How do I remove Vista Beta 2 and get windows XP back?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
Did you upgrade XP to Vista? If yes, then to go back to XP you have start
all over from new. Reformat. Installation Disc. That sort of thing.
 
How do I remove Vista Beta 2 and get windows XP back?

You reformat your drive, then use the XP backup image you made before
installing Vista to restore XP, or you unplug the HDD you installed
Vista on and plug your original XP HDD back in.

Sorry but it is not possible to undo Vista without reformatting and
re-installing XP, says so on the tin and in numerous posts throughout
this NG. and the Windows Vista Download site says "DO NOT INSTALL ON A
PRODUCTION PC"

Its a Beta not a free OS.

Hope you have backups.

Jonah
 
XP was preinstalled on this computer and I don't have a XP installation disc

"jonah" wrote:

Well thats buggered it up big time then hasn't it?

Assuming you have a valid XP CD key sticker on your box you can
install any OEM XP (borrow a disk) of the same version as the one you
had, Home, Pro whatever and use your original key. To activate you
will have to phone MS and go through the activation routine. You may
have to explain what you have done but say nothing unless directly
asked, at which point you say you busted your PC and re-installed with
the original key but a different OEM disk cos you only had a restore
partition and you lost it along with the hard drive. They will
activate it no problems.

Jonah
 
You're in deep trouble, then. If XP came when you bought the computer AND
you bought it from a manufacturer (like Dell, Compaq, HP, etc.), you can try
to contact them and request backup discs - but if you're out of warranty,
expect to pay a pretty penny. Other than that, you'll have to buy a new
copy. Vista doesn't qualify for upgrade pricing, so you'll be paying for a
new full license.

There's a good reason that you were warned - on the website, here in the
newsgroups, and even in the installer! - that you could not revert to XP
once Vista was installed over it. Best of luck getting it restored.
 
Oops! If you don't have a recovery cd or a hidden partition with the
restorataion image on it then you will have to buy XP at retail and
reinstall. Contact the manufacturer of your computer. They may have
replacement restore cd's for sale.
 
Tacoman said:
XP was preinstalled on this computer and I don't have a XP installation disc

A major point is whether you have a licence, a key attached to or
delivered together with the computer.
If you have no key and the computer manufacturer doesn't help, you
have to go shopping...

Roy
 
Should I try to get get some more ram to make it run better or should I just
get XP again?
 
Should I try to get get some more ram to make it run better or should I just
get XP again?
:
Yeah sure, won't help much but why not eh?

Put XP back in and leave Vista alone until at least 6 months after
its general release. Betas are not for the inexperienced, I assume you
now know why this is so?

Jonah
 
OK, I didn't backup, but I have a purchased version of Windows XP with me. I
tried installing it but it asked for a previous edition of windows, something
I don't have. What do I do to get past that?? I was able to get to this point
by changing the BIOS settings.
 
pbhawks45:
If the Windows XP installation disk is asking for a previous
edition, the disk that you have is an "upgrade" version not the "retail"
version.
 
That means that you have to get a previous version of Windows and install
that before you can upgrade to Windows XP using your CD.
 
Todd suggested:
That means that you have to get a previous version of Windows and install
that before you can upgrade to Windows XP using your CD.

Not necessarily installed - generally it is sufficient to put in your
previous-Windows CD when asked for by the WinXP installer.

Roy
 
No it doesn't. It means Setup wants to see a cd in the drive for a product
qualifying for upgrade to XP. It reads the cd for key files identifying it
as such a product and then instructs the user to replace the XP cd so Setup
can continue.
 
Note: This is all that is necessary to clean install Adobe (and othe
company) products as well. You can buy an upgrade edition and install it
without have the earlier version installed. All that is required is the cd
for the earlier product so the installer can verify your eligibility to use
the upgrade edition.
 
Back
Top