So I just got done doing a second clean install on my main PC. This PC for the softies out there is pretty much identical to one of the systems used during the Media Center TakeHome Program. I had just clean installed yesterday morning because my last install was just odd, for example plugging in a SanDisk Micro into the USB and it would never be detected. Ditto with the USB hub / memory card reader on my Dell 2405FPW. Plus the fact that I kept getting blue screens 2 to 3 times a day was enough for me. I did a full memory test with extended 2 pass and verified the memory was fine but kept getting page errors and the like. Needless to say I just figured it was a lemon install so I installed yesterday.

When I reinstalled I kept the full 4GB of RAM in the system and I left the USB hub and SanDisk Micro plugged into the USB. Unfortunately after I finished installed neither of these devices were being detected. The BIOS still showed 4GB of RAM and Vista still showed 2.75GB of RAM usable (the usable RAM I know is normal). So then I set the PC to tripple mon. Then I installed WLM 8.1 beta. Then I restarted. Got back up and noticed an error report. Looking further I noticed I already had 43 to report! Still no USB hub showing up (even though the BIOS sees it fine), but the Micro finally shows up. So I try and format the device from Computer by right clicking then go to Format. The dialog window never appears, even after waiting 5 minutes. Frustrated I just shut the system down. Unplug both of the USB devices mentioned, pop open the system then I play around with the RAM, I try doing 2GB in single channel, then 2GB in dual channel, then the other 2GB in both modes, then 1 chip from 1 set and the other from the other. Basically just making sure I wasn’t forgetting to test everything (with the last installs BSOD’s fresh in my mind). It’s fun to note that every time I booted with 2GB of RAM both USB devices showed up. I then tried going back to 4GB and again the USB devices are unrecognized by Windows (they appear as unrecognized in Device Manager). Enough fiddling I go back to 2GB in dual channel. I just want this bloody thing to work right.

I get the USB hub working finally, I’m able to format some SD from the memory reader for the first time since installing Vista on this system. The dialog to format the SanDisk Micro comes up immediately on the first try and I’m able to format that and enable ReadyBoost to use the extra 1.8GB it provides.

So this morning in a New Year I’m feeling pretty good about the system, not wanting to throw it off my balcony. I get a link from Mark pointing me to a new music vid on YouTube. Click to go there, then click to install Flash from Adobe. And now the frustration is back again. Having only used IE like 3 times (once to get beta drivers for the Creative XFi) I’ve not had a chance to change any settings from default. So what’s the first thing I see when I go to install Flash? Hmm well, I can’t it won’t let me. The first thing you should notice about that screenshot is that IE says Protected Mode is Off in the bottom right. According to the default settings in the Security dialog that’s incorrect and the setting is Enabled. Even when I toggle this setting on and off and restart the system the status does not update in the bottom right.

Next I put on my “I’m now going to be my Mom” hat and go well beyond my capabilities by adjusting the settings and lower everything to the lowest possible options without going into anything too advanced. Now my son knows that this should now basically put me at the same level as IE7 on XP would since the default back then was Medium and Protected Mode isn’t even an option. Sadly for me, the Mom, I still can’t watch anything off YouTube because Flash won’t install. I try calling my son but he’s being a jerk and isn’t answering the phone or my IM’s. So I then go in and figure out how to add adobe.com to the trusted sites. Sadly this still doesn’t work. I then find the Advanced button and decide to start messing around. Not knowing what any of these things do I just set everything to Enable. I do finally get my Flash to install so I can watch stuff on YouTube. But when I do finally get a hold of my son he says he can’t believe how big of a security risk I’ve put myself in and that it’s no wonder I get spyware all the time.

Anyway, besides having just exploded into a rant I hope the point did get across. WTH is going on here? This is a bloody clean install, I shouldn’t be needing to go through hell just to get a signed ActiveX control to install and run. There’s no way in hell my Mom would ever be able to figure this out and sadly because the damned Remote Assistance NAT issues still haven’t been resolved in Vista I’m still inclined to tell her that it’s a waste of my time and that she should either use Firefox or just buy a Mac.

UPDATE: I just set the IE7 security settings back to default for a third time and for the second time reset after having done the change. Sure enough Flash now installs with the default settings. Still note that Protect Mode shows as being Off in the bottom right. Now I’m willing to concede that it was probably just some minor quirk and the setting might not have taken even after setting it twice and restarting. But what type of user experience is that?

Tags: Microsoft, Rants, Vista