Problems with Vista 64-bit?

Here's what it is. I recently bought a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop. Came loaded with Windows Vista. This machine carries an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 Ghzt dual core CPU, 4 Gig of RAM, and a 320 Gig Sata HDD and a SATA (I think) CD/DVD RW. I bought the machine back in February, and since have had to send it back Dell for a bad motherboard. Got to say, overall a positive experience in dealing with Dell customer service. Anyway, I felt trapped by Vista until Dell (finally!) released a wireless driver for XP. I found that most of my legacy software, primarily older games that work fine in XP, would not work in Vista. Is this a common problem? Would it make sense to upgrade to the new Windows 7? Or will I encounter the same difficulties? I'm currently running a dual boot machine, running both XP and Ubuntu 64-bit, and I personally prefer Ubuntu (a Linux-based OS) for websurfing and watching movies, but I can't get Ubuntu to run any of my Windows based games, even using Wine or Cedega. Guess I just don't have the mad programming skills to get the full use out of Linux. By the way, my XP is 32-bit.

 

I don't know anything about PC Linux or Mint, since I'm still really new to Open source operating systems, but I can say I've had no problems with Ubuntu 8.10 64-bit on my laptop that cannot be explained away by operator ignorance. I'd love to go straight to Ubuntu, but like I said, I can't get my games to work. I'm always missing a critical part of DirectX, or there's a sound or graphics problem. These are probably because I have a business model laptop, rather than a gaming model. Still plugging away at it. I did get an opportunity to check out an early version of Windows 7 (through school), and if anything I thought it was even more bloated than Vista. Bear in mind that Vista is not a true 64-bit, but two 32-bits running side by side. Apparently, Microsoft is having massive difficulties (according to my former instructor) in writing a true 64-bit operating system while maintaining any degree of backwards compatibility for legacy hardware and software. This is what I've been told, and my former instructor seemed pretty knowledgeable.

 

Tried that, still run into problems with CD and DVD copy protection. Also, Vista's compatibility mode is even worse than XP's. Honestly, the last decent operating system for home users from Microsoft was Windows 98SE.

 

I looked at Mac, but your software choices are so limited! I love gaming, and Windows offers the widest variety of games on computer.

 

that is a bit funny that dell releases drivers for their wireless card on a laptop with vista, but give you xp drivers?
did the laptop come with XP first and you went to vista?
as for programs working in xp but not vista, that is normal when a new operating system comes out. and then going to windows 7 and you are having problems with vista working with your older programs?
have you ever thought about just going to xp?
it is not hard to do so, you just need the XP install disc, and use it to remove the partitions and then reformat and install XP. it has to be XP with service pack 2 to work with the hard drive you have.
also even though you have the intel core 2 duo processor, you are not on a 64 bit system, it is a 32 bit system. so trying to use a 64bit operating system on 32bit system does create problems.

 

When I bought this system, it was originally loaded with Vista 64-bit. And yes, this one is a 64-bit computer. I bought it for school, and it has had numerous operating systems loaded and stripped thus far. I'm currently dual-booting between Windows XP Professional (32-bit) and Ubuntu 8.10 (64-bit). I tried the Ubuntu 8.10 32-bit, but the native Intel GM45 Graphics drivers wouldn't work. And all the drivers I have are 64-bit versions.