[e_p_a_k]

a bit of background: i'm currently using a laptop with 1.6GHz centrino duo and 1GB RAM running vista home premium. no problems, really, but i recently got myself a desktop with much better specs and no OS installed, so i'm thinking of just backing up my laptop (all files, programs, etc, including its vista OS) and dumping everything in the new desktop, and then just installing a fresh copy of windows XP on my laptop and starting it out again from scratch. question is, how do i go about doing that? can anybody help me step-by-step, including what programs i need, any hardware i need, etc etc? thanks a lot!

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You will need your Vista installation disk. If you don't have it you can usually contact the manufacturer of your laptop and aquire one (or a borrowed disk will work as long as you have your own correct key). I think the best way to go about it would be to install Vista on the desktop. After that is done then drop the laptop HDD in an external enclosure. Move all your files and etc on to the desktop. Put the HDD back in the laptop and then reformat and reinstall using your new Windows XP disk.



Edit: Another option is to use a program such as Norton Ghost to "clone" your HDD but it is not uncommon for us to get people on here that incurred problems with the process. It costs a bit of money as well.

Edited by Titan8990, 30 September 2007 - 06:58 AM.

[Titan8990]

You will need your Vista installation disk. If you don't have it you can usually contact the manufacturer of your laptop and aquire one (or a borrowed disk will work as long as you have your own correct key). I think the best way to go about it would be to install Vista on the desktop. After that is done then drop the laptop HDD in an external enclosure. Move all your files and etc on to the desktop. Put the HDD back in the laptop and then reformat and reinstall using your new Windows XP disk.



Edit: Another option is to use a program such as Norton Ghost to "clone" your HDD but it is not uncommon for us to get people on here that incurred problems with the process. It costs a bit of money as well.

Edited by Titan8990, 30 September 2007 - 06:58 AM.

[e_p_a_k]

hmm alright i'll try to contact them. i don't have the install disk because the laptop came pre-installed with vista. i don't think they'll be giving me the install disk though, doesn't that cost quite a bit?

[Titan8990]

No, when you purchased your laptop you were also purchasing a copy of Winodws. It is the cd-key that people pay $100s for and not the disk. You may be charged a fee but it will be no where close to the price of a new Vista OEM or a copy of Norton Ghost. The disk is nothing and it is expendable. If you have a friend with a Vista disk you can borrow it but you must use your own key.

Edited by Titan8990, 02 October 2007 - 01:54 AM.

[e_p_a_k]

ohh okay, thanks! i have a friend with windows vista.

how do i go about deactivating my license so i can activate it on my other computer when i transfer it?