XP x64 has been hell...will Vista solve my problems?

Probably not before they have a service pack or two on it.

I tried using XP x64 but reverted back to the 32bit version due to lack of 64bit driver support and poor backwards compatibility.
I installed Vista x64 and all is going VERY well so far.

Problems encountered:
Install: Upgrade version bombed out in mid-install due to having the computer in a docking station. I tried re-installing but then it told me I did not have a Windows version installed that is upgradable . I had to reinstall XP to reinstall Vista. IMO when doing a clean install it should ask you to insert a disk of the prior version. Round 2 install worked great... note: don't install while computer is in the D/Dock.
Blue Ray: I downloaded the vista upgrade for PowerDVD6.6BR before installing Vista. After Vista install I installed the 6.6BD version then upgraded it and it would not play a Blue Ray disk... PowerDVD "not responding". It would not even let me uninstall the software. Upgrading video drivers did not help either. I had to purchase the PowerDVD 7 Ultra to correct the problem. Now it works great. Thanks Dell and Cyberlink for forcing me to pay for the full version and not even offering an upgrade
Video: Running 100.30 drivers. when trying to run HL2:E2, Vista kept detecting a new monitor (I have 2 external monitors plugged in the D/Dock). Upgrading to the 100.54 drivers corrected this issue and FEAR & HL2:E2 are running well

So... in answer to your question... yes, I think it will help solve your problems.

I am planning on perchasing an ASUS F3JP, and IMHO the best bet would be to dual boot 32bit xp and 64bit vista (for now at least).

Goto Tom's hardware (www.tomshardware.com) and it seems that ATI and Nvidia have a ways to go before the drivers are at the XP performance standards, as Vista has dropped native OpenGL support - So the Vid card companies have to create drivers for these. This way You get the better performace while gamming in XP (and the full support of it), and you can also try out the games in vista (and get any performance boost of the 64bit code of some games) - dosn't work in vista? play it in XP.

This is pretty much the same with device support, although (this is the same as XP x64) the 64bit vista wont really work with 16bit devices (rather old nowdays - hoping that my lappy will not have any problems with this), or programs that are installed with 16bit installers (the MS layer wont recognise them properly - Windows-32-On-Windows-64(WOW64)).

Only reason i am worried is that the ATI website dosn't support the x1700 mobility that comes with the F3JP (no drivers can be found on the site), although i have herd there are some work arounds. And i don't know how the 'older' games will work on vista.

Psycho, I was wondering how these 'older' games work on Vista x64 (i do have new games aswell, but i aquired them in a non-conventional way so i don't mind if they wont work :P *cough*goodoldtorrents*cough*), Games such as Savage and RTCW:ET (Old skewl, good and free), I don't realy care about Farcry as i know that they have relesed a 64bit version of that.

If there are no real problems with these then i might even go with just vista x64. IMO the jump to 64bit should have been like the jump from 16-32bit.

As for teh OP's Question, the main reason why Xp x64 sucked was a lack of support. However in vista, because it requires that MS signs the drivers, MS has been able to hold off signing a driver intill a 64bit version was released. so that should have gotten more support for the 64 bit versions (YAY!).

bLAKE

PS: sorry if i highjacked this thread :P

Just an FYI but 2 things that have always worked for me in the past.

1) Clean install - never upgrade if you can help it. Will only lead to problems down the road.

2) Check for drivers in advance - don't install then find it doesn't have drivers. Saved me a bunch of headaches when I test loaded Win XP x64 on my desktop.

Personally, the only problem I've had is with games that have "disk in drive" copy protection. Something about the copy protection installing a device driver that doesn't work on the x64 platform.

I'm waiting for Vista Business x64 to be delivered so I can upgrade that machine to that.

BTW: Vista x32 isn't that compatible either. My home theater PC is not working at full speed because Vista drivers don't seem to support SLI yet. Even the 100.59 betas. Who'd have thunk it!

lol, just like i have unlimited copies of XP (all versions) through my uni. God i love being an IT student in a industry desperate for workers, you name the product and i can get it for free pretty much :P. haven't checked teh msdn yet, as when i switched to IT/Business they shut my old account down.

While we are on this 32 vs 64 topic ...can i hijack?

Will I see any perfomance boost with having Vista 64 vs Vista 32?
I am talking about everyday activies like internet, msn, , music, dvd burning, cd burning, firefox etc.....
in other words, what will Vista 64 offer me over Vista 32 when i dont run any specific 64-bit software

Not really... the OS itself will be a little more 'snappy' but the programs you are running will not be any faster unless they are 64bit programs.

Sorry but what does snappy mean? English is not my first language. Like little bit laggy? And when can we see these programs be made in 64-bit? I was already told 2 years ago when i was building my 64-bit AMD athlon rig that 64-bit is "just around the corner" and very soon, there will be 64-bit games and apps that will utilize the 64-bit processor. I was told that 64-bit will become a standard and 32-bit will be history. ....2 years have passed and i have yet to see a single 64-bit program/game that i use....i wish i didnt waste my money on this AMD Athlon 64 two years ago. So is it safe to assume there is another 1-2 year wait before major apps like (photoshop, firefox, msn, winamp, i-tunes, aim, ICQ, Nero etc...) are released to general public?

Sorry... snappy is fast.
Now that 64bit processors are becoming the mainstream & with MS releasing Vista, we should see a lot more 64bit support over the course of the next year (in my opinion).