Last Windows XP Update

[Bob D'Amico]

Originally Posted by lacan4a

Any major software has to be patched, fixed, upgraded whatever you want to call it. Things that weren't imagined or considered or combined before cause problems. IBM's mainframe operating systems have fixes coming out every day. Why should the little machines be any different.

Because my Apple Mac Pro gets automatic updates about every two weeks of the Leopard OSX Operating System and NEVER has a hiccup or causes any of the 3rd party software to crap out.

I don't even have 1/4 of the knowledge of how OSX Leopard works, don't need to it just works! Flawlessly

[SANDOLLAR]

Anyone understand why a new system with Vista running a 64 bit processor would cause slow downloads and not able to connect to the web, intermittingly.The system came with Mcfee, of which I know nothing. I'm wondering if the security could be the problem.

[Jess]

Originally Posted by SANDOLLAR

Got new Dell xps 420 having problems connecting , comcast does not seem to be the problem. Dell thinks the 64bit processor has problems with Vista suggested sending 32 bit cd to basically downgrade a brand new system. I hear their problems with Vista, does this sound like one. Thanks for any feedback

I'd be asking for another 64 bit dvd and do your own fresh install.
Or another PC/refund!
Downgrading is not what you paid for or wanted.

[Bob D'Amico]

Dell's "solution" is preposterous, no outrageous!

Downgrading is not a solution it's more of "well, let's try this and see if it works."

Return the whole thing and tell them to ship you a 64bit unit that works. Otherwise you are liable to have constant and new problems. If you don't mind spending hours on the telephone talking with people in India who are only reading tech support "scripts" keep it.

[BennyB]

I agree with Bob and Jess of course. I deal with Dell every day and due to the sheer number of computers they ship, there are bound to be problems here and there.

I can tell you that when buying from Dell, it is worth paying for the extended "Gold" warrantee.

Why? Because like almost anything else, you get what you pay for. They work cheap in India. I have been dealing with Dell on a daily basis for over a year now and never spoke to someone from another Country. Same day or next business day on site service too.

Main boards crap out a lot more than one might think and if that happens, it's nice to have them come out and pop a new one in with no cost to you other than some time lost on the computer.

[SANDOLLAR]

Thanks Guys,

[SANDOLLAR]

Thanks Guys,
As I read your responses I am waiting for a call from Dell,. I was on the road today when I called then and spoke to their XPS hotline, they are to call between 6-7.
Got put on hold for 1 hour waiting to speak to the returns people to get return info, had to get off due to work. One person I spoke with today said the return policy was up 21 days from the invoice date, which was 7 days before I got it. I think I hear Apple calling

[lacan4a]

Originally Posted by Bob D'Amico

Because my Apple Mac Pro gets automatic updates about every two weeks of the Leopard OSX Operating System and NEVER has a hiccup or causes any of the 3rd party software to crap out.

I don't even have 1/4 of the knowledge of how OSX Leopard works, don't need to it just works! Flawlessly

Part of my point, there are always fixes comming out. If you do it automaticlly you don't even know it's happening. A number of fixes happen over the life of the software so you don't notice. But when a 'major' new releas or significant level set occurs, there are alot of things that don't get found. So there are a flurry of problems and emergency fixes. After that things get fixed over time with the automatic updates hopefully.
The problem with MS operating systems is they're so widely used they're targets for alot of attacks. So a lot of things get exercised by folks trying to break thru barriers.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be defending sloppy software. It should be as fully tested as possible before it goes GA. Not like when they released ME with 2000+ known bugs.

[RobS]

the major problem with MS is the lack (supposedly until Vista) of support for true (hardware supported) protected-mode. and every time they did put in support, they do some funky things that require a "normal" user to run in protected mode.

the entire design is one giant security loophole from day 1 and they knew it.

they didn't *have* to do it, but it was a market strategy (for 3rd party support).. along with their amoeba approach to growth (find a victim, er 3rd party, who has done something better than you, then swallow them whole)

[chris c]

No issues here at the office. All of my machines are running XP SP2 with full patching. I did have an issue with a patch on my machine here at the office about 2 months ago. Apps started acting up and IE was totally whacked out.

Rolled back and reinstalled the update and has worked great since. Sometimes the updates don't install correctly and sometimes MS does put out updates that do causes application issues.

Here a good one... My mom got my dad and new Gateway just before Xmas with Vista. Totally tricked out... Started having crashes and got the beloved bluescreen. My dad did the right thing after talking to tech support and used the backup CD's he was smart enought to make when he first set it up (because new computers never come with disks now at days). Thing worked fine for another week or so. I went ahead and used MS's Debugging tool (which I have had great succes with, any IT guy should learn how to use this) and Vista said I didn't have "permission" to access the dumplogs..... There is only 1 account on the machine and it is an admin accout so it didn't make sense. I copied the logs to the desktop and after some legwork am able to open the logs. 1 log totald me it was a Vista code error, another one said it was a Vista driver error and a third told me it was the USBhub driver error...

Took the dumb thing back to BestBuy and since it was more than 14 days old, the idiots at GeekSquad won't look at it... It has to go back to Gateway for repair...

And by the way, beware of the GeekSquad, most have no clue what they are doing... They all get this cute little CD that they use to fix the machines they work on.... It's called GeekSquad MRI.... Awesome software but it goes to prove they don't know how to diagnose problems on thier own....

[Joe]

On my wife's LT it took 3 times to download SP3 before her PC would work, or I should say accept SP3. Not sure why but, something didn't like something.

I think its time to revert back to the horse and buggy. Where men wore suits and ladies were in dresses. The simpler times..

[chris c]

My work machine rejected SP2 about 3-4 times before it would actually work. Even then it said it failed but showed it was patched to SP2.... I hate Microsuck