I haven't read the replies since my last post here, but for now I'll just address this:
Regular support for Vista ended in 2012 (only corporate, paid security updates were available up to 2017), so it makes perfect sense for it not to work. I would actually be really surprised if it did.
Besides - a particular installer working on one computer does not mean that it will work on a different computer. I know - I was there.
Anyway, if you are really concerned/paranoid about your privacy, then Microsoft, Google and Apple are simply the companies that you should avoid and look for alternatives.
If you want to trick the system, then just use a virtual machine, install a newish Windows on it, don't activate, install VS, then disable the network, make a snapshot and revert to it when you run out of time (after saving your compiled projects to your "normal" system of course).

I tried replying to this once and my computer crashed and restarted. I'll try again:

What do you mean? Vista isn't compatible with what I need so I think the words "just Vista" are appropriate.

What "other reasons"?

Thanks

Bleh... I wonder if there's a relevant hardcore or thrash metal song. I can't think of one.

But wasn't that right about the time that Windows 8 became available? What do they do, just make a new version and the instant it becomes available, all other versions are no longer supported?

Yeah but it would verify that there's nothing wrong with the installation files, which would at least rule out some possible problems. And the other computer that I would install it on to test has Windows 7, so it should be compatible.

But unfortunately, for what I'm doing I need to use Windows and Visual Studio.

A lot of people keep saying to do things like that, but:

A - I haven't the SLIGHTEST idea how to do it.
B - I'm not sure what I would put it on or how, or whether I have anything for it, or have the necessary software to do it, etc.

But if you have step-by-step instructions, or a link to them, then I'll look into it.

If you read it carefully, you'd see the joke I was trying to make about how your wording made it sound like you found some piece of trash while looking for gems.

As in a kid finding it in his stocking and going: "Just vista? Aw man" ;)

Supposedly to cut bloat(less code to keep track of or to slow down people's systems) and install sizes/etc as well as maybe cut some security loopholes.

Thrash metal? What are ya....15? ;D

Oh, well actually, all joking aside, that's a fairly accurate description of how I felt.

Well I guess those are good things, but how about compatibility? Deprecating everything when something new comes along is no good for people who still use it!

Why would you think that? Most of the best thrash metal (and hardcore) was made in the '80s.

Fair enough...still, it's not THAT BAD an OS. ;)

To them they likely don't care...they want people to move to NEW/shiny things. :\

Agreed. Twas yet another joke(note the smiley types I used :))...a play on how rock is supposedly only for edgy teens.

No, honestly I never thought it was, and I never understood why everyone always said it was, but the fact remains that there are now a lot of incompatibilities, and that alone reduces its quality rating, as far as I"m concerned, because the only thing that I really want out of an operating system is that it's secure, reliable, compatible, efficient and easy to use efficiently.

But even the people in charge of the company are stuck with the same problems of incompatibility on their own computers, so they're hurting themselves as well.

Yeah, I guess there is that stereotype, but I'm not sure where it came from exactly. It may have been true to an extent in the 1950s, but not since then, and frankly, people who base their understanding of the world on anything that happened in the 1950s might as well just call it a day and unplug their life support.

Fair enough :)

Well obv. they can engineer workarounds/fixes/etc to such if they need to and legally. ;)

I think it also took place with new rock/etc in the 80s/90s as well.

Good point. I hadn't really thought of that, and I guess they could make their own "special" versions, but they should have to use what everyone else uses!

If you're talking specifically about extreme metal, industrial metal and grunge, yeah, maybe I guess.

Eh, them's is the perks of owning an IP or working for those who do. ;)

Yup.....I recall it being a good bit about "rebelling" against the prior generation to some extent.

Cannot tell if joking....so i'll reply anyways: I meant Intellectual Property(copyrights/trademarks/etc).


Fair enough.....we don't want to add even more walls of text to the forums. ;)

I figured that you didn't mean IP address because that wouldn't have made sense, but I didn't know what you actually meant so thanks for clarifying.

Oh, of course not... (I hide the spray paint can behind my back).

No problem :)

Heh.....also as long as you spray "steam sucks!" you should be fine. ;)

Good idea... and I think we may have run out of things to say, so here's an update on my progress:

I managed to get what seem to be more official versions of Visual Studio from Microsoft, and I'll try to install them next week, so hopefully at least one will work better than the one that I had tried before. If not then I'm back to the reformatting plan.

Well good luck on all that(unless you got those files from some back alley dudes o.0) and I will await your results. :)