FU%$*#G VISTA. HELP I WANT XP

I've tamed Vista Business somewhat now on this T60. I am going for a full XP Pro install tomorrow, though. This thing is a $2,000 paperweight if I cannot use ACT! It's just a shame I have to bow out of this OS - it actually is pretty nice once it's working right.

Took me a few hours to install the networked HP printers in my office. Had to do it in a bass-ackwards way, but I got all the printers to work. I got Acrobat 7 working, got TrueForms (proprietary corporate program) running.

I would have taken the laptop back but I really LOVE this machine. It's just sweet...I love the practicality of the ThinkPad line. I just love the keybord, the construction and that little ThinkLight that illuminates the keyboard. It seems to be built like a tank and IBM customer service answers the phone FAST. It never gets warm on my lap, either.

Major issues right now:

1. The machine does NOT see the hard drives on my networked computers. I have a Motorola wireless router, so maybe that's the issue? Tried everything. Anyone have any ideas?

2. I cannot get the Bluetooth to work. I thought it would be super cool to sync my Treo via BT. They do not see each other.

3. The aforementioned ACT! issue. That's a huge deal. I can upgrade to 2007, which will work, but I do not want to spend any more money.

RMX

 

I have three other computers in my network (linked with a Motorola WAP). One is a desktop computer hardwired to the router, one is a desktop with a wifi card and the other is my old laptop with a wireless card. My TP cannot see the drives on ANY of the computers even though they're set to be shared. The other machines see each others drives just fine. Everything's on XP Pro,

When I had that new HP laptop last week (before I took it back), it had Vista Home and COULD see the networked drives with no problem. I'm stumped.

I don't even know where I would find this BT "stack". Never heard that term before.

No idea how to get it into emulated mode.

RMX

 

You have to INSTALL Act! first to reach compatibility mode. What happens when it's installed is that when Framework 1.1 starts installing, it hangs and needs to be ctrl-alt-del. It just doesn't work.

A big reason I bought a new machine (other than the old one was starting to crap out) was because I need it to run ACT! better. I've gotten 99% of things to run...this is hopeless. I have 1500+ contacts who I mail out to and try to stay in touch with and this is unacceptable. I've come to terms with the realization that tomorrow I will have to zero out the HD and try to install XP Pro SP2 on this machine. Wish me luck. Now I am making a list of driver I need. What a crock.

These companies had plenty of time to get their **** together and design workarounds. Too many of them are apparently asleep.

I had to do nothing to make my previous HP Vista machine see the shared drives last week. My workgroup on all machines is indeed the default "workgroup".

RMX

 

Lenovo has a driver matrix site for specific models. I technically need to get Ethernet and wifi drivers working and I should be able to let the Thinkpad find the rest online. That's the theory anyway.

I'm making a list of drivers and they'll go on a CD. I don't have a USB stick.

Thanks for the help. See you on the other side...

RMX

 

LOL.

RMX

 

UPDATE UPDATE

Okay, XP Pro SP2 installed and working now. Took almost 5 hours to get to this point having Firefox installed. Some missing drivers from IBM but found by scrounging the web via Google. ACT! 2006 now working. Still have to install my color Laserjet at home and then the printers at the office tomorrow. Had a failed install with Norton Antivirus so no virus protection yet until I get this figured out.

Vista is still there on another partition. F12 on boot brings it up. Thinklight works (yay). The Bluetooth works now and this machine sees my drives on the othr computers now.

RMX

 

I used the Norton removal tool - I think it had something to do with the trial version of NAV being installed on the Vista partition. It's gone now and NAV installed okay. This XP install has gone fairly smooth. Never heard of NOD32 til now. If I have any issues with NAV, I will check this out. Spent enough $$$ now ($2,000) to get a new comp. This T60 is a sweet laptop now that XP is installed.

Lots of work but worth every minute. Now I have to get up for work tomorrow. LOL.

RMX

 

I agree it's a Sage issue. They have been in my pockets for years now. The machine works great and it's 99% as functional as my old one at this point. Happy happy joy joy.

RMX

 

The only REAL issue I had was finding ATI Radeon X1400 drivers for the machine. Lenovo/IBM doesn't offer them for XP, so I found some "tweaked" drivers on a secondary site for mobile gamers.

Oh, and why didn't I get them from ATI directly? Because you have to run a compatibility applet first and it kept saying I didn't have an X1400, so "no driver for you!"

RMX

 

Thanks for the link. This is where I was yesterday. Click Win XP >> Radeon Mobility >> X1400 and they make you run an applet. It promptly said "No mas! You no own X1400!"

LOL

RMX

 

Found this on CNet today. Exactly what happened to me.

RMX

---
Limited choices for Windows XP holdouts
If you're hesitant about making the leap to Windows Vista, expect a hassle trying to find a Windows XP PC on store shelves.
By Tom Krazit
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: February 22, 2007, 4:00 AM PST

Despite words of caution from some in the tech industry that it's too early to make the switch to Microsoft's Windows Vista, many PC shoppers have no choice.

The PC industry has moved almost everything they sell to consumers--and some businesses--over to Vista, both in stores and online.

To be fair, there's a reason for it. Vista integrates new security technologies and entertainment features that were unavailable on Windows XP machines. It also makes finding a Wi-Fi connection a simpler task, and makes it easier to search a PC's hard drive for a particular file or document. And PC sales jumped during the first few weeks the operating system was available to consumers.

But not everyone thinks that's enough to justify an upgrade quite yet. Symantec CEO John Thompson told CNET News.com he wouldn't be upgrading anytime soon because of security concerns, and security expert Bruce Schneier wrote in Forbes that Vista's digital-rights management technology will actually slow your computer.
"It's like a car dealer. They're going to blow out the '07s, they'd rather sell (customers) the '08s."
-- Samir Bhavnani,
analyst with Current Analysis

Add a smattering of application compatibility problems and the extra expense of ordering a system configured to handle Vista's performance demands, and there's a sense of hesitation among some consumers and businesses.

But what if your PC dies this week, and you're forced to go out and get a new one, but don't want to upgrade to Vista? Good luck finding a Windows PC with XP on it at your local retail store, let alone a desktop or notebook that you actually want.

"Consumer retail is almost exclusively Vista," said Samir Bhavnani, an analyst with Current Analysis that tracks the U.S. retail PC market.

So what are your options? You could buy a PC aimed at business customers. You could buy a Vista machine, buy a boxed copy of Windows XP online, and install it on the new machine--with the added bonus of getting rid of the "crapware" that accompanies a new retail PC. Or, you could go through more convoluted technical exercises such as virtualization.

And, yes, you could get a Mac, or load one of the various desktop Linux distributions onto your PC. But customers who just need to replace a basic system or add a cheap desktop for the kids, or small businesses that have standardized on Windows, will either have to add all of Vista's bells and whistles along with that system or pay an additional $100 for a boxed copy of Windows XP.

Microsoft said in a statement that it expects PC companies to keep a select number of Windows XP systems around for 12 months, and that system builders and resellers that cater to business customers will be able to offer Windows XP for 24 months. Boxed copies of Windows XP will be available through official outlets for another 12 months, Microsoft said.

But PC companies said they are making a wholesale move to Windows Vista at retail, and representatives for companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Gateway and Acer said the only systems with Windows XP in retail stores are older models; new systems are Vista systems. Many of those companies have also moved all the consumer-focused systems on their Web sites to Vista without a configuration option for Windows XP.

XP's disappearing act
At a large CompUSA in downtown San Francisco late last week, a smattering of Windows XP desktops and laptops could be found nestled among more heavily promoted Vista brethren. Nearly all the XP machines were marked down as "manager's specials," with many available only as open box or demonstration machines.

Boxed copies of XP were available, but not at the prominent Vista display that greeted visitors as they entered the store. Rather, XP copies could be found at two more distant outposts that also had additional copies of Vista.

Dell still offers Windows XP notebooks and desktops, but they can all be found under Dell's Latitude business notebook brand, with the exception of the XPS M1710 with the Blu-Ray disc player.

Retailers and PC companies don't get any incentives to sell Windows XP systems, so they simply don't, Bhavnani said. "It's like a car dealer. They're going to blow out the '07s, they'd rather sell (customers) the '08s."

The trouble is that most of the hype and promotion surrounding Vista have been around the Aero graphical interface, which doesn't come on low-end PCs with Vista Basic, Bhavnani said. If a potential shopper is just looking to spend around $300 on a desktop or around $600 on a notebook, they're going to wind up with Vista Basic and lose out on the fancy new graphics.

"I don't really know why somebody would buy a Vista Basic system, unless you're a real basic user," he said. Installing Windows XP to replace Vista Basic isn't too difficult, but those cost-conscious customers might balk at the additional $100 needed for a licensed copy of Windows XP.

It could also be tricky for business customers who care more about application compatibility than graphics, which is why analysts have expected them to hold out until Vista can be tested extensively and has received an initial batch of updates. Corporate PC users depend on dozens of critical applications like VPN (virtual private network) software or 3G cellular cards for notebooks that won't necessarily work quite yet on Vista machines.

An HP representative said the company will sell Windows XP PCs through its resellers to small and medium businesses as long as Microsoft continues to license that operating system. Lenovo, which caters more to the business crowd, offers the choice of either Windows XP or Vista on all of its Lenovo 3000 and ThinkPad machines.

It might be hard for some to avoid Vista in the short-term, but in the long run once all the application problems are worked out, most Windows users probably won't want to, Bhavnani said. "People are going to have to have a little patience until all the applications work. It's a very short-term pain that will last people less than three months."

CNET News.com's Ina Fried contributed to this report.