This seems to be a usual happening with vista Anytime the video gets overworked.
Appears to me that either vista wasn't designed to handle graphic happy applications or the computer builders are putting underpowered cards in the systems they are selling.
The only solutions I have found on the Net say to replace drivers and/or Video cards.
Also: Vista ads never said that the OS won't play most games. I bought one game, got it home, loaded it. And it stops immediately when I click 'play' with an error.
The games web site says they have no intention of patching it to play on Vista.