Vista minor annoyances?

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: ezzye23
Here is something I don't understand. Say I have 4-5 programs open. Some are minimized on the taskbar and some are not. If you hold the cursor of one of the minimized programs it gives you a snapshot thumbnail, but if you hold the cursor over one that is just behind another program in the background it shows it in realtime. Don't know if that is a limitation or what.

The other one that is related to the above is say you just want to get back to the desktop and you press the desktop button. Your desktop shows but now the sidebar is gone and so are the icons. It will reappear if you go back to a program and then close that program which then leaves the desktop viewable. The same thing happens when using Flip3d and you flip to the desktop. Just the picture of the desktop there, no sidebar, etc.
Anyone see this, or make sense of what I'm saying. Always hard to describe stuff like this, instead of just showing you.

Its done on purpose. When you minimize a window in Vista, XP, or any other Windows, it drops a huge chunk of memory because it isnt wasting resources actually rendering things you cant see. So it takes a snapshot of the window when you minimize it so you can at least get a thumbnail. Nothing is wrong - its a very good idea in fact.

For instance: the opera browser I'm using to type this message, with a bunch of tabs open is using 29MB. I minimize it, and it instantaneously drops to 4mb. If youre the type of person to have a zillion windows open, the type of person who would actually need to use the thumbnail feature, you'd run out of memory a lot quicker with all those windows open just so you can see the pretty thumbnail in motion.

I opened Opera, IE, Task Manager, explorer, word, outlook, onenote, trillian, and an anatomy program. All are displayed. Using about 100MB combined. Minimizing everything drops it to 20mb. It's all been pushed into a pile of memory thats ready to be dumped in case a new foreground app needs it. Which makes sense, because if you needed the program resident over all others, it would probably be maximized.

So I suppose its a limitation, but its in the name of efficiency.

 

[NotQuiteAPCGuru]

Takes forever (read 'significantly longer than in XP') to alt+tab out of certain games. The computer runs horribly, horribly slow when I finally get out of a game and just using simple text applications or online email appears to be a real chore for the computer.

I think I'm going to play around with my RAM and see what I can do.

P5B Deluxe
E6600 (Not OC)
2GB Balistix 800MHz
3x 500GB HDDs
X1950XT Video Card (Desktop runs at 1920x1200)

Other than that, I really like Vista. It's very visually appealing.

 

[dds14u]

The OP has resolved his own problem!

Previuosly:
I had a problem with Desktop Composition that would slow down my entire computer after I loaded some extensive webpages. This would be a gradual slowdown. However, the second I dragged a window (any window) around it would temporarily fix itself.

Today I turned off the gadgets for the first time (which I assume most people do immediately) and desktop composition finally runs smoothly!

So now I have to decide...gadgets or desktop composition...

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: dds14u
The OP has resolved his own problem!

Previuosly:
I had a problem with Desktop Composition that would slow down my entire computer after I loaded some extensive webpages. This would be a gradual slowdown. However, the second I dragged a window (any window) around it would temporarily fix itself.

Today I turned off the gadgets for the first time (which I assume most people do immediately) and desktop composition finally runs smoothly!

So now I have to decide...gadgets or desktop composition...

Its probably one particular gadget thats screwing you up...which were you using?

 

[dds14u]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Its probably one particular gadget thats screwing you up...which were you using?

I only used the clock gadget that came as default...
With some more extensive testing it looks like after I stopped gadgets and re-enabled them...I don't get this problem anymore.

Now I can't be sure what the problem really was...

 

[duragezic]

My annoyances, from using Vista Business 32-bit:

* Windows Explorer is crap! Windows Explorer is one of the most used daily applications for me. In Vista, I can't seem to customize it to make it more like XP without all the useless BS and even if I could, some settings don't seem to stay, even the window size, which is ridiculous. So many things wrong with it...

* User data is located in weird places. And what is just retarded is XP-style locations like 'Documents & Settings\duragezic\Application Data...' are STILL THERE, but they can't be accessed and are seemingly empty. WHY ARE THEY SHOWN?? There is a bunch of directories and crap for shared, public, user data, when all I want is a simple directory for my files and documents like how XP does it.

Those are two major reasons I don't like Vista. It is doubtful Explorer will get changed much outside of a few of the bugs fixed with it. I really doubt the locations of user data and the "deprecated" XP directories, as well as public and shared crap, will ever get changed. That stuff has zero use to me, as I'm the sole user of my computer and I have only one account on it.

* Unsure if I want all that stuff running like indexed search, background defrag, useless widgets (I see many Vista desktops with a digital clock, analog clock, AND the only one needed and always there: the system tray clock ), system restore, real-time virus/malware scans. I read that I should leave them alone, and not treat it like XP, but I don't like stuff in the background. Indexed search, system restore, widgets, and active virus scan is completely useless to me, but I'm told to leave them alone? With new games, my 2GB of RAM and 100% of my CPU needs to be dedicated to the game.

* Old hardware. My Act-labs Force RS is in perfect condition but won't ever work with Vista as Act-labs is more or less gone, and I can't afford to replace it when it works fine otherwise and a comparable wheel is expensive.

It probably sounds like I'm bitching about Vista like people have complained about seeing too much of, but it is quite minor issues, just they won't get changed. I just don't understand some of the design decisions they made. I'll eventually switch, as some of the things are cool, and security is better, but even then, the damn Force RS will never work. Act-labs should release the source and maybe some users could get Vista support going.

 

[bigi]

* The (re)activation process. Trully terrible cr@p. I own three legit copies of Vista. Now, I am affraid to upgrade my CPU or Memory. Last time I had to spend hours on the phone with several MS techs to get my Vista activated. I upgraded my memory from 4 to 8 GB. It took two days and several phonecalls (MS in India/Canada) to get product key that works.

* Save As dialog / No Tweak UI (yet?)

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by: bigi
* The (re)activation process. Trully terrible cr@p. I own three legit copies of Vista. Now, I am affraid to upgrade my CPU or Memory. Last time I had to spend hours on the phone with several MS techs to get my Vista activated. I upgraded my memory from 4 to 8 GB. It took two days and several phonecalls (MS in India/Canada) to get product key that works.

* Save As dialog / No Tweak UI (yet?)

Two days???

Dude, get the !#$ out of here. I call BS. Scram!

 

[Cutthroat]

* User data is located in weird places. And what is just retarded is XP-style locations like 'Documents & Settings\duragezic\Application Data...' are STILL THERE, but they can't be accessed and are seemingly empty. WHY ARE THEY SHOWN?? There is a bunch of directories and crap for shared, public, user data, when all I want is a simple directory for my files and documents like how XP does it.

It's called the virtual store, those folders are just shortcuts. It's there for compatibility, so when you install an older program that tries to use XP style directories the files are instead directed to the new folders.

* Unsure if I want all that stuff running like indexed search, background defrag, useless widgets (I see many Vista desktops with a digital clock, analog clock, AND the only one needed and always there: the system tray clock ), system restore, real-time virus/malware scans. I read that I should leave them alone, and not treat it like XP, but I don't like stuff in the background. Indexed search, system restore, widgets, and active virus scan is completely useless to me, but I'm told to leave them alone? With new games, my 2GB of RAM and 100% of my CPU needs to be dedicated to the game.

All that stuff runs at low priority, so as soon as you launch a game or app that wants the resources those processes will pause and give all available resources to what you are doing in the forefront.

If you don't like the sidebar and gadget, turn them off, they are just eye candy and do use a very small amount of resources.

 

[Cutthroat]

* The (re)activation process. Trully terrible cr@p. I own three legit copies of Vista. Now, I am affraid to upgrade my CPU or Memory. Last time I had to spend hours on the phone with several MS techs to get my Vista activated. I upgraded my memory from 4 to 8 GB. It took two days and several phonecalls (MS in India/Canada) to get product key that works.

Whatever.

I've had to activate my OEM copy of Vista twice over the phone because I've changed motherboards, and spent less than 5 minutes on the phone each time.

 

[Smilin]

Ok, this "gripe" just kills me.

Originally posted by: duragezic
* User data is located in weird places.

"Weird" like users\your username\documents
My God how will we ever find anything!!??

And what is just retarded is XP-style locations like 'Documents & Settings\duragezic\Application Data...' are STILL THERE, but they can't be accessed and are seemingly empty. WHY ARE THEY SHOWN??

Because got all l337 and power user, and decided to deliberately tell the OS not to hide them. That's why it's showing...ooh wait, caps...BECAUSE YOU TOLD IT TO!!11one!!eleven111!!!

There is a bunch of directories and crap for shared, public, user data, when all I want is a simple directory for my files and documents like how XP does it.

XP wasn't simple IMHO. It was a long folder name, had spaces in it that made scripting require quotes all over the place, and did a terrible job of distinguishing between local app data and local user data.

Look Mr. Power User, if you aren't power-user enough to understand how the folder redirection is working maybe you shouldn't have used your leet power user skills to show protected OS files and folders.

I'm probably one of the more "power" power users around and I leave the crap hidden on Vista. On the rare occassion I need something under the hood I'll flip it on then back off again. It just makes life simple and pleasant. Give it a try.

 

[Arkaign]

Maybe I just can't tweak it, but my Vista load (on a faster HDD) is noticeably slower than my XP load on the same box. Both are 32-bit versions, should I try Vista 64? Btw this thing is C2D @ 3.2Ghz, 4GB DDR2800, P965 Chipset, 7900GS. Meh.

 

[KeithTalent]

I actually have a question:

How do I rename an application link or file name?

In XP I could just right-click and select rename, but I cannot seem to do that here.

For example I play LOTRO so I have that link in my games folder, but I just downloaded the LOTRO test server to use as well. Unfortunately the links and icons look identical, and there is no way to identify which is which without doing a little digging.

Ideally I would just like to rename the icons to 'LOTRO' and 'LOTRO-Roheryn' so I can easily differentiate between the two.

Thanks in advance for a help!

Cheers,
KT

PS: I do not think this is off-topic, because it is a minor annoyance for me.

 

[Noema]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Maybe I just can't tweak it, but my Vista load (on a faster HDD) is noticeably slower than my XP load on the same box. Both are 32-bit versions, should I try Vista 64? Btw this thing is C2D @ 3.2Ghz, 4GB DDR2800, P965 Chipset, 7900GS. Meh.

Odd. I have a similar set up and Vista 64-bit is noticeably snappier than XP, in the same box.

I boot into XP almost every day because my guitar-modeling and recording software doesn't work in 64-bit OSes and XP seems really clunky after getting used to Vista.

 

[Noema]

Mm...Is it me, or there's no way of setting the track order when burning WAV files onto an audio CD via Explorer's built in Burner? I just tried burning a CD for a friend who came over using and I couldn't figure out how to re-arrange the track order. And WMP11 apparenlty can't burn WAVs into an Audio CD. Maybe I'm just tired and moody tonight and I'm missing something :|

I thought I could do away without a 3rd party application. And CD Burner XP doesn't seem to work in Vista 64-bit.

 

[Noema]

Another tiny annoyance

Every time I change user accounts (for example; if I hit windows key+L and then log to the 'guest' account), all of my desktop icons are shuffled around (just as if 'arrange automatically' were set) when I go back to my account. I have two displays and I usually keep the files I'm currently working on on my secondary display. Because of this, they are all tossed to the primary display.

Oh, well.

 

[Mwing]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
I can't get my microphone to work and it is starting to really bug me.

KT

you connect your mic to the front panel? if so you can try "recording device" property, select "use alternate device" or something like that, im at work using xp now so i dunno what exactly it is called. that worked for me.

 

[Rebel44]

Originally posted by: Noema
Mm...Is it me, or there's no way of setting the track order when burning WAV files onto an audio CD via Explorer's built in Burner? I just tried burning a CD for a friend who came over using and I couldn't figure out how to re-arrange the track order. And WMP11 apparenlty can't burn WAVs into an Audio CD. Maybe I'm just tired and moody tonight and I'm missing something :|

I thought I could do away without a 3rd party application. And CD Burner XP doesn't seem to work in Vista 64-bit.

Use Nero 7 (works fine in Vista64)

 

[AllGamer]

software incompatible in Vista.... it sucks!

 

[Noema]

Originally posted by: Rebel44

Originally posted by: Noema
Mm...Is it me, or there's no way of setting the track order when burning WAV files onto an audio CD via Explorer's built in Burner? I just tried burning a CD for a friend who came over using and I couldn't figure out how to re-arrange the track order. And WMP11 apparenlty can't burn WAVs into an Audio CD. Maybe I'm just tired and moody tonight and I'm missing something :|

I thought I could do away without a 3rd party application. And CD Burner XP doesn't seem to work in Vista 64-bit.

Use Nero 7 (works fine in Vista64)

Yeah, but then I'd have to pay for yet another piece of software.

I was hoping Vista's built in burning utilities were good enough for me not to need 3rd party apps.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

My only complaint is that I can customize the tool bar in Explorer.

 

[Brazen]

My annoyance with Vista? $500