Windows Vista issues, read inside!

[djBon2112]

1. Is there a way to enable a dialog confirming log off? I use the classic start menu configuration (I find it much easier to use), with "Log off ..." enabled. However, accidentally pressing this instantly logs the user off, instead of prompting for an OK like XP and earlier. This is really frustrating sometimes. Any advice?

2. Vista is BSODing randomly and at random times. The default Business 32-bit Dell install that came with my laptop was REALLY bad (it would BSOD literally every 15-20 minutes, each time with a different, random error), so I upgraded to 64-bit Business. The BSODs are much less frequent, but they're still occuring sometimes. Most prevelant is during boot or right after logon. I have all the latest updates, including the non-Windows Update reliability ones. There seems to be no pattern to when they occur, and the error is different each time. Has anyone else had similar problems with Dell laptops and Vista?

Other than that my system is running fine. Loving Vista, except for these few little annoyances!

 

[pxc]

"little annoyances" Frequent crashes are pretty major. Click the start button and search for Reliability and Performance Monitor (just type rel and it should be the first option). Click Reliability Monitor on the left tab and post the cause of the failures if you need help sorting it out. There is no reason why Vista x64 won't run stable, other than an add on program or bad hardware (or malware infestation).

I don't see a policy in Vista for a default prompt when logging off. There might be one or a registry setting but I can't find it.

 

[l3ender]

Have you done a fresh reformat/install of Vista?

 

[Cyrilix]

Have you done a fresh reformat/install of Vista?

I was going to ask the same question. Give that a try, if you can.

 

[djBon2112]

Yes, fresh reformat and everything. The last one was a Page Fault BSOD. I will check the reliability monitor now though.

EDIT: Alright, well, the reliability monitor isn't saying there have been any crashes with this reinstall (completed last night), which is a good sign. I have no idea what would have been causing it before though. I'll just blame Dell like everyone else

 

[CpuMan]

run memtest86 overnight.

 

[djBon2112]

run memtest86 overnight.

Good idea, I'll definitely do that tonight!.

 

[pxc]

EDIT: Alright, well, the reliability monitor isn't saying there have been any crashes with this reinstall (completed last night),

You won't see today's crashes until tomorrow. The reliability monitor is a day behind because it shows history.

 

[markt435]

run memtest86 overnight.

+1.

 

[zacdl]

Run the memtest- agreed.

Next thing I'd suspect would be drivers...

Had an XP desktop that arrived corrupted. BSOD on me at each bootup. Turns out some of Dell's drivers are POS that causes this crap.

But since you did a re-install, I'd think that would have fixed it.
I would let Windows Update update all your drivers for you, and anything not updated after that, you might try using Dell's.

 

[djBon2112]

Alright, ran memtest, 85 passes of test #5 and 30 passes of test #8, plus about 20 minutes of the "default" test, not a single error.

It's now a consistent BSOD: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, STOP: 0x00000050 I've heard it might be the video drivers, which I'm going to remove next, but I was using the latest stable nVidia GeforceGo drivers (for my 8600M GT), so I don't know how this would be a problem...

zacdl you're right, I did a clean format/install of a non-Dell copy of Vista Business x64, haven't installed a single one of their drivers or apps, so it can't be that.

EDIT: It isn't the video drivers, even with them uninstalled it still does it. And it isn't my mouse because that wasn't plugged in...

Anyone think I should just throw XP x64 on it and say "fuck Vista"?

 

[Craz]

You know I ran into an issue with Vista where it would hard lock on me within 1-2hrs. I tried everything, new chipset, video, and sound drivers didn't make a lick of difference and updates didn't help at all. I couldn't localize the problem with my system; nothing written in the event log cause of the hard lock didn't help either. Eventually I gave up and stuck with XP.

 

[djBon2112]

Well, I'm going to give it another chance, and I'm going to install Vista x64 on my main PC and XP x64 on my laptop, see if both of them work. If they do I'll just leave it like that.

I've very quickly grown to like Vista, I truly do find it much faster and easier to use than XP, but when it BSODs constantly, it's not worth it.