Vista to xp replacement

In effect, the license for Vista is transferred to XP. Think of it as a swap, Vista for XP, not as an extra license. By Microsoft's end-user licensing agreement EULA , you can't have both the Vista and its downgraded XP installed at the same time on the same or different machines.

You have to pick: It's one or the other. To the vast bulk of users, though, "downgrade" is a synonym for reverting to an older version. In that case, it simply means dumping Vista and returning to XP. So, what downgrades does Microsoft allow? You are, as they say, SOL. How do I downgrade? For proper speed, performance and utility, XP has the solution for you. This instructible is outdated. I recommend buying Windows 7, its an excellent replacement to Vista.

They even have a utility called Driver Pack Base which will load the packages into your XP installation files. The process is a little tricky but once you succeed it makes loading XP much easier and faster. Desktops can come too For this project you will need a PC running Vista, an internet connection I bet you've got this ; and one copy of Windows XP with service pack 2 if possible.

If there is anything I have left out or any additional information you can provide please let me know. You will have to remove your Vista partition to install XP. Any data on it will be removed permanently! You can perform a dual boot. However if you do, I assume you know what your doing and don't need this guide. Before starting anything, back-up your data! I know you haven't done this, so now is a good time to do so.

This means any files you have created. Word docs, Excel files, iTunes music, MP3s, home movies, and saved games. You can transfer them over your network to a share folder or use a couple of CD-Rs. The main hurdle in installing XP on a Vista ready system are the system drivers.

Drivers tell the operating system how to use the hardware in your system. If your are not familiar with drivers, you may want to get a computer savvy friend to help with this install. There are drivers on the internet for almost all hardware for Windows XP, its just a matter of finding the right ones. Before popping the Windows XP CD in the drive and installing, you will want to go to the device manager and write down all the names and model numbers for your hardware.

Be specific.. Now that you have your list of hardware, you will need to go online and see what issues other people are facing when installing XP on your system. It may take some time, but you will find people talking about your system and the solutions they have found. These solutions can be invaluable and can save a lot of time and frustration. When you are satisfied that you have all the drivers and information that you need, download them all and burn them to a CD-R or use a pen drive.

Your USB bus may not work after the install so use the pen drive as a back-up. I lucked out with my system, there was a guide for all the drivers I would need to run XP. Two hours later I was up and running. These new hard drive controllers may not be compatible with older versions of Windows XP.

Can you please tell me the proper way to replace Vista with XP? I have some older programs which will not work with Vista. Please advise. Thank you. This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. I have the same question 3. Report abuse. Details required :. Once completed, you can choose to boot up either XP or Vista, and has the best of both world.

You will get XP which runs inside Vista, with minor compromise on speed, performance and have to go through Vista first on every bootup. For those who totally fed up with Vista and just want XP, or prefer a clean installation of OS has only this option to rely on.

To downgrade to XP from Vista, you have to basically delete the whole hard disk that installed with Vista, and start anew with XP. However, each system configuration is different, so you may have to adapt the steps to suit your own need. Note: If the setup does not allow you to delete or format the Vista partition or drive, you will need to find a third party software that can recognize and read NTFS filesystem to clear the drive or partition first.