Vista problems

**telcontar** · 01-12-2009, 06:26 PM

My laptop that is running Vista will not automatically switch over to the user's account page. In other words if I leave my account open it will not close down after a certain period of time.
Does this make any sense? Do I make any sense?
Thanks.

**ouch** · 01-12-2009, 09:42 PM

Knocking Vista has become a cottage industry, but I have to admit that it's the only operating system I ever used that hasn't given me a single problem.

**New2DEShaving_Montreal** · 01-12-2009, 10:23 PM

Vista...they still sell that?

**letterk** · 01-12-2009, 11:34 PM

I actually like Vista. With the right hardware, I think it's better than XP. And I'm running 64-bit, which is asking for trouble, but I haven't had any.

As to the OPs question, did it used to perform that way?

**Laz** · 01-13-2009, 03:37 AM

This may be a possible answer

If you right click on the desktop, you can edit the appearance of your screen. Choose personalize, then screen saver. At the bottom of the screen saver window, you will see "change power settings". Click on the change power setting link to open your power management window. From this window you should be able to change how you computer goes to sleep or saves energy to conserve battery life. Usually when the computer slows down to save energy, it will cause the system to hibernate and bump you back to the login page.

My guess is that your power management settings got changed. Most laptops have a power management icon in the bottom right corner of the desktop task bar. You should also be able to click on this icon to adjust these settings. You can also manually choose sleep or hibernate from the start menu. These options can be found right above "shut down" button from the start menu.

I hope that this helped or that it is a step in the right direction to solving your problem.

**endcycle** · 01-13-2009, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by Laz

This may be a possible answer

If you right click on the desktop, you can edit the appearance of your screen. Choose personalize, then screen saver. At the bottom of the screen saver window, you will see "change power settings". Click on the change power setting link to open your power management window. From this window you should be able to change how you computer goes to sleep or saves energy to conserve battery life. Usually when the computer slows down to save energy, it will cause the system to hibernate and bump you back to the login page.

My guess is that your power management settings got changed. Most laptops have a power management icon in the bottom right corner of the desktop task bar. You should also be able to click on this icon to adjust these settings. You can also manually choose sleep or hibernate from the start menu. These options can be found right above "shut down" button from the start menu.

I hope that this helped or that it is a step in the right direction to solving your problem.

+1 this is your issue entirely.

For what it's worth, I am a Linux geek at heart. I have to use Windows at my office as a net admin for a large network. I will say this: Post Service Pack 1, Vista is perfectly acceptable in my book. It's rock solid now (finally) and performs admirably on my laptop (core2duo Dell e6500 with 4 gigs of ram).

**ClubmanRob** · 01-13-2009, 11:52 AM

Poor maligned, misunderstood Vista. The single best OS I've ever used.

**infotech** · 01-13-2009, 12:25 PM

Another way to handle this without making your computer going to sleep is by changing the screen saveer Wait Time option. To do this, right click your desktop, click Personalize, and then click Screen Saver. There you'll see a check box labeled "On resume, display logon screen" Check that and change the time to whatever you desire.

I agree that Vista is an excellent OS. I'll go as far as saying Office 2007 is a great improvment as well. The only hurdle is getting used to the new menus and options.

**rabidpotatochip** · 01-13-2009, 12:32 PM

Ok, I have two questions for everything that likes Vista: do you have UAC enabled or did you disable it? Do you feel it adds or subtracts from your Vista experience?

All the Vista-related complaints/fix requests I've had since it came out were about those alerts and by extension, I'm not loving Vista too much.

Disclosure: I use Win98, XP Home, XP Pro, and a bunch of Linux and have near-zero experience with Vista.

**Confuzius** · 01-13-2009, 12:34 PM

First thing I do when I install vista is disable UAC. Although I've left it on in Win7, they've made it abit less intrusive.

**Abdiel** · 01-13-2009, 12:36 PM

Step 1: Get rid of Vista
Step 2: Install Linux flavor of your choice

Now that the mandatory linux plug has popped up, no idea how to fix your problem

. Good luck

**infotech** · 01-13-2009, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by rabidpotatochip

Ok, I have two questions for everything that likes Vista: do you have UAC enabled or did you disable it? Do you feel it adds or subtracts from your Vista experience?

All the Vista-related complaints/fix requests I've had since it came out were about those alerts and by extension, I'm not loving Vista too much.

Disclosure: I use Win98, XP Home, XP Pro, and a bunch of Linux and have near-zero experience with Vista.

I use Vista with UAC enabled and haven't had any problems with it. When I first installed Vista I would get bombarded with UAC prompts because I was constantly installing utilities and applications that I use regularly. Once I got my system stable I rarely see UAC prompts. It's no worse than having to SU to do certian things in Linux. The only time I get them is for changing system settings or installing new software.

**letterk** · 01-13-2009, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by rabidpotatochip

Ok, I have two questions for everything that likes Vista: do you have UAC enabled or did you disable it? Do you feel it adds or subtracts from your Vista experience?

All the Vista-related complaints/fix requests I've had since it came out were about those alerts and by extension, I'm not loving Vista too much.

Disclosure: I use Win98, XP Home, XP Pro, and a bunch of Linux and have near-zero experience with Vista.

UAC is annoying when setting up a system, meaning multiple installs. Once you're stable, you forget Vista even has it.

**Coyotebd** · 01-13-2009, 01:06 PM

I'm also a Vista fan. I like the changes they made and look forward to Windows 7. However, once 7 is out I think Vista will be the Windows Millenium of its time. They stripped a bunch of stuff out of Vista to get it out the door and even with SP1 there's still some issues. The most noticable is dealing with network files, which is noticably slower.

**Laz** · 01-13-2009, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by infotech

Another way to handle this without making your computer going to sleep is by changing the screen saveer Wait Time option. To do this, right click your desktop, click Personalize, and then click Screen Saver. There you'll see a check box labeled "On resume, display logon screen" Check that and change the time to whatever you desire.

I agree that Vista is an excellent OS. I'll go as far as saying Office 2007 is a great improvment as well. The only hurdle is getting used to the new menus and options.

I didn't notice that option right the the center of the window.

**Bluestaco** · 01-13-2009, 06:07 PM

I don't know what UAC is.
I run Vista, too, and the only "problem" I have had was buying other software that wasn't supported on Vista. That said, I have had no problems with that software or anything else other than the complications it causes with my company's authoring system due to the different My Documents structure.

**rabidpotatochip** · 01-13-2009, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by Bluestaco

I don't know what UAC is.
I run Vista, too, and the only "problem" I have had was buying other software that wasn't supported on Vista. That said, I have had no problems with that software or anything else other than the complications it causes with my company's authoring system due to the different My Documents structure.

UAC = User Account Control. Basically Vista asks for confirmation any time you try to do anything that might do something. hehe

**telcontar** · 01-13-2009, 07:35 PM

Bingo!
Thanks guys!

**sol92258** · 01-13-2009, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by rabidpotatochip

UAC = User Account Control. Basically Vista asks for confirmation any time you try to do anything that might do something. hehe

**Vista has detected your mouse has moved.**
**You need to restart to confirm this change.**

**Spacegeezer** · 01-14-2009, 01:36 AM

The first time I used Vista (on an install), UAC was driving me crazy, and I disabled it. After a moment of consideration, I realized that I'd be done installing new programs and changing settings in a couple hours, but UAC would keep things from being installed or changed without my knowledge forever. So I keep it on, and grit my teeth through the a new computer setup.

I really feel that it wouldn't be half as annoying if they didn't make it so dramatic; everything else on the screen dims, you may get a DING!, and you have to deal with this stupid box in the middle of something else you were doing. If it just gave you a normal pop up nobody would mind.