XP -Vista Questions

[SIRCOOKS]

I have two burning questions about upgrading/downgrading from vista to xp.

1. Every reinstall of xp, i encounter a sound card issue. I install the realtek hd audio software, but to no avail. Is there anyway around this issue.

2. what is a good antivirus program for vista, cause everytime i install mcafee, i just get the blue screen of death, and an instant reboot.

Any help would be of assistance

[Faustus]

AV for vista? Try Nod32 for commercial protection. AVG for free stuff.

What kinda of computer/mobo you got? we can find the right drivers.

[SIRCOOKS]

It doesn't matter which mobo i am currently working on, i usually encounter the issue on every reinstall on any computer in front of me. Is there some issue between the vista sound and the xp sound?

[zoobie]

The only issue I had installing realtek hd audio on XP Pro was the included auto installer disc. I had to install one driver at a time and not use the auto.

[Noahtuck]

I've recently did a couple of newer machines (1-2 years old) and the drivers for use under VISTA would not even work under XP Pro, on one machine i had to do extensive searching for the drivers.
And the official websites & tech's for the machines would not even help because they said drivers were only made for use under VISTA.

It ended up i only needed help to find one driver for one of the mobo's.

Here is a good place for links to drivers and a great message board for help.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/

There was one network driver i could not find that would work under XP and one of the guys there hooked me right up.


I even have a very expensive scanner that i had to shelve because the company never made drivers for it for use under XP

[jman98]

AV for vista? Try Nod32 for commercial protection. AVG for free stuff.

I no longer recommend AVG. They notified me that they current free version (7.5) will expire at the end of the month and I'll have to upgrade to version 8. There's a huge catch though. To upgrade to version 8, you either need to pay for it or to get it for free, you have to agree to accept 1 of 6 commercial offers they have, at least one of which involves getting a new credit card. I will no longer be using AVG. I plan on getting Avast and trying that instead.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Audio with Vista is totally different than with XP or previous Windows.

Your soundcard *must* have Vista drivers (or support ASIO etc). XP drivers will not work *at all*. And vice versa.

Re antivirus, I use Avast on a 32- and 64-bit Vista. I finally dumped NIS.

[Faustus]

AV for vista? Try Nod32 for commercial protection. AVG for free stuff.

I no longer recommend AVG. They notified me that they current free version (7.5) will expire at the end of the month and I'll have to upgrade to version 8. There's a huge catch though. To upgrade to version 8, you either need to pay for it or to get it for free, you have to agree to accept 1 of 6 commercial offers they have, at least one of which involves getting a new credit card. I will no longer be using AVG. I plan on getting Avast and trying that instead.

This isn't true. You have gotten confused by their website. Free version without an offer is still there. Here is a short cut though.
http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus/3000-2239_4-10385707.html?tag=lst-1&cdlPid=10824764

[jman98]

Thanks Faustus. However, for some time now AVG has deliberately been making it harder and harder to get the free version. Even your link, which is correct, is simply an end run by getting it from another site. I think if AVG wants to obfuscate things so much, I'm still just going to switch to Avast. Less b.s. to deal with. I don't have to keep using it if they want to make me jump through hoops to get it. I do believe it may not be possible, at least as far as I could tell, to get the free version 8 directly from the AVG website.

[Faustus]

As someone who has setup a lot of machine. Their site only recently change much. Before that it was still confusing. The secret was to goto http://free.grisoft.com then read carefully (which most people don't do). Of course they try to convince you to get the pay version. They want yourmoney. lol

[ronnylov]

Go to the website of your soundcard manufacturer, or motherboard manufacturer if you are using integrated sound and download drivers for Windows XP. Do the same thing for all your hardware. Vista and XP are using different drivers (sometimes they integrate both XP and Vista drivers in the same installation package though).

I have not had any problems installing XP on my computers but on older hardware there may be no drivers for Vista. Sooner or later you get the opposite that newer hardware will not have any XP drivers.

By the way, why not try linux instead? I installed ubuntu without any problems on my new PC.

[SIRCOOKS]

Ive done all that windows stuff.....i like linux and would like to run it full time, its just so tedious to learn a new os.....plus the software doesnt even load up like windows, if you can point me in the right direction to learn where to get linux software, and how to install it, i will try it...beleive me i will get out of microsofts pocket....

[Faustus]

SIRCOOKS if you have a realtek chipset sound card and with the PROPER drive it doesn't install I'd start to become suspect of the motherboard.

That being said I don't really know what else to say on the subject wtihout having the mobo model or computer model.



As far as Linux. http://www.ubuntu.com

[ronnylov]

In ubuntu I install programs with synaptic packet handler which is under System-Administration. Just search and choose whatever you want. Windows programs may also work if you install wine, but not everything. I can not install Vegas 8 in Linux with Wine. I have dual boot windows and linux.