Thank you. I am [hiding my face a little] a Vista SP2 fan.
I think Vista (64) SP2 is inappropriately maligned for sure. I stuck with XP and XP64 for a while, updated later to Vista 64, later updated to cutting edge hardware with the same Vista. (I have/use multiple computers of multiple hardware types and OSs, including MS, Apple, and multiple Linux/Unix variants.)
I still prefer the way XP works, not “dumbed down” so much like later MS OSes, but Vista, when properly configured, has much of the same “drivable” feel as XP. Win 7 and Win 8 do not. (I still use them and know them, however.)
On modern hardware Vista SP2 runs very well. Almost all of the rare “blue screens” I have had with it were HARDWARE related, not due to Vista. It is a great OS. I think a lot of the early problems were related to older hardware and early mistakes that were fixed by SP2.
If Vista had the enhanced security features of the “bleeding edge” systems I would never update.
I can tolerate Win 7 and like the better hardware support and security it has, but Win 8 will need this new 8.1 update before I will happily use it commonly in production.
You who “stuck” on XP, who soon will be forced to switch because of XP vulnerabilities arising when MS support for XP stops, really missed an opportunity when you did not move to Vista SP2 when it was easy to do. I hope you can find a legitimate copy, but you may be stuck with jumping all the way to Win 7 or even the very different feeling Win 8. Maybe Win 8.1 will soften the change a little.
I had vista from September of 2007 and just upgraded for Christmas this year. So over 5 years for the supposedly ‘worthless’ Vista for me.
The only trouble I ever had with Vista is a BSOD from a dying harddrive back in 2011. That’s it. So in 4 years I only had trouble for about 6 months with that one harddrive.