Windows Vista is a Freakin' Retard

10:09.28 - Friday 19th October 2007   (Link to This Entry)

"Unnnngh", "Arrrrgh!", "Gnnnnngh" - all sounds that could have been heard by anyone passing my house last night as I wrestled with Windows Vista to try and get it to recognise my 2GB Cruzer Titanium USB Memory stick.

Running Windows Vista Home Basic - the smallest, least complicated (hahahah) version of Vista - with 512MB of RAM was probably my first mistake, since any operation takes ten times longer than necessary once you start hitting the swap file. It took fifteen minutes just to install a couple of driver updates and reboot.

But the main problem - installing a quality USB memory stick from a well-known, reputable manufacturer, just took the cake. I inserted the stick, expecting it to be recognised and installed, but Vista claims it couldn't be recognised. I left it installed and loaded up the device manager, figuring it could use Windows Update to find a driver, but was politely informed that ''the best device driver was already installed for this device.'' This unknown device. Yeah.

Not only that, Vista suggested that I replace the device if it continued to not work. Given that there were important files on it, that's hardly the best advice I've ever received.

Update:
Since I'm in the process of moving the office downstairs, but haven't actually got to the point whereby I have a desk, I have gotten my Internet fix by digging out an old wireless PCI card I got a while ago and using that. To my surprise, XP picked it up and installed the drivers (from Windows update - via a temporary wire) on the first try and promptly let me use it.

I dread to think what Windows Vista would have done.