Does anyone know if xp software will run on windows vista?

Skype and printers for example some TV members had any experience with this?

All the above have been fine. The only software I had trouble with is an older version of Age of Empires. Photoshop didn't like launching from the XP partition in Vista, but a quick re-install fixed that.

You can always check with the manufacturers' website to see if their versions are Vista-compatible.

I think you will find that a vast majority of apps will work fine under Vista. Vista also has an XP compatibility mode accessible by context menu for both installers and shortcuts after installation.

The most problematic apps will be those that require driver-level components and you should definitely look for updates for those (like antivirus, firewalls, printers, etc.).

I have just purchased a new Vista laptop (HP), and went through the transfer of all my applications and drivers to Vista from my Dell laptop, which ran XP.

Everything went very smoothly, including Photoshop in my case, several elderly Thai language applications, my printers (Canon and Brother, driven from a wireless print-server), camera (Olympus), Palm etc., but except for my scanner. This was a brand new scanner, from Canon, and being new and still in the box I expected it to be Vista compatible and didn't check the Canon website. This was a mistake.

As I was loading the scanner drivers and software a message appeared saying I needed to download a patch to ensure Vista compatibility, which I went ahead and did. When I rebooted after that I got the blue screen of death, and a message saying my operating system was not functional. It took me two very nervous hours to figure out what to do and to recover and delete all the scanner drivers and software. I never was able to tell whether it was the actual scanner driver, or the associated software (from Arcsoft via Canon) that was the problem, although I somehow suspect that patch was from Arcsoft and not Canon.

When I finally checked the Canon site, sure enough it said that this new scanner was not Vista compatible as shipped, but that drivers would be forthcoming (no time frame given). There was no such information on the Arcsoft website, that I could find.

My message is that you are very likely to experience no problems at all, but still be sure to check the manufacturers websites before you load any drivers or software for such external devices.

Products like

Acronis Disk Image

BestCrypt

PGP

need upgrades which have to be paid for.

Low level programmes like Crap Cleaner are not supported.