Your Vista Q&A
Updated: June 22, 2008
Q: Which version do I want, 32-bit or 64-bit?
A: Well it depends, are you going to be running 64-bit applications or not? Windows Vista 64-bit is backwards computable with 32-bit applications but not 16-bit applications. Some installers for 32-bit programs use 16-bit installers. If you are not going to be running 64-bit applications then just stick with 32-bit version. [ Source ]
Q: Which package of Windows Vista should I get?
A: Well you got three choices. Basic, Premium, and ultimate. Basic, being for people who are usually do light work on their PC and or do not want any extras that come with the other too. Premium, is Basic with some extra features, Aero Glass and such. Ultimate have features from the business end of Vista and have the features of Premium. [ Source ]
Q: If I upgrade from XP to Vista, will all my programs be compatible?
A: No, some XP programs are not compatible with VIsta! See a list here.
Q: Where do I get graphics card drivers?
A: ATi drivers can be found here. nVidia drivers can be found here. Both companies have released official drivers for Vista.
Q: Where do I get motherboard drivers?
A: You will need to check with your motherboard manufacture to get the correct Vista drivers if avaible.
Q: I have a Creative sound card is their drivers for Vista yet.
A: From the looks of it they do have some Vista drivers for Creative products. Check here.
Q: When will the Creative X-Fi ExtremeAudio 64-bit drivers be released?
A: "As soon as we [Creative] can". This is supposedly because the X-Fi Audio has a different chip structure than the other X-Fi cards. Sit tight for the 64's. [ source ]
Q: Will Vista support floppy disk drives?
A: Yes
Q: Will games still work on Vista 32-bit and 64-bit?
A: Yes, most 32-bit games will work with Vista 32 and 64-bit. However some games will need some editing before working correctly and their our some performance issues w/ DirectX 9 backwards compatibility. [ Source | Source ]
Q: Is OEM version the same as retail version of Windows Vista.
A: The Vista OEM versions will allow a user either to do a fresh installation, or to upgrade their previous Windows XP installation. [ Source ]
Q: If I don't have a 64-bit processor, is there any point in upgrading?
A: Yes if you have at least an 800Mhz CPU. Running 32-bit code is still going to be around for a while. [ Source ]
Q: If I'm not willing to shell out for DX10 graphics card, is there any point in upgrading?
A: As of right now DX10 cards are not cheap enough to make it worth your effort. However nVidia is Q1 and Q2 will be releasing more G80 series cards. Such as the 8300GT and 8600GT/GT Ultra.
Q: How much RAM does Vista need? What are System Requirements?
A: A min of 512MB of RAM is need. You can find the system requirements here.
Q: BF2, BF2:SF, and BF2142 keeps saying failed to install please start from the beginning, what do I do?
A: Go to My Computer > Explore DVD > Right click on setup.exe and select properties > Click the compatibility tab > check Run Compatibility mode and select Windows XP SP2 > Click OK then run setup.
Q: So exactly when will the 64-bit full driver support be available for Vista 64?
A: The earliest is Q2 2007, or anywhere between now and the end of March [ Source ] also check out Q1, Q2, etc explained
Q: Does the N52 speedpad support Vista 64 bit?
A: We do not have drivers for 64bit OS yet we only support the OS shown in the manual and the box at the moment.
-----=====[ Resources ]=====-----
32-Bit Vs. 64-Bit
Versions Of Vista
Vista Software Compatibility List
Adobe Reader Install Error Fix
=====[ BF2 Installation Instructions for Vista ]=====
1. Install BF2 by setting the install.exe to XP emulation.
2. Install BF2 patch 1.41 no changes needed.
3. Install BF2:SF by setting the install.exe to XP emulation.
4. Install BF2:EF no changes needed.
5. Install BF2:AF no changes needed.
6 Install BF2 patch 1.41 no changes needed.
7. Right click on shortcut > properties > click compatibility tab > check emulation for Windows XP > check "Run this program as an administrator." > Click Ok(Do this for both BF2 and BF2:SF!)
8. Play!!!
=====[ BF2142 Installation Instructions for Vista ]=====
1. Install BF2142 by setting the install.exe to XP emulation.
2. Install BF2142 patch 1.1 no changes needed.
3. Right click on shortcut > properties > click compatibility tab > check "Run this program as an administrator." > Click Ok
4. Play!!!
Note: The patches and addons were installed through EA Link and were installed on Vista 32-Bit!!! If your running multi-core CPUs see above on how to disable "User Account Control". This will allow you to select which CPU core to run the game on. Makes for smooth game play!
-----=====[ Vista Drivers ]=====-----
-----[ Video ]-----
nVidia
ATi
-----[ Sound ]-----
Creative Sounds Cards
-----=====[ How To's ]=====-----
Disabling Account Control:
This is to stop all those annoying pop ups asking you if you want to run this or that.(So annoying...)
1. Click Start.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. User Accounts.
4. Click "Turn User Account Control on or off."
5. Uncheck "Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer."
6. Click Ok and close everything.
7. Restart Computer.
Now all those annoying pop ups should be gone. You can now even select which affinity(CPU core) to use on what programs! I had to figure this out my self.
Enabling DreamScene:
1. Left Click Desktop
2. Select Prosonalize
3. Selct Desktop Background
3. Select "Windows DreamScene Content" in the pull down menu.
4. Choose your video/s and click apply.
Note: Only comes with Vista Ultimate.
Increase Overall Performance:
1. Click Start.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click System.
4. Click Advance System Settings.
5. Click Advance Tab.
6. Click Settings under Performance.
7. Deselect what you want to turn off.
Contributers: Bertster7, gvers, Hurricane, and Psycho.
Last edited by Naturn (2008-06-21 23:21:29)
