Install XP on Vista Computers

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I have 2 new computers with vista home premium and hate it. Would like to buy
XP and the how can I install it on these new computers... Thanks
 
shorebirds58 said:
I have 2 new computers with vista home premium and hate it. Would like to buy
XP and the how can I install it on these new computers... Thanks
Click to expand...

I'm going to assume these new computers are OEM machines (Dell, HP,
Sony, etc.) and not ones you or a friend built. If I'm correct:

1. Go to the computer mftrs.' websites and see if drivers are available
for XP. If they are not, don't try and put XP on them. Return the
machines, sell them, or live with Vista.

2. If drivers for XP are available for your model machines, call the
computer mftrs.' tech support and find out if putting XP on the machines
voids your warranty. While you are speaking with them, find out if they
might give you downgrade rights, maybe even sell you a restore disk with
XP on it. If these computers are laptops and have a restore (or
recovery) disk option to return them to factory condition, it will be
far easier (and much cheaper) to just get the restore disks for XP
instead of buying retail copies of XP and installing them yourself.

If no restore/recovery disks are available, here is how to install XP:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows -
What you will need on-hand

Remember, you'll be doing a clean install so back up your data ahead of
time since formatting/clean-installing will wipe out everything that is
there now.


Malke
 
You would need to purchase a "full version" of Windows XP
for each computer (that would be two (2) licenses), then proceed
with a "clean install". Please be aware that you would forfeit any
free technical support offered by your PC manufacturer if you
installed Windows XP in lieu of the factory installed Vista O/S.

Clean Install Windows XP:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

----------------------------------------------------------------------

:

I have 2 new computers with vista home premium and hate it. Would like to buy
XP and the how can I install it on these new computers... Thanks
 
You would most likely just forfeit the software support, you would still
have hardware support. If you buy the retail versions of XP you have
support from Microsoft, if you buy OEM versions, you are on your own.
Follow the Malke post, as availability of drivers will be most important.
 
John said:
You would most likely just forfeit the software support, you would still
have hardware support. If you buy the retail versions of XP you have
support from Microsoft, if you buy OEM versions, you are on your own.
Follow the Malke post, as availability of drivers will be most important.
Click to expand...

Actually, the OP really really needs to check with the OEM. I have a
friend who is a school tech administrator and because they are not
supporting XP in the laptop program this year he called HP about
downgrade rights for putting XP on Vista laptops. He was told that
putting XP on the Vista laptops would void the *hardware* warranty as
well as software. Pretty unbelievable, eh? Now, whether that was just a
clueless HP tech or not we don't know. He was going to pursue this to
find out definitively and I don't know the results of that yet, but it
would be foolish for the OP not to check first. It's only a phone call
and better to spend the time now, no matter how annoying, than find out
something unpleasant later when it really matters.


Malke
 
Just to clarify, I did not say don't call, just proffered an opinion. Based
on contract law, however, they would have a difficult time getting out of
hardware support. They would be allowed to require the OP to return the
computer to its original state for testing.
 
Malke said:
Actually, the OP really really needs to check with the OEM. I have a
friend who is a school tech administrator and because they are not
supporting XP in the laptop program this year he called HP about downgrade
rights for putting XP on Vista laptops. He was told that putting XP on the
Vista laptops would void the *hardware* warranty as well as software.
Pretty unbelievable, eh? Now, whether that was just a clueless HP tech or
not we don't know. He was going to pursue this to find out definitively
and I don't know the results of that yet, but it would be foolish for the
OP not to check first. It's only a phone call and better to spend the time
now, no matter how annoying, than find out something unpleasant later when
it really matters.
Click to expand...


MaximumPC just last month addressed this issue in the WatchDog section.

Many "techs" (L1 support) say that incorrectly. When you escalate up the
food chain, all of the vendors they called (posing as consumers) verified
that the hardware warranty would indeed remain intact.

That said, having now loaded a different OS than the machine was certified
for and not having the manufacturers diagnostic utilities in place, good
luck proving it's a hardware issue and not software.
 
Seth said:
MaximumPC just last month addressed this issue in the WatchDog section.

Many "techs" (L1 support) say that incorrectly. When you escalate up the
food chain, all of the vendors they called (posing as consumers) verified
that the hardware warranty would indeed remain intact.

That said, having now loaded a different OS than the machine was certified
for and not having the manufacturers diagnostic utilities in place, good
luck proving it's a hardware issue and not software.
Click to expand...

It is easy if you plan ahead. Before you boot up the computer, image the
hard drive to a bootable reinstallation set of DVDs and install that image
to a new drive and put the old drive in a safe place. That way you can get
back to the original configuration with the new drive multiple times if
necessary as well as get back to the original configuration on the original
hardware when necessary. My 31-month old cheapo Compaq laptops hard drives
were easily removed and replaced. My 2002 Sony's laptop's hard drive is a
bear to replace, but doable at home with a good set of tiny screwdrivers.

Planning ahead is the hard part -- who want to do the boring part before
doing the fun part :-)

-Paul Randall
 
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