Help with Getting rid of Vista,going back to XP

[Shadowjack]

Hello...

My laptop came with Vista factory installed on it. I hate that I can't get allot of my games and programs to install or run on it. I went in and bought a FULL version of windows XP home edition.

I have upgraded windows in the past.. such as 98se to XP. But I've never installed an older operating system over a newer one.

Do I need to know anything or can I just put in the XP disk and format over Vista? Do I need to create some kind of Boot disk.. Driver disk...

I don't want to mess up my laptop. I guess my fear is that the drivers will get wiped out,and I won't be able to get my DVD/CD burner to work.. Video card... that kind of thing.. Or am I just being stupid?

Any help and or instructions would be greatly apreciated.

HP/Compaq Presario F500
AMD Turion 64 MK-36 2.0 ghz
Vista Home Premium
1 gig of Ram


Thank you.

[Miz]

Be aware that installing XP will void the warranty on your new laptop.

Installing an older version of Windows is considered a "downgrade" so you cannot install XP over the top of Vista.

The Vista drivers are unlikely to work with XP. I suggest the first thing you do is make sure there are XP drivers available for your laptop. Drivers for laptops are often unique or proprietary and it's possible, even likely, HP won't offer XP drivers for some, maybe all, of your laptop's components.

If you still want to proceed, yes, you'll have to repartition and reformat the hard drive before you can install XP. Repartitioning/reformatting means you'll lose not only the warranty but also all software, including any backup or recovery software that HP may have put on the hard drive.

[Shadowjack]

Be aware that installing XP will void the warranty on your new laptop.

Installing an older version of Windows is considered a "downgrade" so you cannot install XP over the top of Vista.

The Vista drivers are unlikely to work with XP. I suggest the first thing you do is make sure there are XP drivers available for your laptop. Drivers for laptops are often unique or proprietary and it's possible, even likely, HP won't offer XP drivers for some, maybe all, of your laptop's components.

If you still want to proceed, yes, you'll have to repartition and reformat the hard drive before you can install XP. Repartitioning/reformatting means you'll lose not only the warranty but also all software, including any backup or recovery software that HP may have put on the hard drive.

Not doubting you at all.. but seriously? Ok.. you say I can't install Xp over Vista.. this may sound newbie... but.. huh? The hardware should work with any operating system shouldn't it? I mean.. xp should look for the right drivers when it goes online.. right?

Now you have me scared a bit. I figured maybe... maybe some driver conflicts.. but looking online before I bought my laptop,I saw that some were coming out with Xp and some were Vista.. so figured that same computer.. just different os.

I just spent almost 200 bucks for a brand new store bought full XP install. Not an upgrade.. the full deal. So.. was that a dumb move? I just know that I love my laptop.. first one I've had. I've had tons of tower systems.. and upgraded them. I'm not new to computers. But I do know laptops are touchy. I am just frustrated that allot of programs and games don't seem to want to run on Vista. If there is an XP compatibility mode.. I havn't found it.

Help.

[coreyk67]

you will definitely have to reformat the Hard drive. Do you have an old non working computer that came with wondows xp? If you do you could have probably gotten a copy of windows from a friend and used your previous cd key. I did this and called in the activation. the indian asked me if it was on more than 1 computer and told him the truth ... it was only on the 1. he activated it with no problems.

[Shadowjack]

you will definitely have to reformat the Hard drive. Do you have an old non working computer that came with wondows xp? If you do you could have probably gotten a copy of windows from a friend and used your previous cd key. I did this and called in the activation. the indian asked me if it was on more than 1 computer and told him the truth ... it was only on the 1. he activated it with no problems.

Ok.. format the drive.. this I can do.. question.. will the Xp disk format it for me as part of the install?

[Miz]

No, you cannot install XP over the top of Vista. Well, you can but it won't work. You have to wipe Vista off first, then install XP. You also cannot install Windows 95 over top of Windows 98 or Windows 98 over top of XP and have them work.

Drivers are the software that enables the hardware to communicate. Those drivers have to be able to communicate through the operating system.

Vista and XP are dissimilar enough that the same drivers seldom, if ever, work with both.

In addition, much laptop hardware is proprietary; that is, built to order for that particular computer manufacturer. HP and Compaq have used proprietary stuff in the computers, both desktops and laptops, for a long time.

If HP specified the component would be used in their Vista systems, the components' manufacturer had no reason to waste time and money writing drivers to work with XP.

So all I recommended is that you check to make sure you can get XP drivers for the hardware in your laptop.

[wolflmg]

if you go to this link, you will have to locate your computer using the model number, not the series number, as you listed above. If there are XP drivers, they will be shown here in your computers driver/downloads.
http://h20180.www2.hp.com/apps/Lookup?h_lang=en&h_cc=us&cc=us&h_page=hpcom&lang=en&h_client=S-A-R163-1&h_pagetype=s-002&h_query=F500&submit.x=6&submit.y=7

[lazygeneration0]

Installing XP on your Vista laptop will void the warranty.

[wolflmg]

Installing XP on your Vista laptop will void the warranty.

That was mentioned already above.

[Shadowjack]

Ok. Lets get away from the whole.. It's going to void your warrenty thing.

What would the best,easiest,safest way be to do this without messing up my laptop? Should I look into taking it in and having it done by a pro? I was under the impression that it's not really rocket science.. But I also want a usable computer when I'm done..lol

[wolflmg]

First let's make sure that their are indeed drivers avaible to make sure that your laptop can be used with xp. I can find that out for you, but I need the model number of your computer, not the series number. For example my laptops series number is hp pavilion dv5000, but the model number is dv5029us.

If the drivers are compatible, then you can format the hard drive to get rid of vista, and then install windows xp.

[Shadowjack]

First let's make sure that their are indeed drivers avaible to make sure that your laptop can be used with xp. I can find that out for you, but I need the model number of your computer, not the series number. For example my laptops series number is hp pavilion dv5000, but the model number is dv5029us.

If the drivers are compatible, then you can format the hard drive to get rid of vista, and then install windows xp.

Model: Presario F500 (RZ335UA#ABA)

Hope that's what you needed. Thanks. :happy:

[wolflmg]

Here are the XP drivers for the computer
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3413028&lang=en

And then to compare, here is the vista drivers
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2093&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3413028&lang=en

[T3kNi9e]

I actually also have a presario f500 also. I checked that list and my series does have both xp and vista, but judging but both lists I dont think it would be a good idea to format and use xp since you wont have the software to use your graphics card. The software doesnt seem to support XP so you will only make things worse... I think...