[E3_]

Hello, Ive just bought a new computer and its cleary designed for Vista, but I would much rather use Windows XP. Any time I install XP regardless what drivers I use based on both forum searches and tech support, I get blue screens frequently, to the point that XP is not usable. So I am wondering, is it better to use as few drivers as it takes, or is it better to use every driver you can find for any little component you have?

Also, does it matter which order drivers are installed? NIC driver before graphics? Graphics before audio? etc.

Any help would be appreciated.

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XP probably falls over because the drivers you're feeding it aren't the right ones.
If this is a branded computer then the drivers will usually only be available from that company and if there aren't any, then third party drivers are at your own risk and not guaranteed to work.
Driver order - usually doesn't matter though its a general point of fact that you install Chipset then Graphics. Order of everything else usually doesn't matter. Install all drivers needed that clear up the little question marks in Device Manager.

[Neil Jones]

XP probably falls over because the drivers you're feeding it aren't the right ones.
If this is a branded computer then the drivers will usually only be available from that company and if there aren't any, then third party drivers are at your own risk and not guaranteed to work.
Driver order - usually doesn't matter though its a general point of fact that you install Chipset then Graphics. Order of everything else usually doesn't matter. Install all drivers needed that clear up the little question marks in Device Manager.

[E3_]

Thanks for responding.

Also, my machine is an HP, HP's website only offers Vista drivers for it, Tech Support forums and HP technical support both recomend either the same or similar looking drivers for XP though, I fail to imagine how any machine could be "Vista only".

Edited by E3_, 27 March 2008 - 08:38 AM.

[Neil Jones]

HP use mainboards that are effectively butchered versions of other mainstream boards. The only official channels for drivers for these butchered boards is the people who supplied them - HP.
The machine is not Vista only, it'll happily run XP but the point is, you may not be able to get some bits working in XP, so the drivers you use may not work.

[Ztruker]

I'd recommend that you set up a dual boot with Vista and XP, then you can play with Vista at your leisure and also use it to download drivers for the XP side.

See here for explicit instructions: http://apcmag.com/54...ng_vista_and_xp
This one seems a bit cleaner: http://www.pronetwor...about88231.html