mrcapi937 said:
After trying for several months and not being able to print and
haveing numerous other errors I am ready to go back to XP. I
purchased this laptop new and it came with Vista Home Basic. I am
tired of finding new compatibility issues every week and I still
can't print properly. Is it possible to downgrade to XP without
re-formatting so I don't have to reload everything? I have a
licensed XP upgrade cd will it work? What know issues are there?
You do have to format.
If this is a new laptop - everything on it should work - although your old
external hardware may be unusable - depending on what the manufacturer of
those products decided to do (in other words - your problem is not with
Vista - but with the makers of the external products that you have not
upgraded.)
If you are going to format and install Windows XP - you need to know a few
things.
- You need a licensed copy of Windows XP.
A copy that came with your last computer is not technically valid - as it
is an OEM copy and it is - in accordance with the End-User License
Agreement - permanently tied to the computer it was first installed upon, no
matter what - you cannot transfer the license. If you happen to have an
unused OEM copy or an unused retail copy - those can be used. If you do
not - prepare to purchase one. No - you having Windows Vista does not allow
you to just use Windows XP.
- You need a copy of the software installation media for any software you
have installed on the current machine. Office products, graphics products,
antivirus/antispyware, etc. You will also need the product keys/serial
numbers. You will be clean installing those products.
- You will need to check that the manufacturer of each of your hardware
components (internal to the computer and external to it as well) provide
drivers for the operating system you will be going to (Windows XP in this
case.) You should likely get all of those before you begin your clean
installation.
- This will likely void the warranty on the machine as well.
Good luck!