Downgrading from Vista to XP 5

[rrdavis07]

I've searched for this both here and MSKB and am finding nothing.

A client of mine uses XP Pro, which is required by one of their major apps. The app does not support Vista. They have just purchased a new PC and need to replace the Vista OS that came installed with XP Pro. I've tried to boot from the XP Pro installation CD with the intent to reformat/install. Every time I boot from the CD, it goes through the file copy process, then goes to the "Starting Windows" message and almost immediately Blue Screens.

Is there anything different about Vista or the hardware that is keeping XP from being installed.

Randy Davis, MCP
Southwind Technology Solutions

 

[guatemaleco]

This is just a confirmation that you DO have to kill the mbr of the drive before you are able to install XP. I don't know if this is the case for all Vista downgrades. But I had the same exact issues with a Dell E520, with the hardware RAID (I think it is a product of Secure Disk (is that the right name?) which set a second SATA as a mirror in a RAID one setup.
I had gotten the drivers for this Controller (Intel® 82801HR/HH/HO I/O Controller Hub (ICH8R)).

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/fil...101&OSFullName=&lang=eng&strOSs=44&submit=Go!

I think this is easier than getting the driver from the Dell support since Intel includes a utility to create the floppy for third party driver load. Also I couldn't open the Dell package if I ran it from a machine that didn't have the hardware present. I was able to load the driver during the XP Install Startup, but I was still faced with a BSOD with STOP error 7B (which basically means that it can't properly access a bootable volume).
My ultimate solution was to get a command prompt off the Vista Setup Disk and use diskpart and clean command as mentioned by 1DMF above. I suspect DBAN would work as well, but DBAN is usually a pretty long process for me and the clean command took about a minute.
Anyways. With this solution I'm currently installing XP as we speak.

 

[SSChicken]

Sorry for the late post, could have helped a bunch earlier.

This happens in most/all new dell machines, and like was said earlier it's because of the RAID drivers. The RAID controller is enabled by default EVEN IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE DRIVE. There is no need to wipe drives or anything like that, if you go into the bios you will find a SATA option, switch it from (RAID) to (Auto Detect/RAID)... This will keep your ports in SATA mode if you only have one HDD and you will be able to run XP setup perfectly.

If you do have a raid setup and need to keep it in tact, though, you would need the RAID disk as mentioned above by bigste. If you don't this is a much quicker painless method.

 

[guatemaleco]

yea, I should have mentioned that as well. In my case, the mirrored RAID is necessary.

 

[1DMF]

That's interesting, because I had the oposite problem, XP would work fine with RAID switched on even though I wasn't actually using a RAID array.

yet Vista would not install until I'd switched the RAID off at the SCSI bios F5 screen and used non-RAID drivers.

I also had to use the diskpart utility and delete the old boot partition and re-create before I could get the thing to load and dual boot with XP, I found Vista more of a pain that XP, rather than the other way round as the OP was experiencing.

oh well, at least they got it sorted in the end!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!

 

[711782]

This is one way that I do the Vista to XP switch :
#1 Partition the drive to NTFS, let's say 15 to 20 gb,to accommodate Vista and Xp.I use Partition Magic to do the job (this can be done from Windows)

#2 do the necessary research and acquire all the drivers if so needed,

#3 Image the Vista OS on the partitioned drive, one can use Acronis true Image or Norton Ghost to do the imaging. (I personally like Norton Ghost,'cause never let me down,)

#4 Get Hirens boot cd (a must have) burn the file to a CD using Magic ISO, Nero, or Ultra ISO.

#5 Insert the Hiren's boot CD in your CD\DVD drive and reboot your machine,use option 1 to get the Partition Magic utility now you can format the drive where Vista is installed, to NTFS and label it,(and make it active),

#6 Now exit Hiren's boot CD and remove the disc and insert your Win XP CD,

#7 Reboot your machine with the Win Xp in the drive,now you're ready to clean install XP.

#7 After the installation of XP, it's needed drivers, and the stuff one uses to run XP the way one like it.
One should now image the Xp drive to the Partitioned drive and label and date it.
For me this is one of the very best way to setup and run a desktop or laptop PC,

I'm aware that Win Xp have it's own formatting utility, however, I never use it 'cause XP take forever to do it,
for a 100 gb drive XP will take up to 40 min,more or less, with Hiren's PM it's done in 7 top.

 

[Member 310024]

My question is to gmiles, in response to his 'compatibilty mode' comment.

Could you provide more details of exactly how you accomplished running you program in compatibility mode.

I have just bought a Toshiba Vista laptop and now have problems ( ... is not a valid Win32 application )
running a program that worked fine under XP Pro.

Thanks in advance.

 

[linney]

TERMINATE,

Not a valid win32 application.

http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/win32.htm

How to troubleshoot a program that does not run as expected after it is installed on Windows Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931362/en-us

 

[jferrante]

Back to the very beginning of this post... (my 2 cents)

Has anyone just made a boot floppy or bootable CD, then download the very excellent "Free Fdisk" program. It works like a charm & takes 2 seconds.

Optional: Search for "free boot disk" to get a bootable floppy image with a very tiny footprint. Great for BIOS updates, etc.

 

[gmiles]

Terminate,
It's pretty easy to run programs in compatibility mode. Find the executable, right click, and go to properties. There should be a Compatibility tab. There should be a drop list of OSes. It's probably a good idea to make sure you are running the program as Administrator as well.

Hope this works for you. You may have to install the program in the same way.
-gmiles

 

[1DMF]

Also I've found running them as Win98 works better for some programs that were XP.

Dunno why , it just does!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!

 

[jim532]

I purchased an E521 a while back with Vista pre-installed. After using Vista for about 20 min I decided it was no good for me. I bought a new hard drive and got a copy XP from dell. No problems installing. Was probably the quickest and most trouble free install of XP i have ever or will ever experience.