14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Vista is hell. Microsoft developer Andy Pennell experienced first hand the hell of Microsoft's latest operating system. From a collection of problems, to not being able to open the Vista box, to changing almost completely his system and to not succeeding in installing the operating system at all, Pennell is a true Windows Vista victim. In fact, Microsoft should consider paying psychological damages, but since he works for the Redmond Company it's already probably covering his health insurance bills. Pennell got his first signs of a troubled marriage with Windows Vista when he failed to open the box. Microsoft has a detailed tutorial set up describing just how to access the Vista installation media inside the box, but this did little for Pennell.
"My first issue with Vista was getting the damn thing out of the box. After some cursing I discovered a red tag, so I pulled that: no change. After applying physical pressure to the box I began to see the bizarre way it opens, but it would only move a millimeter. I was seriously considering a trip to the garage and to smash the box open with a hammer, when I discovered another transparent sticker that was holding two parts together. With that gone, the box moved a few more millimeters, until I realised the thing opens sideways, and boom: Vista was opened. I've installed entire operating systems more quickly and with less stress than opening this box," he revealed.
And after a failed start, Pennell's troubles with Windows Vista just went on and on. The operating system does not offer compatibility for Dynamic disks. Additionally, when the installation process was on its way it took no less than 40 hours for Pennell to get to the first login prompt. Pennell logged in and nothing, he went to work, came back home, but the system had "black-screened." He then updated his BIOS, changed his motherboard, RAM and the two hard disks. He even left the machine with the Windows Setup team, but not even they could figure it out.
"So, with a new BIOS, new motherboard, new RAM, and two new hard drives, it was that time again: I put the Vista DVD in and rebooted. This time I was stuck at the initial black-screen "Loading Windows" until I yanked my memory-card reader: the four drives my reader creates seem to confuse the early boot code. After this I went through the usual steps, and it got to "Copying files: 0%" again. Uh-oh. I left for a while, came back and it was "Expanding files: 1%". I left if for just over 24 hours, and when I checked it finally it had blue-screened," added Pennell saying that he finally gave up and moved back to Windows XP.