R2 Fun

**houseisland** · October 15th, 2006, 01:43 AM

I gave up on R1 quite some time ago. Too many driver issues. Half the hardware was non-functional -- no sound card, no TV card, no modem, no inkjet, no scanner, no VOIP box, etc..... -- it wasn't something I could live with.

Installed R2. Some improvement on the driver front. But still no sound card, no TV card, no scanner, no VOIP box.

Installed the One Care Beta.

Installed ATI's catalyst drivers and killed the system -- unrecoverable.

Reinstalled R2. Tried to reinstall One Care -- failed. Prompted to seek help. MS help website won't accept the Beta product id. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling -- no go. Dug around a little -- it seems you only get one shot with the Beta One Care. Mess it up and no one care(s).

Thanks ATI -- I am reminded of EISA Mach32 and VLB Mach64 pain and of early Rage 128 pain.

**NooNoo** · October 15th, 2006, 04:43 AM

One care is no longer beta and does not run on Vista....

Windows Vista (codenamed "Longhorn") beta compatibility
Currently, Windows Live OneCare can be installed only on PCs running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2).

If you install Windows Live OneCare and then upgrade your operating system to Windows Vista, Windows Live OneCare will not run on future restarts, which will leave your computer unprotected. You can install and run Windows Live OneCare on a hard disk partition running Windows XP SP2 while another partition has a different operating system such as Windows Vista. (This is known as "dual-booting.") However, Windows Live OneCare will protect only the system and files on the Windows XP SP2 partition.

Windows Live OneCare subscribers who are also participating in the Windows Vista beta program will need to run Windows Live OneCare on a different computer from the one running Longhorn. If you have only one computer, you will need to choose which product to use. If you decide to participate in the Longhorn beta instead of subscribing to OneCare, please complete the opt-out survey during the removal of the Windows Live OneCare software. Please note "Decided to test Longhorn instead of Windows Live OneCare" in your opt-out reply.

**rgharper** · October 15th, 2006, 05:25 AM

For the moment, I am recommending that folks not replace the in-Vista drivers unless they're having a problem. Current builds of Vista ship with "stable" drivers from the manufacturers. On the manufacturer's websites they offer the latest available build whether or not it's a stable release version.

**houseisland** · October 15th, 2006, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

One care is no longer beta and does not run on Vista....

Yes, but there is a new version in Beta, version 1.5, for which I received an invitation to install. It worked flawlessly on the first install in Vista. There is also a sign up link for One Care in the R2 welcome screen, which must be for the Vista version of One Care or the link wouldn't be there -- well maybe.

The problem here is that, if you (read "I" here) stupidly and irreparably crash a stable system by violating the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule, you can't re-install the One Care Beta using the same sign up. You get one chance to install, and that is it.

It is all well and fine for me to rant mildly at ATI, but I should have known and did know better.

**houseisland** · October 15th, 2006, 11:50 AM

I just tried resigning up for the One Care Beta, using a different email address. No go. Immediate subscription expired error on reboot after install.

Might have worked on a completely clean install of Vista.

**NooNoo** · October 15th, 2006, 12:49 PM

If you are part of the beta testers, then you should have a support contact?

**Editor** · October 15th, 2006, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

If you are part of the beta testers, then you should have a support contact?

Yes we do and support through news groups

**houseisland** · October 15th, 2006, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

If you are part of the beta testers, then you should have a support contact?

I don't know. MS just keeps sending me CD packages and filling one of my webmail account mailboxes with various invitations to this and that, along with the Technet news stuff. I don't usually have time to do much more than skim through it all -- too bad -- some of it is good and deserves better attention than I can afford at the moment.

Anyway the One Care issue is moot at the moment -- it is actually working. I made multiple removal/reinstall attempts last night. And at the end, I just left the "subscription-expired" version as it was - too tired to remove it again. Each time you uninstall One Care, you are required to provide feedback, which I did in polite but unfavorable terms with each and every removal. I started up the Vista box briefly this morning and the One Care installation was still "expired." Interestingly, I just booted up the box now, and lo and behold, One Care repairs itself, right before my very eyes. It is now functional for 180 days, after which I must subscribe if I wish to keep it.

**NooNoo** · October 16th, 2006, 03:24 AM

Gotta love betas!

**houseisland** · October 20th, 2006, 10:27 PM

ID: 10T Error/Erratum

Don't know what I was thinking/drinking.....

Not R2 which is a version of Server 2003.

What I have installed is a newer build of RC1, build 5600.

Anyway, no luck with sound cards. Tried a variety of Creative OEM cards -- sound is bad, multi-channel features don't work. Tried a variety of C-Media OEM cards -- had to install XP drivers to get a peep out of them -- sound is bad -- multi-channel features don't work, except with the C-Media setup utility. Tried a Hercules Digifire 7.1 - doesn't work at all.

Won't mention the software I couldn't get installed.

Time to go back to XP or Linux..... for the moment anyway. Nice but not ready for Prime Time.