First of all, DO NOT load Vista 64 and thing Adobe CS2 will work on it--it won't at least not well, and that's confirmed by Adobe. In fact, they said they were not patching CS2 to work in Vista 64.

Second, CS3 has problems in Vista 64 too. Fist, Acrobat will not print to PDF file, which means you can't create pdf files with Acrobat 8 using the print option. I ahve no idea if this will affect Photoshop uses of Acrobat to generate PDF files for contact sheets.


There are so many other problems with Vista 64 it's impossible to list them. Once thing is that those who like to customize Windows Explorer, you can no longer do that in Vista. You get what MS puts on your command bar, and you cannot take those buttons off. For instance, there is a "burn" icon type button on the new Command Bar--which replaces the menu bar in XP--and you cannot get rid of that button. There is also an address bar and search box that you CAN NOT GET RID OF. In short, you have no control over the new command bar. You can show the old XP menu bar in addition to the new command bar though. However, you cannot add buttons to either one, such as the UP directory button, or even the delete button, or even the Move To or Copy To buttons--all gone. In fact, explorer looks almost exactly like Internet Explorer now, down to it's buttons. You cannot get rid of the address bar. You cannot get rid of the search box. You cannot add ANYTHING TO IT.

It does give you more options to organize, but I've not found these things helpful at all. I doubt your average user will ever understand "stacking" etc. It has a new "details pane" in the bottom that is suppose to show you folder information, like how many files are in the folder and how many MB are in the folder too--doesn't work, confirmed. So you;re still stuck choosing Properties" for a folder if you want to know how large it is. You would think after 20 years in development, Windows would get the option to show you folder information in its explorer. Just goes to show you what happens when you no longer have competition.

If you want to see the path as you browse your hard disk in teh title bar, you will need to activate Windows Classic Folders, as that option is no longer available in Vista proper. You have to watch the address bar now, and then you must click in the address bar to get the actually path of your location:

C:\Windows now looks like this:

Computer * Local Disk * Windows * where "*" are actually little triangles for separators. If you click on the address bar, you get the real deal, but you have to click on it. Again, there is NO WAY to tell explorer that you would rather see the real path. If you want to see it, you HAVE to take an extra click. Again, with Vista proper, you WILL NOT be able to see your full path in the title bar unless you revert to classic style folders.

The overall feeling I get when I log out of Vista is something lie: Damn, leave me alone, and stop pushing me around! It's like I've been in a fight or something. It's an invasive piece of software with new navigation that looks like it trying to compete with Apple's OS. I think it's unforgivable for MS to make their explorer menu bars not customizable.

Overall, I'm terribly unimpressed with Vista. I'm doubly unimpressed with how many programs are broken trying to run on it, and I'm completely disgusted with CS3 being broken while trying to run on Vista 64.

If I had to do this little episode over again, I'd do this, which I have to do anyway becsaue I need to work, and PSCS3 won't execute in Vista 64!

Reload XP SP2 and use it for at least the next year, or untill Adobe releases a version of CS that works with Vista, and even though I do like CS3 in XP, CS2 does everything I need well, and it's very stable, no color problems, etc. I do like CS bridge and CS3 RAW. CS3 is not bad, but it's definitely not polished like CS1-2 were. CS3 is usable in XP for sure. I'll probably use it after my reload.


My problem, other than those above and many others, is that I can't get PSCS3 to execute in Vista 64. It crashes on start and then DEP (Data Execution Prevention) says it stopped it, which it may have, but I have it completely shut off using the admin command:

bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff
and also
bcdedit.exe /set nx AlwaysOff

I've tried running it it XP mode too.

No luck. It just won't run in Vista 64.


If anyone has any ideas on how to get PSCS3 working in Vista 64, please fire away.

I to have had problems with Vista that came with my new Gateway (mine revolved around Quicktime), but nothing like your describing. I use CS3 and Painter X, both have been hassle free. Cannot offer advice.

I've reinstalled and things seem ok. I did not reinstall Acrobat 8. I've also blocked access to the internet by CS3. I was reading on teh Adobe forums where CS3 will look for updates and a guy said after that happened, he could not start PS, just like me.

I've blocked CS3 with my firewall, but is there a way to turn off internet access by PS and Bridge? I can't find the Do Not Auto Update anywhere.

Adobe now has an Acrobat patch 8.1

Although I loved the Aero look, I hated the non-customizable bloated controls which is one big reason why I ended up using XP x64. PS and Bridge CS3 run fine and I assign it all 3.2GB of memory it sees out of my 8GB, and I don't have a bloated UI.

For the firewall I believe you need to block Adobe Updater, not PS or Bridge.

I know. I hate that non customizable interface. It's not just Aero, it's any themse you use, including Windows Classic. You get the new command bar, and you cannot customize anything on it.

I have no idea whey MS blocked power users from customizing windows explorer.

There is a better solution for those who do not wish to move to XP64. I still may do that in the future. it just depends on how bad Vista really gets.

There is an explorer shell that has been around for years. It functions like the old Norton DOS navigation program called Norton Commander. Yuo get a side by side layout instead of having to always open two Explorer windows.

XPs explorer was pretty good, so I never bought it. I may buy it for Vista.

I don't know what this new phenomenon is sweeping the world, but it's like corporations want total control of what everyone does and can do without exception. I think a lot of that is because there is really no competition between oligopoly type corporations--Oil companies, MS, power distribution companies--in the US anymore.

Here is California the power companies lobbied the State senate for years to deregulate power. They finally did and it cost the then Governor--Davis--his job. Overnight power prices in our state quadrupled. The lie was that if we allow deregulation, there will be more competition, and lower prices. That never happened, and the prices are still 4 times what they were with regulation.

This same phenomenon is quite obvious with Adobe also and Bonjour. Despite what Adobe says, Bonjour is spyware. No, it doesn't give your passwords to Adobe, but it does phone home without you knowing about it. The reason I know this is because I shut off all Adobe updates and Bonjour still when right to their website--by a round about IP address. No one I have read in forums wants this piece of software on their systems, but since Adobe is for all practical purposes a monopoly on power graphics programs, they can do what they want.

You can't even remove bonjour manually without losing network access--it destroys your win sock and TCPIP settings. I have read recently that there is a way to rip bonjour out of your system successfully. After I actually get back to work after learning how to work with Vista, I'll post the method. And one last thing about Bonjour is that even if it is not classifiable as spyware for definitional purposes, consider this: You can't remove it because it is self replicating and roots itself inside Windows processes, ah, just like a Worm virus does and back door programs. In fact, it's close to a root kit because it is seen as part of the Windows system by Windows defender and DEP and allowed to run, but is not considered by Windows to be spyware.

The only way to block this in Vista is with a Vista Firewall because Vista's firewall will not even ask you if you want it to access the internet--it just lets it go.

As of today, there are NO major Vista compatible firewalls, not even from Zone Alarm.

I found one that does a great job of blocking outgoing traffic. It's small and bare bones, but does the job and asks you each time a program wants internet access. I've tested it at Hackerwatch.org and at PC Flank. One website said it left ports open, while anotehr said it did not. I don't know if it will allow connections to them though. It does block all outgoing traffic well, however. They ahve a pay version that gives 7you much more information. The one I have is the free version. It is free, no nags, nothing. You can get it here:
http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/index.html

Remember to that one of the absolutely best firewalls out tehre, called Comodo, is not in Vista development. Test I read had it blocking ALL known backdoor programs from accessing the internet, only one of two that did that. It is totally free for the full version:
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/