Microsoft Scam.

[zwmusic]

If you want to downgrade your newly purchased machine, which comes with the useless Windows Vista Home Basic (like in my case), to the far superior, faster and better Windows XP, you're in for a shock and a headache.

I bought this laptop not long ago, it comes with Win Vista Home Basic (there's no way round it - they shove Win Vista down your throat) and I wanted to downgrade it to Win XP. When I saw what was at steak to make this move I went for a BIG shock. It's not only a nightmare to downgrade, Microsoft won't provide you with the drivers and you might end up with a crippled machine, or fuck it up all together. Well done Mr Bill Fucking Gates!

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12546_102-0.html?forumID=133&threadID=234979&messageID=2412270

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2287685,00.asp

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/sitelets/solutions/software/business/xp_smb?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=2

[wern]

I bought a laptop and downgraded it successfully to XP Pro.
Here's what I did:

1. In Vista, Make a system recovery (backup) DVD. That way, if something goes wrong, you can reinstall vista, then insert the dvd, select the backup option (and then choose the restore sub-option) and it will restore everything to its current state
2. Insert Win XP Pro dvd, restart the laptop
3. Select to format the HDD. Do a full format. This takes a long time normally (ie can be up to 2 hours). Then proceed with the install.
4. As long as you are connected to the internet, most of the drivers should be available for
automatic installation. The exeption may be your motherboard, but all you have to do is go to the manufacturers website and serahc for the motherboard based on your laptop model number.

[Michael]

:evil: I can't wait to see the day Microsoft anything/everything is purged from the planet forever.

[G-Spot19]

I havent heard nothing but shit bout Vista. I used it a couple times and was not impressed. I still like XP

[wern]

I never bothered using Vista. When I find a good thing that does the job without problems, and something I am already used to using, I stick to it.

[zwmusic]

I bought a laptop and downgraded it successfully to XP Pro.

Thanks for the info wern. I know of some other ways to get round it too, but they're a pain in the neck and time consuming, something I haven't much to spare at the mo.

Did you have Win Vista Business or Vista Ultimate? It's much simpler to downgrade from Vista Business or Ultimate to XP Pro. The problem for me is that I have Vista Home Basic and just want to downgrade to XP Home Edition. It's alot more difficult in this case, but possible.

This shitty Win Vista takes up almost 800MB RAM, absolutely ridiculous, It's over half of my entire RAM.

[wern]

If you format the hard drive it doesn't matter what operating systems you downgrade from or downgrade to. And it doesn't take "your" time up. It may take a few hours, but you don't actually have to be sitting in front of the computer during that time. Just start the format sequence in the XP install screen and go to work or go watch a movie or something. When you come back it will be at the stage of a normal XP Pro instal, which means it will take the same amount of time that any other method would, but without any stuff ups later on. The reason people don't like this method is that it requires that they do a backup of important files first, and lose there windows vista settings. Since you bought the laptop recently, I am thinking it wouldn't be such a big issue for you.

[Codzilla]

I got a laptop almost a year ago now, and it was Windows Vista aswell, i liked it at first, then realised it was too hungry for memory. I managed to downgrade to windows xp, but jus could not find the right drivers for my wireless card so i was stuck without internet. So i re-installed vista, and also installed windows xp. So now i have a dual boot laptop which is awesome. I use Vista for the general surfing and music and films etc, and i use XP for playing games and all that jazz. Luckily now i have found all the drivers i need for windows xp and it works fine, BUT the only thing that pisses me off is that when i connect a set of speakers into the 3.5mm jack, it doesnt switch off the laptop inbuilt speakers, instead it makes them max volume and theres no way of reducing it unless the speakers are removed :evil: But one step at a time ay.

[wern]

When you downgraded, did you format the hard drive prior to the installation of windows xp?

[Yee-Gads!]

Hmm i had vista expensive andpremium, fucking hated it went to xp pro then was given a vista business upgrade and to be honest one vista has been completely gutted and all the extra unessacary crap taken out its pretty damn good,

everything works quickly and i get great results with photoshop, cubase (music recording) and all sorts of other crap.

But it takes an epic amount of fucking about with, you need to sort the damn administrator level thing and set lots of the automatic system tasks maximum memory down, other wise witihn 3 weeks 20 gigs of memory just goes on backing stuff up 14 times...

my advice just buy 4 gigs of ram memory its not that expensive and very easy to install (you literally unplug old chips and push new ones in) and your pc will go FAST and you wont be obsolete(ish)

Microsoft are pushing vista and they pretty much dictate what all new software will be compatible with..... anyway xp was shit to start with and got better.

[wern]

XP was never shit. From the moment it came out I used it and it was a significant improvement over win 2k. There were bugs, but the average computer user hardly noticed them. Win2k Pro, though, in my mind, is the best windows operating system that ever came out (ie it was the most advantageous system over its predecessor), and it is still a very powerful and useful system to use today. Even 8 years afer it came out you can use it to perform any action the average person might need.

[EDIT] Interesting - Vista Flaws/Critisms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista#Criticism)

[Codzilla]

Theres a service pack 1 for vista now though isnt there? That might iron out a few of the creases in vista.

To answer your previous question Wern, i did format the harddrive primarily, and then when i couldnt sort things out with XP i had to re-install Vista. But when i decided to do a dual boot, all i had to do was go into a little tool in Vista called Drive Shrink or something like that (cant quite remember the name). Anyway all it did was create a new 20Gig partition on the harddrive that Vista was installed on. Then when i went to install XP, i didnt need to format the harddrive. I just used the new partition. All worked out fine. And now i got the audio thing sorted out i can plug in my speakers and it finally cancels out tha laptop speakers.

ZW, what make and model is your laptop? Theres a website called www.driversdb.com and it has almost all the drivers out there. Let me know your laptop make and spec and i'll try and help you out.

[zwmusic]

Thanks Cod. Mine is a Toshiba Satellite Pro A200 Series. Fabulous machine! The sound system is unbeliavable (Harman/Kardon). But I can't do it now coz if I run into a glitch like you did for ex., I might not be able to have internet access for a while, and I can't afford that now. I'll do it when I return to UK.

[Codzilla]

Ok cool, i'll try and look into what drivers you require. But i need to know the exact model. You have the A200 series, but look under the laptop where the serial number is and there should be the exact model number there. For example, my laptop is HP Pavilion DV6000 series, but the exact model number under the laptop is DV6355ea. Let me know if you find it.