Are you always testing with the same Vista x64 disc image? x32 vs x64 could be a red herring if it's just that the x64 has a minor corruption

No, actually I have used two different versions of the X64, and on both instances I get the same issue. Last night it was installing somewhat OK, but during the proceeding reboots I would get the black screen (which I could CTRL-ALt-DEL) to get the log-off/Shutdown pop-up.

So weird...

On a side note, After all these years, I am very amazed at how gorgeous the VISTA GUI is! The glass is so shiny and everything oozes with class , and it shows the developers' boldness in trying something so radically different and innovative!

As someone said in a reddit post:
"I miss the friendliness and optimism that Windows and Microsoft had around the time, not just in Vista but in XP and 7 too. (bugs aside of course) It really made you feel like they were heading to a bright new Utopia and they were taking you along with them xD "

https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/10e … a_looks_better/

Personally, I'd take the X-Fi out for OS install and install it after.

C0deHunter wrote on 2024-06-19, 00:15:

On a side note, After all these years, I am very amazed at how gorgeous the VISTA GUI is! The glass is so shiny and everything o […]
Show full quote

On a side note, After all these years, I am very amazed at how gorgeous the VISTA GUI is! The glass is so shiny and everything oozes with class , and it shows the developers' boldness in trying something so radically different and innovative!

As someone said in a reddit post:
"I miss the friendliness and optimism that Windows and Microsoft had around the time, not just in Vista but in XP and 7 too. (bugs aside of course) It really made you feel like they were heading to a bright new Utopia and they were taking you along with them xD "

https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/10e … a_looks_better/

+1

That's how I've felt about it, too. My father had a friend with access to an early preview of Vista back then.
It was such a joy playing around with it back then.
I liked the sleek, black taskbar with the glowing Windows orb, too.
It also had new networking features and support for things like HDD-SSD hybrid drives.
Still love good old XP, though. It's so quick and easy to modify for every purpose, among other things.
That Royale/Media Center Edition Theme looked classy, too.

You are absolutely right. Windows Vista x64 has unsolvable problems when running on Intel Haswell (Core i 4XXX) and up. Even if you can install Vista, some issues will still remain. Starting from 12th generation situation is better but still not perfect.
At the same time Vista x32 works well on these CPUs as far as I know.
Try searching: „Vista on Haswell“ for more info.

Kruton 9000 wrote on 2024-06-19, 06:32:

You are absolutely right. Windows Vista x64 has unsolvable problems when running on Intel Haswell (Core i 4XXX) and up. Even if you can install Vista, some issues will still remain. Starting from 12th generation situation is better but still not perfect.
At the same time Vista x32 works well on these CPUs as far as I know.
Try searching: „Vista on Haswell“ for more info.

Thank you so much for clarifying this! It was eating me up, as I was going crazy! Now it makes sense!

Ok, my "period correct" (not really hardware-wise though!) system with multiple OS boot (XP-Vista X32-Win7x64) is now complete! I can play all the 1998-2004 games on XP, keep the Vista for its looks and Media Center capabilities, and play newer games that I couldn't run on XP or Vista, on newly installed Win7 (read Huntdown, Blazing Chrome, StarCraft 1 Remastered, etc.)

Windows Vista GUI still blows my mind, it is absolutely gorgeous. What a shame that the current Windows OS turn into a spying/eavesdropping systems with such bland and boring GUI, the glory days of Win95-Vista are all over.

It's been my opinion for many a year that Vista and Win7 were the pinnacle of Microsoft's desktop UI.
Kernel-wise, things keep on improving with every generation, but UI-wise they have been a very mixed bag.
Windows 11 finally starts to show some UI consistency, but it's not there yet, and some things have gotten even more confusing.