Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade with Service Pack 1: Windows

...

you a clue as to the holes in their programming, you will find out when you load the DVD. Good luck.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade with Service Pack 1: Windows

...

let that preference be saved, either. Word and Excel are erratic as well. I have the very latest version of Internet Explorer, but it won't save History of sites visited. Yes, I've played with all the settings. A little research yielded the fact that Microsoft knows all this - they have knowledge base articles on the topics that send you in circles -without any solution.
Many Software applications (obviously including Microsoft applications) must be upgraded to work with Vista, some work poorly, some don't work at all.
I hold a multi-user license to excellent Anti-Virus Software I like much better than Norton or McAfee; very effective and unobtrusive. Even with the Vista version it can't start automatically at boot with Vista, which not only means I have to remember to start it manually every day, sometimes forgetting, it means it can't remove certain viruses that require a re-boot deletion.

So by "UPGRADING" to Vista, I have, in essence, thrown away hundreds of dollars in software and hardware, most of which, I assume, Microsoft intends to recoup when I buy something from them to do what the old stuff was doing perfectly well before the "UPGRADE."

If you google "downgrade to XP" you'll find almost a quarter of a million links.

There's a reason for that.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade with Service Pack 1: Windows

...

favorite AV program if you're out of luck with your existing program. My favorite is ESET NOD32 Antivirus: very easy to use, lightweight and one of the most effective antivirus programs according to multiple independent lab tests. I also recommend either PC Tools Spyware Doctor or Webroot Spy Sweeper over Windows Defender for extra protection... Windows Defender (which comes with Vista), while moderately effective against adware, is next to useless against spyware & rootkits.

With Vista, you are also asking for headaches if you care about your computer working with your older hardware, such as printers, digital cameras, and so forth. I have seen some devices, even ones certified to work with Vista, not actually work with Vista. Many do work, but be forewarned and check with your existing device manufacturers for Vista support before purchasing this Vista upgrade. You may also run into issues with drivers for existing hardware, such as your sound or video hardware. Check with your computer manufacturer (e.g. Dell) to find out if they offer Vista drivers for your particular computer model. Software as well can be an issue, as some software (especially uncommon programs) may not work well or at all in Vista.

The bottom line: Upgrading from XP to Vista offers nothing you can't duplicate on XP for little to no cost, in exchange for $100+ and the potential for great headaches with existing software & hardware. Instead, find some free or cheap software that duplicates the features you want. If you must have Vista, good luck! Consider a new computer (with at least 2 GB RAM), which will save you from at least some of the aforementioned hassle (at least you'll know the computer itself will work, though perhaps not with existing old software or hardware), and rely on your older computer for anything that just won't work with Vista.