f13.net

I purchased Windows Vista through the Windows MarketPlace and downloaded it using their Digital Locker Assistant.

When I try to install Windows Vista from the downloaded files, I receive the following error message:

"Cannot extract Windows Vista Setup to your hard drive. Please ensure that you can create files and folders in the same folder where VistaSetupPrep.exe was downloaded."

I downloaded the setup files to the same folder I always use when downloading. I have 23GB free on my hard drive. I tried moving the files to the base folder, still the same error message. Connected another hard drive, fully formatted, transferred the setup files, SAME ERROR.

I have been given the runaround by Microsoft Customer Service for a week now. They keep giving me the same copy/paste replies.

I can't contact tech support because it says my product key is invalid.

The answer is not in the knowledge base. It was mentioned in the support group section, but no solution was ever provided.

I have made repeated demands for a refund by email, which were IGNORED.

It may be corrupted. Do you have something like WinZip installed? Can it open the EXE file?

Can you download it again?

The digital download consists of 3 files.  One application file (the setup preparation file) and two .wim files.

I activate the application file, it shows an extraction progress bar.  When the bar completes, I get the error message "Cannot extract Windows Vista Setup to your hard drive. Please ensure that you can create files and folders in the same folder where VistaSetupPrep.exe was downloaded."  It does extract a folder named "Vista" in that same folder.  Nothing in the Vista folder works either.  Gives that "incorrect version of Windows" error message.

I've downloaded it both in and out of the Digital Locker Assistant.  

No indications of corrupted downloads anywhere that I searched.  Just saw that two other people had my same problem in the support group, but no solution was provided.

Microsoft Customer Service is enough to turn me into a serial killer.  Only of Microsoft Customer Service Representatives, though.  And I do believe that I would have to move to India for that. >:[

Is this your problem? (http://robmensching.com/blog/archive/2007/02/04/The-Windows-Vista-64bit-upgrade-from-Windows-Marketplace-requires-a.aspx)

According to that, I'm still fucked, then.

Unless you can somehow exchange for the 32-bit version of whichever Vista edition you purchased. Another option may be to upgrade to 64-bit XP then install Vista. Or wait for MS to get its act together and upload a 64-bit version that installable on 32-bit XP.

Well I'm certainly not going to try for a lesser exchange.

This is making me quite angry.

Thanks for finding it for me.  At least now I know what the issue is.  Too bad Microsoft couldn't actually get their heads out of their asses long enough to let me know.

You know, I downloaded the installation advisory and everything.  It gave me no warning that this could happen.

Yeah, I just double-checked the log files and everything.

That's definitely my problem.

If you hear of a crazy white boy getting arrested in India for slaughtering a roomful of Microsoft Reps, you'll know who it is.

You might try sending a note to the Redmond Better Business Bureau.  I did that with a credit card company, and was pleasantly amazed at the results.  Include details, and leave out the swear words.

Well, since Trippy managed to find the cause for me, and mentioned several possible solutions...

I am now victorious!

I downloaded a "trial package" of Windows XP Pro 64.

Then I upgraded to Vista from there.

Not so hard, once I knew what the problem was.

Okay, back to fixing everything.

Wow, I can't wait to upgrade.

I actually read that as a workaround a few days ago. Everything I've heard is that XP -> Vista upgrade is smooth (especially by Microsoft standards). If you have the right version of Vista for your version of XP, that is.

Anyone know the skinny on using 64 bit for Vista? I know that using 64 bit for Windows XP generally was more headache than it was worth, since there are virtually no 64 bit WinXP programs/games out there, and drivers for WinXP64 were scarce.

Does Vista do stuff natively that would give operations a boost by using the 64 bit version of the OS? How about drivers for Vista 64 bit? Are those more available than the Win XP 64 bit drivers were?

HERE (http://www.anandtech.com/systems/showdoc.aspx?i=2917) ya go.  I found it informative.

Why the hell don't they just serve up an .iso like they do for all the beta's?  I mean they're not selling the software so much as the serial, right?  This just seems really convoluted for what should be a fairly simple procedure.

Not enough DRM.

Why do you even upgrade to Vista in first place?

I don't bother, either.  Usually, by the time I get a new computer, whatever is the latest thingy is already on it.  Much to lazy to upgrade.

Well, I'm on some vacation time, kind of bored, heard about the whole Windows MarketPlace thing, thought "what the hell...I've never been first to upgrade before"

~sigh~

At least I finally got my sound working after trying 5 different driver downloads.

Oh, and I finally figured to turn User Account Control to OFF.

The damn thing kept asking me to confirm every time I installed, or updated, or even just tried to run a program.  And it kept resetting the defaults.

Makin progress!!

EDIT:  And where's my "thank you" for taking one for the team?

Only mildly topical... I run XP 64 on a second machine, and hate it. The drivers are easy enough to find, but they all completely suck. You can tell most companies just did the bare minimum to get stuff working and left it at that. The system is only slightly more stable than my older 32-bit XP that's hanging on by a thread itself.

Be wary of upgrading unless you can be sure all your components have *SOLID* driver support.

Application-wise, things ran really well if they had native 64-bit versions though. Can't wait for a few years for things to stabilize.

I don't like most of the Apple "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" ads but there's a hilarious new one regarding the UAC in Vista.

Edit: YouTube linky:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S2rxAC5L54

I've never understood this, but what the fuck are people doing that XP Pro isn't stable? I've never had a single problem with my OS and all wipes have been completely my choice.

Thanks :)

UAC is a good thing, too bad most Windows programs assume you have admin rights and so make it popup constantly, causing most people to do what you did.  Ideally it would only pop up when you wanted to install something.... or when something was installing itself.

Thank you, Xerapis.   :heart:

Ah, dear Signe.

Your avatar was thanks enough ;)

EDIT:  That was some funny shit, Trippy.  Totally summed up how I felt after initial install.  Well, minus the searing hatred about my sound not working.  Actually called the BF in and made him watch it too, since he had to hear all my bitching yesterday about the UAC.

That was fantastic, it's crap like that is making me consider going Mac or Linux *shudder*.

That ad was great. It's the first one that hasn't made me think apple is just being arrogant twats by making it.

In my case it is usually power hits and sometimes naughty regedits.

My built-in soundcard.  Any attempt to install drivers for it (regardless of version, tweaks, or originating site) will crash half-way through.  Also certain WoW addons.

Although I'm pretty sure it is a hardware issue that refuses to be tracked down regardless of what I substitute in an attempt to isolate it.

Ok, shit like this REALLY pisses me the fuck off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Issue

When you install Adobe Reader 8 on Windows Vista you see the error message, "The Temp folder is on a drive that is full or is inaccessible. Free up space on the drive or verify that you have write permission on the Temp folder."

Detail

You have turned off User Account Control or you are logged in using the default administrator account.

Solutions

Solution 1: Enable User Account Control.

Solution 2: Create a new user account with administrator rights and install under this profile.

Solution 3: Run the Adobe Reader set up files extracted from the installer.
 
Background information

On Vista, with User Account Control disabled, there is no write and execute access to the %TEMP% folder.

I understand supporting new OS features, but this is a COCKSUCKING LEVEL OF SUPPORT.

Funny, I had the same exact problem with Beta 1.  You wouldn't think sound would be that hard.

Microsoft totally changed the underlying sound architecture in Vista for some inexplicible reason making it much crappier than what is available in previous versions of Windows.

Oh how I hate the registry. I can't believe Vista shipped with a registry, no directsound, and no WFS. Nice job, there.

That brings OS retardation to a whole new level.

Here's what I don't get.

I own this thing.

I'm the administrator.  The only account that will EVER be on this computer.

I can understand the OS double-checking with me before deleting key system files and possibly totally ass-fucking my whole computer.

But short of that?

I should BE ALL-POWERFUL, GODAMMIT!!!

I miss DOS.

I suspect your solution is Ubuntu.

If you want to be all-powerful, your only choice is to be root.  I am not advocating Linux, since being all-powerfull can mean that you have a tremendous amount of shit to do.

I think the registry is a sound theory but the execution is bad.  Strangely enough, AIX has a version of the Windows Registy called the ODM, due to a shared heritage (yes).  You really, really don't want to go fucking around with the AIX ODM, for more or less the same reasons... also the ODM had a command-line interface, which makes it lots of fun.

The problem, with that, of course, and what MS has been roundly criticized for in the past, is that a virus or worm running under your login is also all-powerful.  Now they're criticized for fixing it.  Not that I disagree with you.  It's a terrible UI experience. But I don't really know if there's a good answer.

Next to no-one runs regularly as root on linux boxes, but then all the software is written with a non-admin user in mind, and when it's not, everyone who runs linux are power nerds who know how to switch back and forth easily.

Root's nice, but I'll stick with su-su-sudo. Did I just make a Phil Collins reference? Ugh.

Another gripe about winders: dlls. Wrap everything in a damned package folder ala OSX, already. Quit sprinkling shit on my hard drive. Maybe MS will have that in 2015.

My new sources of hate:

I uninstall a program.  Never mind the annoying change in how to do that.  What really gets me is the way the desktop icon stays there when the program is uninstalled.  I try to delete the icon, and Vista claims that the icon isn't there.  But it is.  Until I restart.

Next on the list.  Defragging.  How the hell did they manage to screw that up?  I tell it to defrag, I get no analyze option, no upfront report, I don't even get the big window showing my progress.  I tell it to start and go to bed.  Come back, and see no difference.  It claims to still be defragging.  Um....5 hours later for a 250gig drive?  I doubt it, but have no progress screen to confirm.  So I just cancel, drink my OJ, and check out the news.

More hate to come, I'm sure.  I'll keep y'all posted.

If you right click on the desktop do you get a choice to "Refresh" like you do in XP and does that remove the icon?

Yes, yes it does.

Now fix the defrag ~cracks whip, giggles~

Good work, Trippy, but that's still fairly fucking poor.

Oh, yeah, let me make that perfectly clear.

I should NOT have to hit refresh to make the icon go away.

It is still extremely annoying.  But better than restarting.  But both are wrong.

Seriously, even old XP got the icon removal right.  Why are we taking steps backward?

So I should grab a spare copy of XP for the next PC I build before they stop selling it?

Only if you want to keep your sound and what's left of your sanity.

Yes, unless you really really want DirectX 10 RIGHT NOW or you are suffering from a serious case of Mac-envy and need to run Aero or your life will be over.

Ok, serious answer time.

Yes, you should grab a spare copy of XP.

You do NOT want to slog through the hell of finding Vista drivers right now.  It is just not worth it.  I'm not sure who fucked who when it came up for release, but updated drivers for Vista are a BITCH for some things.

I particularly disliked spending over two hours to get my onboard sound working again.

And the UAC might make you put your fist right through the keyboard.  It really is just as annoying as that YouTube link that Trippy posted.

I'm not going to uninstall Vista by any means, but if I could go back in time, I wouldn't have upgraded.

I think the short version of this thread is:
Don't be an early adopter.

I'm looking forward to Vista.  I should upgrade right on schedule in another year or so.

Who in their right mind buys a MS OS before SP1? Some things never change.

I have Vista and XP set up on different drives. Vista seems to work fine so far for everything but playing games. It's nice and shiny and new, I haven't had any real problems with it. I boot back into XP for gaming at the moment since the couple games I have tried in Vista ran slow and sounded like ass.

I don't think I would pay for it but since I have access to free copies through my place of employment I figured I would give it a shot. It is Vista Business, which seems to be home premium with some extra stuff like remote desktop and minus the media center stuff.

I bought multiple copies of XP pre-SP1 and didn't have any significant issues with it. Switching to XP early on was far better for me than sticking with Windows 98 (I skipped ME entirely for obvious reasons).

In that case you're jumping several generations though.  XP is in the NT -> 2k -> XP line, and 2k had been out and stable for some time at that point.  I found 98 was a wreck even after 98 SE and at the end of its product cycle.  So I can see why it worked okay for you under those circumstances.

Ok, defragging still does not work correctly.

I started it last night.  Let it run for a good 8 hours.  Nothing.

I get no detailed pre-defrag report with this one either.  Quite annoying.

I find it hard to believe that it couldn't defrag my hard drive over night.  So WTF?

Defragging 'starts over' if there are a lot of writes to disk. Like, for instance, if you have some program running that is logging stuff to disk or if you're downloading torrents, etc.

~resists many snarky replies~

I shut everything else down (even scheduled scans and such) before starting the defrag.

And that's no excuse for not providing a before-defrag analysis.

Make that Linux/Beryl envy (http://youtube.com/watch?v=QOWeeVvhiAw).

Does Vista have a Safe Mode like the older Windows? I don't recall having to do this in XP but 98 and ME would occasionally force me into Safe Mode to do a defrag as there would always be something trying to access the drive.

And Thank You. You and a few other people have shown that it is pretty much a headache to get Vista right now.  I had been considering it but after seeing first hand the crap that other people have gone through, I won't be touching Vista for a loooooooong time.

Edit: Just got Beryl working on my box. I think my favorite part is the Expose-like feature that shows thumbnails of all the open apps and windows that you can then click on to zoom right to what you want. For me, that's the cake. All the other effects are icing.