Computer help please

[Red Herring]

OK, before anyone takes the michael I know sod all about computers, the on button and send are about my limit...

I've been trying to load my Power Commander disc onto my lap top so I can take the computer to the garage, rather than what I've done before which was wheel the bike into the living room...

It says on the disc that the system requirements are a Pentium Computer running Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP

Now the disc runs fine on my desk top which uses Windows XP, but won't run on the laptop which is newer and runs Windows Vista. I though Vista was a later version and could run anything that worked on XP... but am I wrong? I can get the disc to load, I can open up most of the files, I just can't download the software needed to connect the laptop to the bike.

Any tips appreciated....

[Holdup]

If it only supports what it says then that will be why, id ask them if they do a vista version

[metalangel]

I don't have Vista so don't know how you do this, but you can force Vista to run programs in XP compatibility mode, which should get it going for you. Someone with Vista might be able to advise better.

(based on what they said here: http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50865 )

[Red Herring]

Thanks folks, tried that but still not working, I'm wondering if there's something up with the laptop, it's been in the custody of the kids for a bit to long...

[thefallenangel]

is there a run error which comes up when you try to run it?

Have you tried exploring the disc for the file itself and running it that way? I had problems getting my phone drivers running but i found them and it run that way.

[shifter]

Vista is cr%p and wont run anything.

[SoulKiss]

Thanks folks, tried that but still not working, I'm wondering if there's something up with the laptop, it's been in the custody of the kids for a bit to long...

How far out of town are you?

Drop me a PM and if I can get out there I'll come have a prod for you.

[Red Herring]

Thanks for the offer Soulkiss, far enough to try hitting it a bit harder first...
I can load the disc and get the menu up, I can open up the options and look at user guides etc so it's clearly reading some of the disc, however when I select "download software" I get the usual warning asking if i trust the source, I select that I do and then it just does nothing.... I know the disc works because I've loaded it onto the desktop in the house and used the software by bringing the bike into the living room...but the mrs says she's fed up with me revving the bike up indoors and it blocks her view of the TV!

[L3nny]

Have you disabled UAC?

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/disable-user-account-control-uac-the-easy-way-on-windows-vista/

[Red Herring]

Thanks L3nny, just tried that and no difference, other than it doesn't ask me if I trust the download anymore.

[L3nny]

What about antivirus software? What do you have installed on your laptop?

[Red Herring]

God know, how do I find out?

[L3nny]

Try looking for some icons down by the clock in the bottom right of your screen. Populay pre installed ones are McAffe or Norton

[Red Herring]

It probably had Norton. When I restarted it after doing the UAC thing it told me it had expired. Doubt it's got anything else on it. I tend to use my MacBook or the desktop to go on the web, the "Acer" as we call it was used by the kids to do homework etc but it's been sat dormant for a while, hence my motivation to sort it out and perhaps use it in the garage. I want to be able to run the Yoshi software on it as well eventually for my race bike.

[L3nny]

Prob a good idea to uninstall all traces of Norton then, do this from add/remove programs in control panel (might be called something slightly different in vista)