Replace MS VISTA with MS XP

In the process of trying to replace the CD read/only on my old HP w/Windows XP

operating system, it bit the dust. I have bought a new VISTA (HP S3100n)

computer and find it very distasteful as well as a great deal more

compiclicated for SIMPLE email, Internet surfling, and photo image surfing

using Elements 5.0 for post processing.<P>Can I put Windows XP on it and not

deal with VISTA (or at least stick my toe into it before jumping in over my

head)?

If you have a Windows XP license you should have absolutely no problems, apart from the usual trials and tribulation of reinstalling any operating system. One suggestion: keep a log of any and all stumbling blocks, and how you overcome them. Include illusive Windows settings, drivers, third party software install settings, hardware issues, etc. Just in case you have to go through the process again.

Before you ruin your Vista operating system, while you are on the Internet, try to download all drivers that can possibly be needed for your computer and Windows XP.

 

Consult HP first before doinng this...

You need to have XP installed first if you want to run both from the same computer. So you need to uninstall Vista first then install XP and finally re-install Vista. Out of my experience this is easier said than done. My advice; learn Vista, it's not that different in the end.

Legally, the answer is "it depends".

 

If you have Vista Business then you can downgrade to Win XP Pro - if you have Vista home you can't.

 

If your Win XP is an OEM version then legally it's toed to the PC it was shipped with.

 

Additionally, if you do attempt to install WinXP you need to ensure that all the drivers for the new hardware are available - or you're likely to find that you may not be able to get certain things working (eg sound or USB etc).

 

PS: Vista has a "classic / XP" theme that makes it look like WinXP (or about 80% like it) - that makes a big difference.

 

Personally, I've taken to calling Windows Vista "Windows Siesta" these days :(

I believe I would put in a new hard drive install XP on it, if it doesn't work you can go back to Vista with a lot less hassles. And we can always use a spare HDD.

 

Mike

You might not want or need to go to such extreme measures.

 

Windows XP provides the facility to make it look and feel to a great extent like Windows 2000. I made those changes right off the bat, to get rid of all the unsightly and resource-hogging visual effects.

 

There's always a learning curve / growing pains with a new OS (particularly this early after its introduction), so I would recommend you hang in there for a while, and search for the tweaks to make it look and operate more palatably for you. Under the hood, it may well be more stable, robust and secure than XP, which would make the learning curve worthwhile.

This may not be what you want to hear, but do what more and more are doing....get a Mac.

Years ago when XP came out we bought an HP box with XP-pro that was problematical. In a "Upgrade:)" back to win2000 we found out that the drivers for the built in card reader; and dialup modem were not available or documented. You may want to just install a brand new hard drive and isntall XP pro and see XP is happy with your hardware; or you are going to go on an exhaustive driver goosechase.

With a Mac there are less problems; Steve controlls your little world. Thus when we tried to load a legal mac version of photoshop 5.5 on our 1 year old imac with OS 10X; old Steve wont allow this. Thus for teaching Photoshop or moving forward weird file variants; a PC allows running older software. One work-around in you are a macd brainwashed chap is to run parallels or some other virtual machine; you run say windows2000 on the mac; and then rune older software that ole steve has determined you dont need.

One can also run a virtual machine on a PC; and run say XP under vista; or real dos; or Nt4; or whatever. Whether Mac or PC its not really a super perfect solution; ram is "consumed/used/hogged" by the main OS; besides the little harry Potter world you want to run in the virtual machine. With Vista the ram used is not trivial; its like a fatty person in a old Phonebooth; with another chap trying to use the booth at the same time.

With our old HP box that came with XP pro; it didnt come with any XP install discs. You "made your own" using the HP box; the data comeing from the hidden area on your hard drive. we made two copies; neither worked when we needed them. Thus we used the leagl serial number for our box and another paid real XP disc when we built another box years later. many folks dont really make these backup reinstall discs on OEM canned computers most folks buy.

Wayne -- I have MAC. It is the most unintuitive, cluttered, self-agrandizing piece of electronics that I've ever owned. The company seems far more interested in promoting their incestious products and services than in actually making the thing usable. I believe that they have done a real snow-job on users, who haven't actually compared with Windows. Both Apple and Microsoft are a bunch of greedy pigs with little or no concern for their captive customers.<P>The best example I can think of is Microsoft WORD. When it was introduced as a DOS product, it was very intuitive (compared with WordStar, wordPerfect, etc) and came with really wonderful and complete documentation and learning tutorials. Now all you get is a disc and some on-line instructions which are virtually worthless without such printed matter as "The Missing Manual" at considerable extra cost, and ain't all that good and helpful, anyhow.<P>Imagine every time one bought a new car, the steering wheel might be moved from the right to the left seat, the gas pedal to the left, and the brake pedal to the right.That's just about how we are treated by MS and Apple (and others).<P>End of RANT!

Just format the hard drive and install Windows XP (you have a CD, right?). This is also one case where it's highly convenient to have the OS and the data on different partitions, you could keep data while re-installing the OS.

 

My image processing computer has Windows XP just to run image processing software and an occassional (image processing gets boring :) No net connection, no additional software, no MS Office... In the time I've had, I've come to the conclusion that this is the way I want to use Windows.

Bill, <br>

Your computer should have come with all the disks for reinstalling the OS, drivers and additional software. The drivers for XP might be on the CD.<p>

My computer (Dell) came with Vista, but all the drivers where there for XP too. After about one week I threw Vista off because it just erased my bookkeeping program without notice! So I just formatted the drive and installed XP. No trouble since and a much much faster computer.<p>

Hope this helps,<br>

Kris.

Kris; the last three HP computers I bought had XP; none came with discs; you make them yourself as a cost reduction; you burn them; it pulls the install info/os off its hidden area on the HP's hard drive. With An older HP in the Win98 days I got install discs; and also on three emachines of that era. Its abit of a pickle; you install some program or device and the box wants an install disc; then you have to back out and make one. Sometimes the discs created are not the full OS version; just want your box uses too. This idea of not supplying discs is ancient; I had to do this with a 3000 dollar pentium 90 that had DOS and win3.11; bought before win95 came out. With that box one made about 3 DOS floppies and about 9 win3.11 discs.<BR><BR>If I had BILL's Vidta box I would just swap out the HDA and avoid no backward path in case the XP install becomes a boon doggle. With our old HP box that we went from XP back to win2000; the integrated video drivers were not available for win2000; and the HP XP install discs had no drivers that worked; thus we got ot of VGA dumb mode by installing a video card; a thus lost a valuable PCI slot. We couldent add a wazoo video card because the HP had a wimpy supply and the supply was a non industry standard one. To remove the supply both the CD and DVD readers had to be removed. We ended up grafting on a real ATX supply OUTSIDE the dumb HP case; making a bizzare looking affair. This upgrade from XP back to win2000 on a 1000 dollar HP box required a new dialup modem; disposal of the card reader; new video card.

Mike W said it perfectly :<i>"I believe I would put in a new hard drive install XP on it, if it doesn't work you can go back to Vista with a lot less hassles. And we can always use a spare HDD.<br><br>

Mike</i><BR><BR> Here I have about 2 dozen computers. Futzing is reduced by having many boxes of the same model; plus logically knowing when to punt.

"none came with discs" - recent HP purchase of Vista allows single creation of a system CD for reinstall/restart etc. Not everyone knows about it or does it. Trying to create a second copy of the system disc from the new HP system was not allowed.

 

Recent Sony purchase just creates a separate spare hard disc partition to hold the system copy, and provision to create a CD or DVD system disc was not provided. Not really best solution in case of a single hard disc hardware failure.

 

In either case creation of a system image disc is the best solution, even if you have original operating system disc. Use e.g. Ghost software, not only to create system image but also to create any other data partition that holds your photos.

You guys give a senile old man a ray of hope that someone out there does care. (Incidentally, no CDs came with the new HP computer). <P>Thanks, Bill

Bill, we recently bought an OEM Windows XP Pro license (with SP2 built-in), comprising a holograph emblazened CD and booklet, and a sticker (didn't use).

 

Purchased from a PC building retailer with a token pack of drive mounting screws, to make it "kosher". It was about 1/2 the price of buying a retail box.

 

I think HP's really doing the dirty not including the operating system (Vista or whatever) CD's. *If" you're not able to create a CD from something on the hard drive, I don't think you'll be able to format and re-install as-is.

This is my second and LAST HP computer. It is going back to Best Buy on Tuesday (there are also some other issues with it).<P>Thanks for all the help, Guys.

"I think HP's really doing the dirty not including the operating system (Vista or whatever) CD's. *If" you're not able to create a CD from something on the hard drive" - you are able...from Windows Vista Home Premium system, if not removed by the end-user or a vendor.

 

The HP system recovery system on Pavilions computers allows you creation of a single copy of the system. It writes 2 recordable DVD, or a larger number of regular CDs.

 

It will not create second copy (?).

 

Not sure if that is the rule for all HP systems?, or it depends where you get it from?, or your OEM dealer ?, but yes, you are able to create a CD from the system installed or rahter set of DVDs, just one copy. Of cource you need to know how to start that. It takes long time to record 2 DVDs off the system.