windows vista ??

Post by **"WEAZLECHIN"** » 03 Jan 2008, 13:25

ive had a new laptop with windows bloody vista installed, i went to play a dvd but it tells me "a suitable decoder is not installed" ... WHY NOT? ... then i check "web help" which guides me nicely to various ADD ONS and it will cost me $14.99.. excuse me!! i thought. is this some kind of p1sstake? err i mean mistake? help.

Post by **Louey** » 03 Jan 2008, 13:39

http://www.videolan.org/

try the above link - vlc media player usually plays most things and is free

Post by **kevtherev** » 03 Jan 2008, 15:10

I agree it's my default payer

Post by **R0B** » 03 Jan 2008, 16:13

im not liking vista at all.been using it for a couple of months.i thought i may warm to it.but no.its effin shi*te.i would install xp.but that would void the warranty on the laptop.

Post by **lloyd** » 03 Jan 2008, 17:05

sukhoi27 wrote:i would install xp.but that would void the warranty on the laptop.

Just a thought:
You could add another partition to harddrive (small one with existing vista, large one for XP.. probably have a small one now for vista backup/recovery), setup for dual boot and load Xp on large one. This way you keep vista intact and can use XP. Is what I did on mine.

Also make sit easier to figure out what drivers you need.

Post by **R0B** » 03 Jan 2008, 17:11

yeh your right lloyd.it did cross my mind to do that.i was hoping i would get into vista.but i cant see that happening now...

Post by **noss vanagon** » 03 Jan 2008, 17:43

return laptop to supplier!!!!! not fit for purpose

Post by **Willoughby** » 03 Jan 2008, 19:09

Hi

I agree Vista is guff. VLC is the way forward.

If you need to get your DVD player to work try down loading : free

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Cod ... l_in_1.htm

Works with the majority of players (DVD)

Kev

Post by **"WEAZLECHIN"** » 03 Jan 2008, 21:04

tar louey, the software works

not impressed with vista though

Post by **Dan Wood** » 03 Jan 2008, 22:12

R0B wrote:but that would void the warranty on the laptop.

Is that really true? Who makes the laptop?

I can't see what software has to do with warranty....

Post by **R0B** » 03 Jan 2008, 22:23

you may be right dan.i assumed as it came with vista pre installed it might.i will get in touch with pc world and ask them.its a compaq..

I can't see what software has to do with warranty....

Post by **"WEAZLECHIN"** » 03 Jan 2008, 22:43

can i record cds and dvds with the VLC media player ive downloaded, you might have to bare with me as i am a computer gimp and hate technology, why all the strange words and stuff

my brain is hurting now

Post by **dugcati** » 03 Jan 2008, 23:01

Taking Vista off/ putting XP DOES NOT void your warranty - who ever told you that may as well have told you that if you browse the internet then you will void your warranty! I used to work for a support company that provided telephone support for everything computer related that comes out of PCWorld, Dixons and Curry's so believe me I know I am right in what I say!

What the sales chap/chapess may have been getting at is that if you install XP you 'may endup killing off the recovery partition and will then be unable to put your machine back to 'factory spec' the default setup they often get you put your machine back to when diagnosing possible hardware issues with PC's/Laptop's etc. If your unable to get your machine back into it's factory shipped stae they 'could' theoretically refuse to support/assist you.

** If you haven't already, check through your start menu for an option to make your master CD's/recovery CD's - It's usally called something like master cd creator this will create a set of Windows recovery CD's for you and will enable you to put your machine back to that magical 'factory spec' regardless of what you do to it

It's also well worth doing as if your hard drive packs up; under warrabty it should get replaced but your Windows operating system will not - if you don't have your recovery CD's then you end up having to buy a copy of Windows! I have had to talk many folk down from explosion point once I told them that... not fun!**

It is possible to turn off nearly all of the Vista bubbly stuff and make it very much run and look like Windows 2000 which many people are more comforatble with.

Hope this helps a little

Doug

Post by **R0B** » 03 Jan 2008, 23:08

thanks for that doug.making the recovery disc is the first thing i did.like lloyd suggested earlier i think i will partition the drive.and do a dual system.methinks

Post by **Andyvandy** » 03 Jan 2008, 23:32

You could have bought an Apple Mac.....

Vista is a nasty little (large) operating system, long may I avoid it!

Andy