title . Plagued with hundreds of bugs, if this is even a glimmer of the best MS can do, Vista is doomed before its ever born.

arossetti reviewed vRC1 Build 5728 on Sep 25, 2006

I was wondering why it was so easy to find yesterday when I wanted to upgrade my 5600 build ;) The upgrade from 5600 to 5728 went very smoothly, though it did take a bit longer than I expected considering how few apps I had installed.

Overall, a nice OS, but some features (like UAC) are poorly implemented. I think MSFT is on the right track with this one, but I think the train may be leaving the station a bit early.

rmb800 reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 19, 2006

PerfectDisk 8 by Raxco is offering for free trial download..(150 days till expires) their beta release for Vista RC1. I have it and it works flawlessly. Vista's defragger lacks everything in my opinion and actually seems like a step back not forward. Nvidia has Vista drivers for many of their cards on their website. TrendMicro also has a trial version security suite for Vista called -14-, with anitvirus/antispyware and much much more. Have fun with RC1 !

surfbum4fun reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 15, 2006

i'm not a big fan of Windows (sled 10 user) but i must admit, the rc-1 is not that bad.Sure they're trying to look like Apple's tiger o/s and also some Linux distros, but i got it to install and do video and audio beta drivers upgrades to work. so i give a 4 to the programmers. I won't switch from Linux and Apple, but it's fun playing with this o/s.

Biosdegradeable reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 15, 2006

ASUS M2V with 4600+ sempron 512 Ati Video 4 gigs ddr2 and 80 gig Sata Drive...Hangs real bad...Trying to load the 5600 build of RC2 Vista and it wont load all the way...runs XP32 bit just fine...All I can figure is that with the pre. Driver data base it is having a problem with a driver..or Sata...I will try 32 bit version to see if I can get a work around.. So I guess it will take some time to get more of the bugs worked out on 64....

badrix reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 14, 2006

Get Your Vista RC1 Key Now =)

1st : Windows live account required

2nd : Go here :

https://login.live.com/p...e8bc7f8b32a029ff8965d03

* You will have to login You will have to login to your Live account, if not already logged in.
* You will see a form, fill up the details properly. Make sure you fill a correct email address as you will get your product key at that email address.
* Keep filling up the required forms and clicking ‘continue’.
* When all finishes, you should see the download URLs as given above along with the serial number. You will also get the serial number by email.

Walkerbowe reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 14, 2006

This is a very nice build compared to previous one's. I've been following Vista for awhile now, and although it still lacks driver support. Companies like Ati, Creative to name a few have already released Vista favors.

I'm gonna enjoy using this build, although I wish they included the Windows Vista logo, at startup.

aashay reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 9, 2006

Very stable and bug free. It seriously is hard to believe that RC1 is so smooth and efficient even on my ageing Acer TravelMate 250 and my other old test PC. These guys have really done a fantastic job. Vista will only get better from here. Just waiting for a good AntiVirus & a modern Defragging app though, it would make it perfect.

photonboy reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 9, 2006

I've reviewed every Beta release and I have to say RC1 is shaping up nicely. You wouldn't think so from the reviews, but I've put it through the paces.

Sure, there's still a lack of software and driver support but that's not a Microsoft issue. A review should be based on how Vista compares with how you currently use XP. Media player 11 wouldn't play most of my video files (it starts then drops back playing only audio; it is NOT the codec) but the Media Center did (strange). However, VLC and Zoomplayer worked without a hitch so I'm happy. DVD support worked for my latest LG drive but NOT an early LG drive which works fine with XP.

NVidia's latest video driver for RC1 is an improvement. I use Madonion's (Futuremark) benchmark tests as it just generates a single number which tests basically your entire system. Vista didn't score as high (again, still not a Microsoft issue) but it was more than adequate for many games.

Use your normal programs and compare mainly the stuff that isn't going to be automatically fixed by non-Microsoft software and drivers.

Heck, if Cool 'n Quiet would work and Nero 7 Ultra was good to go I'd probably switch right now. Fully functional NVidia drivers and a few minor problems fixed and I'll never look back at XP!

cyberia reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 8, 2006

What's with the 907 byte and then "completed" downloads? This has happened to me before on Vista .iso downloads.

Kimble

extremely well reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 8, 2006

Here's crossing my fingers Vista RTM will install on my 1 yr old Sony VAIO. If not - this will be the last Sony laptop I buy... The premium I paid for it surely was sufficient.

pjb reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 7, 2006

I really am impressed. A vast improvement on Beta 2.
Loads a lot faster, looks alot nicer and is easier on system resources. Roll on the final release.

1uk3 reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 7, 2006

Great stuff - don't do use the upgrade option like I did though from 5472 - a lot of stuff got messed up so I had to do a format and reinstall everything. Back-up anything you want to keep first - I lost 200GB+ of documents because I was stupid enough not to doa bcak-up!

All working nicely now though, RC1 is looking better and is much more stable.

P.S. Beta 2 Keys work just fine! ;)

girts reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 7, 2006

I am downloading today it and speed is very good.
No problem.

ostrakon reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 6, 2006

I will say that this is a preliminary review. From what I've tested of RC1, I've no really pressing complaints, other than that User Access Control seems to be a bit more active than in the Pre-RC1 release.

There is still the annoying lack of out-of-the-box support for SoundBlaster NX2 and Logitech Orb Cam, but fiddling around with the Sound Properties enough solves the former (an obscure sound property is muted) and installing the driver from my XP partition solves the latter. Not critical, but annoying.

Install took an about an hour, so no speedy install for me. I really wanted to slam MSIE, especially since I'm an avid Firefox user, but it actually seems nice. Not nice enough for me to leave Mozilla mind you, but whatever.

I'm not sure the upgrade requirements for Vista are on point: 100 GB IDE Hard disk, 1.5 GB RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 (256 MB VRAM). Vista, in all its "wonder", works nicely. Anyone with hardware similar to this should do fine, but YMMV.

Since WinFS was shot down from this version of Windows, I'm not really sure what Vista's killer new thing is, particularly when a good Mac buddy of mine showed me Leopard. I'm impressed. A wise Windows user wouldn't slam those Mac cats. They've got some really nice things. And let's not forget Unix/Linux. They already play with the big boys, but just aren't as mainstream yet. All three are innovating, and MS really needs to watch its rear. When I'm ready to get a new system, it'll likely be a Mac.

Having said that, I'm not convinced that the average Win user needs to upgrade from XP. A really pretty interface is nice and all, but why bother? I can't say I'd tell they should. If you really, really want an overall layout of things that's quite a bit better than XP, and a schnazzy UI, go nuts. Otherwise, stick with XP for now. If nothing better than this comes out, wait till Windows "Vienna" or whatever it's to be called.

Not really good enough for a five, but not deserving a three, I give 'er a four, and will probably go ahead a get Vista, just because I can afford it and know how to back up data to reinstall another OS.

Alex Stevens reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 6, 2006

There ARE NO product keys. You have to use the one you got when you signed up for earlier public releases. If you didn't sign up before, you are out of luck for now. You can still use it for 14 days but that's it.

Webwarp, why are you rating a program you have not even downloaded yet? Because your download is slow? That's ridiculous.

alexsch8 reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 6, 2006

I downloaded it twice already and I keep having MD5 hash fails - and I'm using the download manager provided. Speed-wise I'm doing fine, downloading at 1.5MB/s.

Vista itself is starting to look better and better. Finally it's at the RC level so now it's just fixing bugs.

HurricaneGame reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 6, 2006

i think u can use ur beta 2 key

dcarter reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 6, 2006

Product Key and/or how to obtain one seems to not be on the link noted here. Please advise.

marty reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 6, 2006

I'm using the download manager right now (obviously slow). As for the key I couldn't find it but since I got a legit key for Beta 2 and read that you can upgrade from beta 2 isn't it normal to reuse the key (don't recall MS doing it another way)??

Anybody know? I won't use warez key's but if I need one will contact MS Tech support since I should be eligle - didn't get that email tho - probably mass confusion.

The MAZZTer reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 6, 2006

boster: The point of the BETA is so that YOU CAN LET MICROSOFT KNOW WHAT'S WRONG. Only THEN can they fix it. They're not mind readers.

RC1 download is working at the time of this writing. If this delivers the speed increase that I keep hearing about over Beta 2, even just that will be worth the upgrade.

the artist reviewed vRC1 Build 5600 on Sep 6, 2006

READ THIS!
Well, i've come to think that Vista is a nice Milestone to something better to come in a few years, i'm punctualy talking about Vienna. Vista is a great basis indeed for something better, and i don't wanna sound negative about that, but it doesn't feel like enough by itself; it will when it is developed to a maximum in next versions, imo.
After our eyes are clean from the hype-storm of the momentum, many will think this way i guess. Who agrees?

Read here in short:
http://www.geekpedia.com/windowsvienna/

moshah reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Sep 2, 2006

I really like this release. Not having any major problems except Avast. But I switched to AVG which works fine.

morriscox reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Sep 2, 2006

photonboy: yes, you use the Beta 2 key for this version.

This version is faster than Beta 2 and is performing quite well. However, I don't like how Windows Explorer makes it difficult to expand/collapse folders, as well as having the Folders pane not tall enough.

Avast! won't enable or check for updates when I tell it to, yet it checks Avast's network manager for updates on its own (though it won't install them).

Adrian79 reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 30, 2006

i agree w/ comment below

boster reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 30, 2006

What I don't understand is how Microsoft has still not fixed the issue with ACPI compliance. Beta 2 would not install on my 1.5 year old Gateway laptop. I would have thought in the months since beta 2 was released to the public, Microsoft would have realized there was a problem and addressed it. I was wrong...build 5536 has the same issues as beta 2. I would suspect that when Microsoft releases RC1, it will have the same issue. So, it appears I won't be upgrading to Vista until I buy a new machine in a few years.

badrix reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 30, 2006

MD5 hash : e7f0a439e1e61d57ebf3c4f89e2f96d7
how can i use it??
thnx in adv

photonboy reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 30, 2006

I think Vista is progressing nicely. Driver support often doesn't happen for most apps until the OS has actually been released. Generally most companies are working on drivers but wait for the final code to actually release the drivers. Exceptions are usually Video drivers.

Due to the new security enhancements, people should expect to do a little reading.

There is so much under the hood that is good that I think this is going to be a great OS. Beta 2 worked quite well and many of my applications worked.

For more reading, go to Wikipedia, the Vista homepage and Google a bit. I would still wait at least six months before purchasing unless you need a new PC before then and will be purchasing one with Vista on it already.

Excpect to see drivers and patches being released like crazy within three months after Vista's release and up to a year for almost full compatibility. Some older hardware may never be compatible but that will be up to the individual manufacturers properly providing driver support. This is nothing new and happens every time a new OS is released.

There's not enough space to review individual components, but I expect Vista to be functional for most people and gaming support through driver support should be very good (NVidia and ATI especially).

Will the same key work for this as for the Beta 2 that was released?

minklein reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 30, 2006

Same garbage as Beta 2, no driver support. I mean, even MS Intellipoint drivers won't install, "Known compatibility problems." Their own hardware, no excuse.

Now consider printers and scanners, disk defraggers and backup software. I am talking latest software releases and late model hardware. You either have to buy new programs or hope that the developer will provide some support.

My latest 32bit install of Vista would not browse, even though I had a perfect network. Their debugger indicated that all was well and I was already connected to the internet. (SBC DSL)

Considering that everything I have works perfectly with XP64 or XP32, why even consider going down this road.

PS: Office 2007 is great, MS will get some money from me there.

bradingram reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 30, 2006

why allow a web page to d/l a 2.5gig file - then tell users that they are no longer issuing keys - this is a complete waste of time and bandwith - 2.5gig could be a high proportion of someones monthly allowance - come on MS - its ok to limit the distributon - but dont waste peoples time

tereshchenko reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Very good build - fast and no bugs so far.
Seems that Vista will be a very solid release - and with HUGE number of new technologies that software developers :-)

mmatheny reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Well, this is great - public gets it, MSDN subscribers are still stuck at 5472.5!! What kind of !@$#@ is this!!

paulm reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Thanks tijgetje. Still waiting for the download to complete. 12-14 hours. I thought that was pretty good, till I read someone posted here that they downloaded it in 30 minutes!!!
Good things come to those who wait me thinks. ;-

rseiler reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

No need for a product key to install. Also, considering that you have 14 days to activate--by which time RC1 should be out....

Master- reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

A big liftup on this new update.

Now my sound doesnt lag anymore. :-D

Tosawyer reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

So it let me download but now I goto the website to get my license key and it says

"Thank you for your interest in Windows Vista. The Customer Preview Program is now closed. We have reached our program capacity and no new orders are being accepted. We apologize for any inconvenience."

I'm going to try and use the keys I recieved for the previous release.

alexsch8 reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Vista is starting to look better and better and getting more stable. I personally like it. I don't agree with this going to be a failed OS - I don't think MS would spend 6 years and then come up with an OS that "fails". Yes, it needs patches once it's on the market, but come on - which OS does not need patching? OSX, Linux etc, they also have their patches so its not a phenomena exclusive to Microsoft.

Download speed this time was great! I downloaded the whole thing in 30 minutes on a Comcast Cable connection.

lovedoc143 reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

If you have Beta 2 installed, it'll upgrade that copy of it. If you don't, you won't be able to get a "Fresh key" from MS,

(Yes, it finally downloaded for me. *smiles*)

jogygeorge reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

maxyvits, you are lucky that you have the beta 2 key! I missed out then and now it seems to have been closed.

Their site says 100000 downloads and then this download will close too, hence I'm here working late to let the download complete!

4 stars only beacuse they let you download, but don't provide the key! I guess it since its expiring anyways, they should have provided a "keyless" entry ;)

yanike reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Maxyvits your link is to beta 2 not RC1.

By the way, use Getright Download Manager to download! It's fast and real stable. I'm using it right now and everything is running smoothly.

maxyvits reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Will my beta 2 product key suffice for this build? I went to the Windows website and it says that the Preview Program is closed.

Viajante reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Well this link is for Beta 2 build 5384 and not for RC 1 like a said before: http://download.windowsv...rc1/en/x86/download.htm.
Microsoft as trick me well, it says on that link that is Windows Vista RC 1 but i installed it and is Beta 2 Build 5384.

The MAZZTer reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

termx: I found a fix for the problem where it denies you access for files. You need to go into the security tab of the affected item(s) (most preferably the root drive letter) and find the "Take Ownership" option. Once you have done that (you probably want it to apply to all subfolders and files) you then have to assign yourself access rights to the item(s) (same deal with subfolders and files).

Note that you might want to exclude the "System Volume Information" folder if one exists from this operation. Windows purposely makes this folder unaccessible to users and administrators for security reasons.

I haven't tried out this build yet, I need access to a DVD burner. However I have heard that the speed is much better compared to Beta 2, so I'm remaining optimistic.

terminalx reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

funny...my computer runs vista fine and its 4 yrs old and the new beta is a definite improvement over beta 2...I cant justify the pricing they are suggesting though...thats my only problem and still not satisfied with the UAC I know it can be turned off but still it still should not be so sensitive and for some reason I cannot view files on my xp partition but all other parts I can...so not sure on that one if its just me or it happens to others

ssb reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Vista: How you can turn a supercomputer to a fancy calculator.

Slow, slow and ...slow!

robmanic44 reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Stay away! This will not handshake with my Windows 2003 server. Microsoft is going to have a difficult time selling this to people with home servers. How can PC vendors say a system is Vista ready, when Vista isn't ready?

bello reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

VISTA sounds and looks very good. but in reality it is just a nice looking bulky garbage! i just bought a new class PC that absolutely ready for VISTA so i have tried two previously beta releases already hoping to feel that pretty VISTA and both times my new PC got frozen several times and besides installation took about 45 minutes . damn ! it was so long !!! i thought i'd better go and have something at kitchen during that neverending installation process. by the way Windows XP Pro installation takes just 10 minutes and works just perfect ! really dimond OS so far !

utomo reviewed vPre-RC1 Build 5536 on Aug 29, 2006

Microsoft need to improve :
- Reduce the resources needed. we sometimes need something light.
- It need to improve the cpability to restore:
a. If we got virus, we can restore to conditions when the virus not exist, and the rest still OK. now the restore still not good enough.
b. We need to be able to restore even when the windows it self crash, we need to be able to restore from the command prompt or from other situations.

jolebo reviewed vBeta 2 on Jul 3, 2006

I purchased the Beta Vista version on CD disk through Microsoft. I personally do not see anything that spectacular with this system. I run Windows XP home use, and have never had problems. With Vista, I am freezing up all the time. My mouse pointer will not move, and the only way to get out is to shut the computer down. The graphics are not that great, the translucency is okay, but until adjustments were made, it was difficult viewing different windows because you could see the desktop through them, and the tool bars aren't that much different. Maybe I am missing some of the features or benefits, but it will not be worth purchasing based on what I have seen thus far.

FmlyRnn reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 22, 2006

My system [s] clearly are not ready for Vista. I have tried it on several, and could not do too much of anything. Meanwhile, I have seen it in it's glory on a friends PC and it looks and operates like a charm. Microsoft has a winner here!!! However, potential users should be prepared! I will have to upgrade my all of my system [s] in order to enjoy the future of computing with Vista. Vista, is the Operating System I must have!!! Nevertheless, I am reinstalling XP.
FmlyRnn

Audigy reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 18, 2006

Great operating system, has not crashed yet after 2-3 weeks. Thanks to siacono for the tip with SearchSystemProtocol, or something like that. M$ has really improved their standards

The MAZZTer reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 12, 2006

The new security model is going to take some getting used to. I've already worked around file access permissions because it was too much of a hassle (I should be able to access my own hard drive, darrnit!).

Other problems:
- WinSAT sucks. It's ratings are horrible. I need to force Aero Glass on via the registry... and it runs fine, by the way.
- Source engine games didn't work acceptable (too glitchy) with my GeForce FX 5200 using official nVidia drivers. On the other hand, my GeForce 6800XT seems to work fine (but I need to test with more games).
- One MS driver seems to like bluescreening on sleep or shutdown.
- Windows Audio's per-application doesn't work right with some apps, including Trillian and Windows Sounds! Set the volume slider to 0 instead to mute these apps.
- Solitaire likes to go emo and hang itself if you don't pay enough attention to it. I don't know wtf is up with that.
- Very occacional, seemingly random explorer crashes.
- When some apps try to set file associations or set themselves as the default whatever (even with my blessing) they fails silently. This is due to the aforementioned new security model, but it would be nice for an elevation prompt here, or at least the option to enable one.
- Hard to find stuff at first with the new Control Panel. User Friendly apparantly == annoying.

mtnsteve reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 10, 2006

Not bad for an early beta release. Nowhere near an RC1 me thinks.

I know they are having driver issues, but the amount of stuff that won't run right now is pretty high.

Anything with Windows Media Technologies won't run, or at least won't run properly. Roxio 7 wont install. None of my Plextor devices will operate or run the support software...well my PX-16A runs, but I have to use Microsoft DVD Maker to burn anything.

My Plextor ConvertX PVR software wont install at all, so I haven't tried installing the ulead or Sage TV programs. No updates on their site yet.

Photoshop Elements 3 kinda installed..it's not showing up in programs, but the link is on the desktop, well sort of, its a broken image. I don't know yet where it will fail, it wouldn't load the Windows Media Technologies file...as least it let me finish the install.

Its very slow to boot, because of faultily nVidia drivers, including the ones loaded by Microsoft during the install. They wouldn't allow Aero to run, so I installed the Vista Beta drivers from nVidia. Aero works now, but it still takes several minutes to boot.

I had to run a beta program from Trend Micro because it wouldn't load my 2005 Internet Security program.

I tried to use the Media Center, it started playing a DVD, then wouldn't shut off.

Webshots Desktop wont connect to the internet either...still working on that.

For some reason Everest Home Edition 2.20 now wont read the temp on my GPU and it only shows temps for one of my hard drives.

Ooops, now it doesn't show any sensor readings...gotta look into that.

I'm not complaining, well not much. I expected to have issues with this beta after reading about it, but I thought I would be able to run some of my programs on it.

Not ready for prime time....by a long shot.

kberg31974 reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 10, 2006

If you want to get rid of the security nagging every time you launch a program, do the following:

Press Win+R to bring up the "Run" dialog, type "msconfig" and click OK. Allow it to launch. Click the "Tools" tab, scroll down to "Disable UAP," click it and then click "Launch." A command prompt window should open saying it ran. After you reboot, the nagging will be gone.

drobbyb reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 10, 2006

As others have stated, it's a memory hog. It looks slick, and the security features are top notch (although all the warnings can be a little annoying). For those of you looking for an av program to use, do a search on google. I found 3 in 30 seconds, and 2 of them were free. I tested the windows defender that comes bundled with Vista, and found it to be sub par, by deliberately downloading some spyware and letting windows defend against it. The defender failed to remove it and I had to remove it manually. I am running it on an AMD XP 2800+ (2.09 ghz) 1.25 GB of ddr ram with 200 gigs of hard drive space and still found it to be a little sluggish. There are still quite a few bugs in this version, but it is still in development. The compatibility mode (that allows it to run applications as if it were XP SP2) is still buggy, but has some promise.
Pros: Top notch security, easy to use, easy to install, visually stunning.
Cons: Memory hog, hard to maintain a network.

terminalx reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 10, 2006

Install was very easy (after I figured out I had a bad copy and needed to redownload it) install took about 35 minutes a little less then xp took...my only gripe so far is the constant nagging for approval on anything (granted this will be nice for people who barely know how to turn a pc on but for a power user its the birds) There is no drivers available at this time for my sound card m-audio Delta 66...everything else installed fine and was rather painless...setting up a dual boot was rather easy as well just selected to customize it and vista did the rest...I find it amusing that the performance tool to assist with fixing performance issues all points to windows processes...

@tigger4046 800 Mhz machines are high end?? you can buy a brand new machine for 300 dollars with 4 tmes the power of a 800 Mhz processor...I cant understand why someone would run xp on a 300 MHZ machine thats just...wow

My Specs are 2500 XP+ 1.5 Gigs of Ram 300 gig ATA drive

UPDATE: After installing the newer drivers speed picked up nicely and increasing the page file to the max ...not sure if this is a feature but I like that when I see my desktop I can immediately start doing things...you can also turn the uap off by going to user accts and turning it off from there (that annoying red shield sits at the bottom though no nag but it just being there is annoying)

Dwiebelhaus reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

OK, this is just stupid. You people are giving a rating of 5 or 1 even though you haven't downloaded the beta? Please, if you can't figure out how to use the internet then you certainly do NOT need to beta test this OS.

Until you learn how to not suck at the internet go troll majorgeeks.com k?lrn2ply.

Now, onto grown folks stuff.

This OS is programming perfection. Looks brilliant and security functions are top notch, if you’re a serious IT pro, I suggest giving this beta a whirl I think you'll fall in love, can't wait to see what improvements will be made in the coming months.

urbanriot reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

Looks nice, and Aero is amazing but the OS itself is filled with so many GUI inconsistancies and frustrating nuances. To do tasks that took 2 keyboard combo clicks in XP now require 5 mouse clicks in Vista. Often you can't even use the keyboard in certain menus. The most simplistic, computer illiterate people may enjoy using the dumbed down computing approach but this operating system is horribly innefficient for a power user. Maintaining a wireless connection is a nightmare maze of clicks and right clicks.

some guy reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

crap os
to buggy to many resource's used just to run the OS , Imagine trying to re-encode a video or render a image in 3d or even play a game on this Os you would need AMD 64 4000+ overclocked to 4500
with 10 gigs of ram and 2 sli 7800 gt cards lololololol

linkdup reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

I love vista. Its 'already' going to be hard to go back to XP until this gets released.

supermanforever reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

Don't know why I can't boot from the DVD?? I have burned the ISO onto a DVDRW.

The file that I downloaded from here doesn't boot at all. checksum also wrong.

Patnet reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

Got my copy via TechNet :-) Installed it in VMWare and runs sweet. Don't forget to install VMWare Tools after reboot. Give it all the memory you can, I'm lucky enough to have 3 GB.

FlipmodeBG reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

Access denied, looking for a mirror...

DEFo reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

Thanks to BN to provide such accessible and reliable download, while micro$oft tells to wait and apologize for too busy servers ..
i'll edit post or post again to tell more and rate this beta .. now installing ...

nefarious1 reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

How the hell is one supposed to get a product key for this thing? I initiated an ISO download, and didn't see any product key shown. Nor did it arrive via email. And it didn't get shuffled into a spam folder.

mcm reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 9, 2006

donahu1, I suggest installing a program like Daemon Tools and mounting the image. You can then run the setup from the virtual drive. The only caveat is that the Vista setup now allows you to resize existing partitions (unlike XP) but you do need to boot of the DVD for that. If you have another program then you're fine and can simply start the setup from within XP as described.

So far everything has been running great, no crashes or driver installation problems. I did have to beef up the memory to 756mb though as I found that it was running very slow on just 512mb.

EDIT:
nefarious1, proceed with the download from the "obtain a Product Key from this Windows Website" link in the description text above. After logging onto passport and entering in my details it showed me my Product Key on the page along with the links to download the ISOs. It also followed up with an email as well.

donahu1 reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

I've been able to download the ISO twice but even with a 3.2gig iso, I can't get it to burn on a DVD!
Finally decided to get the Vista from MS for $6US. Not bad for a 2 DVD set.....

xsartorix reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

All I'm getting is an access denied error.....

dzjepp reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

This is not on the betanews servers anymore. It redirects to an ms page. :[

nusclyde reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

I'm glad at least this version is on the betanews servers. I had no luck with MS, their servers are full. Downloading it now from BetaNews - 960 KB/s and climbing. I've seen the beta a little bit else-where, looks interesting; can't wait to give it a try.

photonboy reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Microsoft Servers are bogged down. It is best to use a download manager if possible to prevent restarts. GETRIGHT works perfectly.

Vista is going to be really good, however it's going to take a while for many of the new features, drivers and features not completed to be fixed. Several features have been temporarily dropped to meet the timeframe.

It is unknown when WinFS will be implemented. I've extensively reviewed Vista. You really need to read the website to appreciate the changes. Laptops will see better power management especially with the new Hybrid drive technologies in 2007. Expect to see COMPLETELY SILENT computers (at least most of the time and when not gaming). Keep power management and quietness in mind when purchasing your PC components such as Cool 'n Quiet for AMD. (CPU, motherboard, Memory, hard drive, video cards need to be chosen carefully. Gigabyte has a board that can drop CPU usage to 12.5% in idle and Hybrid drives can stay off up to 20 minutes at a time. Vista is being optimized for certain new power management functions)

One thing that's always bugged me is the user interface slowdowns when background programs run. Just opening basic programs can vary between a half second and twenty seconds. Vista is optimized to keep important pieces in RAM to speed up the user experience. It works great. To fully appreciate MS Vista I recommend at least 128MB approved video card, 1GB RAM and any new CPU. I recommend dual-core 64-bit which should start to see optimizations soon.

x64 or x32 Vista? You will need to have a 64-bit CPU. However, you then need to choose 64-bit or 32-bit Vista. By the time Vista is released in 2007 64-bit drivers and software should be a lot more mature but you will have to read up on each component and software that you have to ensure compatibility. I think Microsoft should make both versions available with the same ID so that people can start with 32-bit and switch to 64-bit when all their hardware and software are fully supported. It's just not fair to expect the consumer to choose between them at a time when support is questionable for 64-bit. (a program to diagnose 64-bit compatibility of hardware and software is sorely needed)

I'm testing the 32-bit Beta but purchasing the 64-bit Vista. (However, I don't expect to see any
worthwhile code optimizations until around 2008)

Most people should wait to upgrade at least six months after the initial release to let bugs and support issues be addressed to ensure an easier transition. I'm expecting a HUGE amount of Vista purchases for fall (University) and X-Mas of 2007.

romulus15 reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Having problems downloading via IE 6 or 7? Download with FireFox and you'll get the whole file. For whatever reason, IE can't handle such a large download. :~)

csamaha reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

When I try to download from Betanews, it always stops downloading at 721 bytes. Anyone else having this problem? It's been doing that since this morning and it always stops at the same place, so it seems unlikely that the server is just busy, but who knows...

mjm01010101 reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

What am I doing wrong here? networking works, (ping) but no sites load up in IE. Progress bar moves over, but nothing actually shows up. Has Microsoft actually made IE secure by disabling http?

Like XP initially, I dislike the GUI.
no start-->run (I know Windows+R works)
every time you hover over an icon a graphical avatar shows up. I don't understand the logic in this, are there people who cannot read and using OS's based solely on how an icon looks?

There are popups warning me pretty much every time I use a different aspect of my machine. There was even a popup telling me the computer had difficulty coming out of standby!
Performance rating of "2" on a 6 month old machine.

This still seems very alpha to me. Lots isn't working.

siacono reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

I have been using Builld 5384 for a couple weeks now and I love it so far. The only thing I have noticed is some software will cause the searchprotocolhost.exe to hog cpu and over 1gig ram. To solve this just shut off "windows search"

otto888 reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

I'm just guessing my rating based on build 5308. It worked great! this build might not ask for permission to open anything!

ghammer reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Very nice compared to earlier preview builds.
After install, Update actually found driver updates for devices on my system.

Sound works well, and my NVidia video has updated drivers.

Office 2007 is smoother/nicer on this than on XP Pro.

Kaspersky 6 and Avast! work fine.

You can turn off the annoying User Account Control.

If you have the hardware, give it a shot. I was pleased after removeing all other Vista builds in about an hour.

As a bonus, ads here that detect the OS are baffled.
"Watch Global TV Channels in
an unknown operating system "

dvferret reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

I only got to 1.2 gig before it thought it was done downlaoding. Im trying again this time with a download manager. However, Vista Beta 2 has been looking ausome so far.

tigger4046 reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

End of Line -- It would appear that only high end pc's that run 800 mhz are allowed to use this new technology unlike the XP model that was backwards compatible with the intel x86 processors. I ran into 2 problems i have a 300 mhz running XP Pro with a DVD-CDRW drive not a dvd rw. Instructions for the the .iso said to burn to a dvd. oh well. Have fun downloading the image.

deda reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Simply wonderful!

badrix reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

awsome.....awsome....m$ rocks!!

skinnyfag reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

So far so good.. Looks to be Good? im kinda Shocked.! hehe

sdmunoz reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Pretty Good xD

ezh reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Everyone may try out? Officially?

pjb reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Waiting to try it. Their webpage is giving out "Thank you for your interest in Windows Vista Beta 2.
We are currently experiencing a high level of demand and cannot process your request at this time.
Please check back later for availability. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Hopefully it will be resolved by later today, you would have hoped this would have been avoided after the office 2007 download fiasco!

Matb_TePe3a reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

fair

coover reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

If you go to the actual download site, you will get this message ...

" Thank you for your interest in Windows Vista Beta 2.

"We are currently experiencing a high level of demand and cannot process your request at this time.

"Please check back later for availability. We apologize for any inconvenience."

So keep trying. It may be several days before this download is actually available to most of you.

orthy reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Nice but oversized OS - totally Redmond-ed.
German Review, Download-Links etc.
http://www.orthy.de/inde...p;id=3778&Itemid=83

djtf reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Nice GUI! Too slow for a regular OS! Not all translated. High CPU ´n RAM footprints. I recommend to turn off UserAccesControl! Not bad for a preview but still bugy! I´m excited of the new possibilities ´n the ones to come!

Mark Gillespie reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Not beta quality, far below IMHO. Still loads of bugs to work out.

Banquo reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 8, 2006

Extremely buggy, resource hungry and most of all annoying. Unless you are interested in beta testing downloading this is a waste of time.

radcoe reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 7, 2006

The is a Beta, not a very good one - you better make a ghost of your XP or Linux box. This will be a little hard ride on Vista. I really love it, security good, interface is great, and user asked before the OS goes crazy and installs. Watch out; itune is a little funny acting. Use Nero 6, 7 will not work. Use CA eTrust for Vista Beta anti-virus it works. Good Luck my beta dogs.

kevinb7852 reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 7, 2006

As a beta I expected it to be buggy and it has been. I have had problems with lots of stuff from installing software to video and audio drivers.

Also, ModderXManiac I used msconfig through the Run menu to disable some features like the constant approvals needed to make changes. It seems M$ is really trying to beef up the security even if it is a pain for most of us.

Oh well - for free software I can't complain too much...yet

ModderXManiac reviewed vBeta 2 on Jun 7, 2006

Can anybody supply another download source?

I'm anxios to try this, and with this release we should certainly expect more software/driver support.

I still don't like all the bloat this has, even with it giving the option of disabling most(not even close too all of it). I've used the previous Vista, and while it's just as flexible as XP, the whole feeling is strange, some options have just been made too simple for my liking. I hope the final Professional, Workstation, and Server versions will bring back the custom options...

I miss msconfig, compmgmt, services.msc...And they've been replaced with stupid-user-friendly alternatives...

There's a new game control system that check for ESRB, which puts caps that will be a pain for teenagers wanting to play GTA(or any mature game), whom I can cope with. Just DON'T give your paren'ts admin access when you upgrade to Vista kids, all the "protection" software added ruins everything. While the pornography and other blocks for internet aren't perfect, it will surely replace AOL crap for most people, but I hate censorship entirely.

Still 4 oughtta 5. Need another download source plz! (bittorrent, ftp, http, don't care!)