Installing XP over Vista

[Joant]

Does anyone have (or a link to)some clear step by step instructions for installing XP over a machine that came with OEM Vista. I have attempted many suggested routes found by searching the net, but always get stopped by the fact that because of incompatibility, it won't install.
Thanks in Advance

 

[ArizonaGeek]

Check the FAQ to make it easy.

Cheers
Rob

The answer is always "PEBKAC!

 

[linney]

What about upgrading to Windows 7, is that an option for you?

You cannot upgrade Vista to XP, the only option would be to clean install XP after saving all your valuable data.

Make sure you have located all the necessary XP drivers (for your hardware) before proceeding to install XP.

There may be some Bios settings on a machine running Vista that need to be changed to run XP? The settings may involve more than just changing the Boot Order to boot from CD, you may have to look at your Bios to see what settings are suitable for Vista and what settings are suitable for XP.

Run the XP Setup from CD by booting to the CD. Use Setup to Delete the Vista Partition, and to Create and Format the XP Partition. What you do with any Vista Recovery Partition is up to you, but once that is gone there will be no easy way to return to Vista.

HOW TO: Partition and Format a Hard Disk in Windows XP (Q313348)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q313/3/48.asp

Read the paragraph,
"How to Partition and Format Your Hard Disk by Using Windows XP Setup."


For more help (shows enlargeable screenshots) go here.

http://www.petri.co.il/install_windows_xp_pro.htm

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPPro/installxppro1.htm

Some clues and past stories here

Vista to XP?.

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1520465

How to install Windows XP over Vista
faq779-6713



How to restore a computer to a previous Windows installation after you install Windows Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/933168/en-us#appliesto

Downgrading from Vista to XP
thread1583-1350480

Using DBAN
thread1583-1373898

 

[DTSMAN]

Be careful. Some of the hardware platforms from Dell, HP, etc. do not offer drivers for XP on the Vista machines they sold.
I went through this with a Dell laptop, and I just kept grabbing drivers from their website till I found the ones that worked because Dell refsused to help.

Bo

Remember,
If the women don't find you handsome,
they should at least find you handy.
(Red Green)

http://www.redgreen.com

 

[ArizonaGeek]

and I just kept grabbing drivers from their website till I found the ones that worked because Dell refsused to help

Which is where Windows 7 would do a much better job, especially with slightly older hardware. Like Linney mentioned if you can go Windows 7 over Vista you'd have a much better experience.

Cheers
Rob

The answer is always "PEBKAC!

 

[Joant]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. My main goal is to install Windows Server 2003. I have a small network at home for work and need to create a new 2003 domain. The main office sent me a machine with Vista already installed from the vendor, hence my dilema. I know there may be driver issues which I can deal with as they arise, what I don't know is how to actually get my XP or server install disk to work because when I boot from it, the system complains about incompatibility, then blue screen, etc standard errors. It doesn't appear that I can format the drive to start fresh. fdisk will only format D but not C.
All my web searches only the topic result in simply warnings about the drivers but I need to actually know how to get the install to work.
Thanks in Advance

 

[linney]

It could be the AHCI setting in the Bios?

Vista laptop with same drive cannot install XP
thread779-1428969


You may be having trouble with the Vista Boot files which are sometimes a problem to get rid of.

The folders concerned is called Boot and the file is called
bootmgr.


Using DBAN
thread1583-1373898: Using DBAN

Getting rid of Vista

http://forums.technet.microsoft.com.../thread/ba1b55d9-1846-4f80-954e-bce58ef31334/

Avira NTFS4DOS Personal

http://www.free-av.com/antivirus/allinonen.html

 

[BadBigBen]

You probably need the correct SATA drivers, and possibly the IDE drivers as well...

Had a mainboard from Supermicro, that was giving me headaches, blue screening etc. checked the SuperMicro website for the correct SATA driver, where it mentioned something obscure to use a HSF8211F driver if it was REV a, and the HSF8212F driver if rev. before a...

and when you clicked the link, the ICH10r driver was found, nothing else...

took me a while to figure out that the HSF drivers where actually the IDE drivers for the ITE chips that they used, so had to F6 those drivers as well as the SATA drivers...

and that is what you may be getting into problems, it may seem...




Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"