Thanks - another FTer also emailed the link so I downloaded the software & am running a computer scan. Granted, odds of my getting a virus in the last few days are slim, but thought I'd start out right.

I'll print a copy of the instructions you posted above & see what I can do. I've got the Sharp AL-1551 copier/printer. I might not do it until Saturday given I have got to get some real work done at some point LOL...

Another stoo-pid question, but does it matter which USB port I put the printer adapter in? The laptop has multiple ones, so I just picked one on the left side. There's no numbering that I can see. The adapter instructions for XP said when Add Printer Wizard asks me to select a printer port make certain to celect USB001 (vifrtual printer port for USB), but i was never asked that. Only got as far as insert disk, install failed, contact manufacturer.

Cheers.

The iOGear guy called & we walked through the install. He said I need to go to Sharp's site to try & get a driver, so will try that/PTravel's stuff above. Cheers.

In theory, it should not make a difference which USB port you use. However, with older hardware (and I'm referring specifically to the adapter cable), sometimes it will work in one USB port but not in another. If Device Manager reports that it's correctly installed, that should be fine. If it doesn't show up in Device Manager, or Device Manager says that it failed to start, then try another port.

By the way, there are no such things as stupid questions when it comes to getting Vista going. Though this isn't what I do for a living, I've been working with computers since I was 16 and a "computer" was this huge refrigerated room full of equipment that you programmed with punch cards. Even I found Vista to be a significant challenge -- far more so than moving from Win2000 to XP Pro. The good news, though, is that once you get it working right, I think you'll like Vista. It really runs very nicely on my new laptop -- very fast, very smooth and very reliable -- and it's got some features that make it very productive and rather fun.

I, too, have Vista. It works for most things I do, but my company's VPN doesn't work with it. Since I do most work using this computer (laptop), I basically set up a dual boot system such that I use WinXP at home when connected to VPN, and Vista at work. Works like a charm.

The standard AVG free is slooooooow. I ended up using the free trial of AVG Pro and then buying it. I've been very happy with it since.

Well my darlings - all of you who are handy enough to run both XP & Vista, I'm impressed - and have no doubt I will probably fu-bar trying to do the same.

Other than the printer I think I have everything working ok.

Whether I'm familiar w/ the features & how they work is not necessarily a problem w/ Vista per se, but just jumping to Vista from W98 & my own ineptitude when it comes to computers.

Hopefully I'll get the copier/printer sorted out soon. Worst case for the next week or so I'll run both laptops since the other one does actually connect to the printer.

Alas, because the other one is so old the flash stuff doesn't work w/ it, so I think I'm going to be transferring my gazillion word/excel/email files to the new laptop by emailing them to myself & downloading them on the new computer. And then hopefully finding them!

I'm in awe of y'all (my Southern relative phrasing coming up there :D ).

BTW - I love the bigger screen & brighter graphics on the new laptop (really love it) & the window layering, but I'm not sure if that's a Vista thing or it was there w/ XP (the layering). I'd say it was there on W98, but it's different. Little pictures as well as full screen of the layers. I may be late to the upgrade game, but I'm happy :)

Cheers.

Ok, no Vista love from Sharp on the printer. A friend was going to give me her HP printer since she bought a new one, but no Vista love there. Was talking to a journalist yesterday who does a lot of consumer reviews & he recommended the Lexmark 7350 All-in-1 printer & it's gotten a bunch of awards, so am thinking of going w/ that. A lot of the electronic stores show it available online, but alas not in the store (I was hoping to drive over & pick it up so I could be up & running by this afternoon), so guess I'll order online.

Until it arrives I still have the old copier/printer that is hooked up to my barely hanging in there old laptop (whose screen is literally propped up w/ a dictionary right now; not sure what happened there, but guess I got the new laptop just in time!).

Still need to sort out the online & hard drive back up; will do that very soon. Maybe short-term the online, as all this computer stuff is putting me behind w/ actual client work.

After several hours yesterday for install (a lot of it related to the building I'm in) I'm now on FIOS tv-internet, which I'm loving :) Going from dial-up to hi-speed is like an FT drug. Well ok, maybe not that much, but will make me more productive.

Also need to find out if they have any "Idiot's Guides to Office '07 & Idiot's Guides to Vista". I always thought the idiot's guides were better than the Dummies books, as Dummies assumes you know a little & idiot's just assumes you're clueless ;) :D

Cheers.

Sharon,

I just spotted this thread, and didn't see this idea posted, but I might have missed it as I only skimmed the thread.

Anyway, with your printer software, before you try to install it, right click on the setup program, choose Properties and a new window should come up. The new window has a Compatibility tab, the first section of this tab allows you to run programs 'as other versions of Windows'. From there, you can pick to run that program (i.e., your set up program) as if in XP or other older versions of Windows.

Try this to see if it works.

Will I need to do that w/ the Lexmark I just ordered? The printer is shipping w/ XP compatibility, but there is a Vista driver for it that can be downloaded from the Lexmark website.

I took the USB-parallel printer adapter cable back yesterday for my old copier/printer once I ordered the Lexmark; otherwise, I'd try what you're suggesting above for that.

FYI - I did see Vista for Dummies & Office '07 for Dummies at Fry's Electronics yesterday. I'm going to see if B&N has the Idiot's guides as I like them better, but if not will buy the dummies guides this weekend.

Cheers.

If you have a Vista driver, just use it as per normal, no need for special compatibility mode. I was referring more to your old printer's application.

Also, I'm referring just to 'applications', not necessarily drivers. Running drivers under compatibility mode probably isn't a 'good thing', if at all possible.

Sharon,

I wish that you would called me as I have the laptop that I told you about with XP Media Center. I would have sold it to you for a good price. If you decide to return the HP/Vista laptop, let me know. I also have my MBP that I am thinking of selling.

Dave

Well I'm finally up & going, although today was an adventure.

The new Lexmark printer arrived today & install went well right? Ha, ye of little faith!

Get it all hooked up, follow the easy start instructions, which includes installing software driver from a CD that came w/ it. It appears to go ok, but no printing & weird stuff. Muck around a bit & still get errors everywhere. So go to the mfr's website & download the Vista driver & all should be well right? Ha, ye of little faith!

Now Word, Powerpoint, Excel & AOL won't work. My heart literally just about stopped! I'm getting error messages left & right, & Windows is trying to correct & it's not happening. I'm shutting down & restarting the computer w/ no joy.

I'm trying to figure out how to get the programs to open so that hopefully I can at least upload all the files I transferred over last week in case I have to uninstall & re-install software. I've got total terror & panic in my heart & wondering what the heck to do, especially since the majority of the stuff is client info.

I finally call tech support & get USA right? Oh ye of little faith! I got India.

Where the first thing the guy says is that they don't support Vista, I said yes you do, given I downloaded it from your site (geesh), but now the programs aren't opening/printing. At which point he tries to tell me it's Microsoft & AOL's fault. Not so fast kemosabie.

These programs worked before I hooked up your printer, & I've now gotten them to open but they go into meltdown mode the second I try to print. So - no problems before you. Lotsa problems after you. It's not Bill Gates or AOL; it's you.

So then he tells me I did the download wrong (but later has me do exactly what I did), and then says I shouldn't have used the CD software install disk that I did because it was for XP (evidently that part was true). Me, well then why do you send it w/ a quick set-up that says 'use the CD'. Well you're not supposed to. Ok, then don't send it or put a note that says don't use it if you're on Vista or something.

Meanwhile, we're going back & forth & trying to uninstall programs, reinstall, etc, etc, cuz the computer is alternating btwn telling me install didn't go through & to accept license agreement & lots of other weird messages.

We finally think we've got most of the stuff off it & we go to the website to download the Vista version (which of course I had done earlier) & when we go to actually download, get an error code & it turns out Lexmark's server is down. So then the guy says nothing he can do & to 'try later'. Excuse me???

I said I'm not going to get you back, what else do I do when I try later & he gives me a bunch of instructions & then hangs up. Also, part of the instructions are that I have to disable my anti-virus software.

So after getting off the phone w/ India I call an FTer who's techie to whine, express my terror at losing everything, etc, and he says India doesn't know what they're talking about, that they're just reading a script & it's an XP script, not even Vista. He has me check to make sure the printer & driver are not currently listed somewhere on the computer, has me shut down & start up, & then says I don't need to do anything once I'm online w/ FIOS.

Ok, I'm paraphrasing what he said/probably got it garbled & am probably leaving out a step or two on what we did, but something like if a mfr has done the driver for Vista & it's properly certified/compatible, Microsoft maintains the data & when you're online, Vista automatically checks, downloads & installs for you. I think that's correct, but something like that. Anyway, when I restarted & then plugged in the USB cord into the computer, I got a accept license agreement message & then a message from Vista saying the Lexmark 7350 printer driver was successfully installed.

He then had me try all the programs, which worked & also print from each, & they all did. Time on w/ India - close to 2 hours & no joy. Time on w/ FTer - less than 5 minutes & good to go.

On a dif note. I decided that even though my old copier/printer won't work w/ Vista, it still works as a copier so no need to throw it out. Will just use the old one for copying, & the new one for printing, scanning, faxing. I have 2 long desks next to each other in my office, so I just moved the copier/printers & phone system to one & have the laptop, FIOS & clock on the other. My desk looks much nicer & I have more room.

I also bought a Vista for Dummies & Word '07 for Dummies, so that will be part of my weekend reading. There's a chance a tech friend may be in town this weekend & if he is, will bribe him w/ a meal to go to Fry's Electronics w/ me to get the hard drive back-up unit you all said I should do & show me how to make it all work.

Thanks for all the help from everyone here too; appreciate all your input, support & hanging in there w/ me.

Cheers.

PS - You all do realize it's not gonna be that easy & I will be back to ask you for input? ;) :)