Re: Vista<XP downgrade???

I'll go further and suggest that it's best to experiment on a totally spare hard drive.

John Doue wrote:
- Bobb - wrote:

"c&j" <klyjak@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:48119ddc$0$1637$5a62ac22@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,
I have a Compaq C700 Presario laptop which came bundled with Vista. I want to downgrade it to XP Professional. Can anyone tell me how to do this? Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

TIA
klyjak

You're definitely not the first to want to do it, so read this note from HP's website first:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01092639&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&product=3641211


"If you have already downgraded your computer from Vista to Windows XP, you have probably discovered that your PC does not work properly. You may have noticed that features like sound, DVD, or the webcam on your new PC have stopped working. You are probably wondering where you can find the right XP drivers. HP does NOT provide XP-compatible drivers for PCs that were designed exclusively for Vista."

If you call them for help they will say - insert DVD #1 and boot - reinstall Vista.

I know you came here looking an easy help, and you can certainly install a store-bought version of XP and hope, BUT if it shipped with Vista, as far as HP ( all OEM's ? ) is concerned - you're on your own. Especially for laptops - where it's all onboard - I think you'll have issues as the company isn't going to write drivers for any version of software that they don't support. Why would they spend their time doing so ? Having said that ... look in device mgr to see what exactly you have ( a RealTek 1234 NIC , Nvidia 2345 video etc) Then look for similiar model PCs at compaq.com and see if same devices - XP drivers online for THAT device ( the Realtek 1234 etc). That's still not a promise that the drivers WILL work, depending upon what changed, but that's how to start. Worst case you'll restore Vista - SO make sure you have made Vista restore DVD's FIRST. Actually I'd spend the $20 and BUY Vista 'Full install' DVD's from HP site in case anything ever goes
wrong with hard drive or if you wipe the restore partition while installing full XP etc.
http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/support.html?pageDisplay=drivers
To order - have it 'detect your model' then click on parts info / manuals in left margin to get a full list of components ( While you're there ... maybe download all manuals / parts info etc if it's a rainy day - for future reference.) Click on part number for the DVD's for info.
Or enter your model # here:
http://partsurfer.hp.com/cgi-bin/spi/main?sel_flg=pmhier&oid=3641208&ISO_country=us


Good luck and let us know how it goes.



All this is good advice. I will add, before your do anything, save your present drivers (using for instance Driver Genius). Then, after installing XP, using driver genius again to help you find the necessary drivers, and check http://www.driveragent.com/.
well worth the price.

At any rate, don't get intimidated by the hard work ahead of you, once you have succeed (I am convinced you will), you will have a much better machine.

Regards


.

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