New releases of Windows tend to break compatibility with device drivers and
software. It is just the reality, the current situation you are in, many
faced it when Windows XP, 2000, NT 4 and even when Windows 95 was released.
The real issue here is not Microsoft, its the developers of those same
application programs. Its kind of insulting for large developers like the
ones you mentioned to not offer compatibility updates or new versions of the
product to support Vista.
Why? Well, if you can have 12 year olds in a Vista beta program, why
couldn't a major developer like them also get access to Vista at beta 1 code
to test compatibility with their applications? Even if they couldn't get
beta 1, Microsoft released a public beta of Vista at beta 2, so anybody
could have gotten access to the code to test their apps on from early and
ensure compatibilty on or some time after RTM.
The only recommendation I have is to try and run the programs in
compatibility mode, right click the application/game executable, click
Properties > go to the 'Compatibility' tab > check the 'Run this in
compatibility mode for' box and select an appropriate version of Windows the
applications you mentioned are known to work with. If that does not, you can
try returning the PC under warranty and request that the system be
reinstalled with Windows XP. If they can't do that, the only alternative is
the purchase a copy of Windows XP and install it in something called Virtual
PC 2007 then run your applications on top of it.
--
Andre
Blog:
http://adacosta.spaces.live.com
My Vista Quickstart Guide:
http://adacosta.spaces.live.com/blog...3DB!9709.entry
"Frustrated as hell" <Frustrated as
> wrote in
message news:4ED83358-D310-4A27-BB46-...
> After a week of beating my head against the green/blue wall (my monitor
> screen)... I give up. Don't get me wrong -- I'm not one of the techies who
> has the wisdom to upgrade from one version of windows to another. No, I'm
> just an average Shmo who got his computer fresh out of the box and said to
> himself: "Geeeee... it's got one of them Vista thingies. Wow!" That's
> where
> my excitement ended.
>
> The computer (a brand new HP) is for my kids. Of the 5 (count them FIVE!)
> kiddie programs I tried to load, 4 (count them FOUR!!!) return error
> messages
> either upon attempts at installation or once they were (supposedly)
> installed. [By the way, all of them installed just fine on my work
> computer
> and my laptop; both of these are running WindowsXP; there are NOT super
> duper
> high-tech programs either; they are Chessmaster 10th ed., Chess Tactics
> for
> Beginners[kids]; Typing Tutor for Kids, etc.). Like the last idiot on
> Earth,
> I called each of the software manufacturers support centers and got the
> same
> answer... Something along the lines of: "You know, lately we've been
> getting
> a lot of call from people who run VISTA. Our product just doesn't work
> with
> Vista. Did you try calling Microsoft?" Yeah... right... did YOU TRY
> CALLING
> MICROSOFT???
>
> So, here's my question. WHAT MORON CAME UP WITH VISTA???? I mean, was
> there
> some Downs Syndrome victim that got hired by Microsoft on some affirmative
> action program for degenerates with bad chromosomes and then decided that
> a
> thing that actually works (i.e. Windows XP) is too good to sell to people?
> Or
> was it the Windows marketing team who drove the project? You know, kinda
> like
> the marketing team from Scott Addams' Dilbert comic strip... you know, the
> ones that came up with a brilliant idea of UNDERWATER BARBECUE...
Linear Mode
