Text 16629, 134 rader
Skriven 2007-03-01 18:33:58 av mike (1:379/45)
Ärende: Vista Download Disaster
===============================
From: mike <mike@barkto.com>


http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2098770,00.asp

===
In the world of operating systems, Microsoft Windows Vista is just a baby. It's
just now toddling along on new systems being sold throughout the U.S. And, like
a small child being dropped by the stork to new parents, it's available to
older desktop PCs via Microsoft's download-to-buy program.

Giving early adopters such easy, unfettered access to the somewhat untested OS
was a bold move by Microsoft. The company had to know that people like those
who work at PC Magazine would be among the first to test-drive this new
installation option. Many of us have two- to three-year-old machines that meet
or beat the minimum specs for running Windows Vista (with Aero). Why shell out
another $1,000 to $2,000 for a new system when we can simply download the OS
for $159 and get the "Wow!"? That was, to some extent, what was on PC Magazine
publisher and tech-savvy computer user Jim McCabe's mind when he decided to
upgrade his laptop with the latest OS.


I ran into Jim early one morning after he had installed Windows Vista Home
Premium. He wasn't smiling, and the tale he told me made the hairs on the back
of my neck stand up. It left me worried and wondering about how many other
Vista download customers are currently thisclose to smashing their PCs with the
nearest heavy object.

McCabe's been at the magazine long enough to know to ask the right questions
before embarking on a technology quest. He had read our stories and talked to
editors about the Vista experience. His Averatec 3300 laptop PC was no
powerhouse, but its 1.6-GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 80GB hard drive were all
ready to handle Vista's basic requirements. Downloading the software seemed
like a great option. He found you could even do it from one of Microsoft's
retail partners. McCabe chose Circuit City, and soon he was ready to install
the OS.

Because it's getting harder and harder for Microsoft to support the millions of
different system configurations out there, the Redmond software giant will
always recommend a clean install. It's a nice thought—not particularly
realistic, but a very quaint one. For me, though, and I assume for Jim, the
real "Wow!" would happen when your old PC, with all its hardware and software,
becomes your new PC. It's like taking the motor out of your beloved 1956 Chevy
Bel Air and putting in a new engine. You still have that great body, but the
inside is humming like never before.

Installation took an hour and went off without a hitch. During the process,
Windows Vista asked Jim if he wanted to have all updates installed
automatically, to have only the critical ones installed, or to handle updates
manually. McCabe chose the first option because, as he put it, "You editors
told me to." I'm sure we did, Jim, and I would do the same thing.

At first glance, McCabe's PC looked great. All the settings were
maintained—right down to his screen saver. The Averatec and Vista did as Jim
had instructed during installation and immediately connected to the Internet
and downloaded the Vista updates. Within minutes, he saw a message telling him
that all of the updates were successful, and then the laptop began a necessary
reboot.

At this point, the story sounded pretty commonplace, but the look on McCabe's
face told me a different story. He continued on and arrived at the tale's
turning point.

McCabe's Averatec began its reboot and within seconds lapsed into a horrifying
blue screen of death. Jim's a wily guy, so he quickly disabled Vista's
automatic restart and captured the on-screen info. Then he tried all the
strategies Windows Vista recommended to untangle his system mess: Safe mode,
Disabling the Network, and so on.

Vista also asked him to place the Windows Vista DVD in the system, restart, and
then choose "Repair." Great idea, except McCabe didn't have an install DVD.

It was time to call in an expert.

The Microsoft customer service rep was nice enough and walked McCabe through
every step he had already tried on his own. Obviously stumped, the tech asked
Jim to use his Windows Vista DVD and choose the "Repair" option.

"But I don't have a DVD," said McCabe, explaining he had downloaded the OS from
Circuit City. The tech seemed unaware that Microsoft is offering the OS as a
download. "He seemed kind of baffled by it," McCabe told me.


The tech recovered with a brilliant idea: "Can you borrow it from a friend?"

"He wanted me to walk next door and ask my neighbor if he had a Windows Vista
installation DVD," explained an exasperated McCabe.

I could barely believe what I was hearing. If this were a Windows XP install,
I'd almost understand. Heck, virtually everyone is running Win XP. I could
probably find five install discs on my own block. But Windows Vista is not yet
a month old. Hardly anyone has it. Sales of the OS are, for the moment, a bit
slow. This will change, but for a support tech to recommend that a customer try
to find an install disc to recover his PC is, well, beyond the pale. It's the
kind of dead-end solution you offer when you no longer care or are simply too
ignorant to have a reasonable answer.

Jim's an enterprising sort, and though he too was appalled by the support
tech's suggestion, he wanted "to see this thing through." This time, his
journey took him back to the local Circuit City store. McCabe figured that
since he had purchased the download from them, perhaps they'd give him a DVD.

No dice. McCabe eventually bought a new Windows Vista DVD (he figured he'd stop
payment on the download).

This time McCabe did a clean install, which meant that all of his software and
hardware would be shoved into a Windows Old folder (a resting place for things
you'd likely never see or use again). Windows Vista now worked flawlessly—even
with the updates—but McCabe did not have his old system. Yes, it looked like
the old Averatec, but everything else—all the settings, all the apps, and his
trusty hardware—had been pushed out of reach.

You know what comes next. Jim took a recent backup image of his Averatec hard
drive and reverted to Windows XP.

Where did Jim go wrong? Apparently, it was when he took a risk on the
downloadable version of Windows Vista.

Microsoft has made a number of small missteps here, but the biggie is that it
won't send out a Windows DVD to download customers. If the only way to "repair"
Vista is to use that DVD, Microsoft must send them one. To say no is
inexcusable.

Jim McCabe's experience may not be the same as everyone who goes this route,
but if it can happen to a tech-savvy user like him, it could happen to you. I
will say this: Hearing this Microsoft Windows Vista story did make me say
"Wow."
===


  /m

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