[†_Moose_†]

I have a new HP computer that came with Windows Vista, home version installed on it. I hate Vista big time. Can I downgrade to Windows XP home edition? I have the XP Install disc. What does it involve? I've heard it is a complicated proccess to make the switch. I realize this is not an important subject or a dire emergency, but I'd appreciate it if anyone would be willing to let me know if and or how I can make the switch back to Windows XP. Thanks!

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The process of installing it isn't complicated, but getting all the internal hardware to work is the main pitfall. Vista and XP require different device-drivers for many devices (sound controller, graphics controller etc.). Since the internal drivers are supplied by HP, you may find they don't supply XP drivers for that model because they don't install XP on it. You need to check their website driver library first. Many people downgrade first without checking and end up high and dry needing a driver that either doesn't exist or they can't find.

Edited by phillip22, 14 November 2008 - 02:13 AM.

[phillip22]

The process of installing it isn't complicated, but getting all the internal hardware to work is the main pitfall. Vista and XP require different device-drivers for many devices (sound controller, graphics controller etc.). Since the internal drivers are supplied by HP, you may find they don't supply XP drivers for that model because they don't install XP on it. You need to check their website driver library first. Many people downgrade first without checking and end up high and dry needing a driver that either doesn't exist or they can't find.

Edited by phillip22, 14 November 2008 - 02:13 AM.

[†_Moose_†]

Thanks for your valuable assistance Phillip. The PC I wanted to downgrade to xp is my neighbors and I think he will just have to "suffer" with Vista. I'm not messing with it, my pc experience is intermediate, and I don't want to screw his pc up. After reading your reply, that clinched my decision. Thanks again!

[JimB007]

The process of installing it isn't complicated, but getting all the internal hardware to work is the main pitfall. Vista and XP require different device-drivers for many devices (sound controller, graphics controller etc.). Since the internal drivers are supplied by HP, you may find they don't supply XP drivers for that model because they don't install XP on it. You need to check their website driver library first. Many people downgrade first without checking and end up high and dry needing a driver that either doesn't exist or they can't find.

Exactly, and that's something I don't understand and find a bit shortsighted from many manufacturers. They know or should know many ppl want to revert back to XP. Many other manufacturers that want to satisfy those that want to revert back to XP, offer drivers for XP, allthough they don't provide PC's equipped with XP anymore. Acer f.e. provides XP drivers even for machines that have no OEM XP installed.

[Caffeine_Powered]

The process of installing it isn't complicated, but getting all the internal hardware to work is the main pitfall. Vista and XP require different device-drivers for many devices (sound controller, graphics controller etc.). Since the internal drivers are supplied by HP, you may find they don't supply XP drivers for that model because they don't install XP on it. You need to check their website driver library first. Many people downgrade first without checking and end up high and dry needing a driver that either doesn't exist or they can't find.

Exactly, and that's something I don't understand and find a bit shortsighted from many manufacturers. They know or should know many ppl want to revert back to XP. Many other manufacturers that want to satisfy those that want to revert back to XP, offer drivers for XP, allthough they don't provide PC's equipped with XP anymore. Acer f.e. provides XP drivers even for machines that have no OEM XP installed.

Well the biggest thing is the fact that companys are starting to make hardware that takes advantage of Vista and DX10. For example most modern Graphics Cards don't have XP drivers (to the best of my knowledge) because they take advantage of Dx10. It's not that the companies can't produce them they don't. But then why should they really. It's been 3+ years, most people are moving on. Most XP drivers you find for newer hardware is homemade (as far as I know).

The biggest thing is they're moving on because that's what they need to do. I mean it's going to come to a point where Windows 7 is released and people are still gunna be hoping to downgrade to XP. That'll be three OS's that ppl expect them to support.

[JimB007]

I think they know why they wan't to revert back to XP, wouldn't you think so too ? I know I want. And I have Vista, but hesitate to do it because all of the fuzz about the drivers. In the meantime I can only dream about how smooth and lightning fast my machine would be without power loss caused by Vista.

[Neil Jones]

In some circumstances (but not all) Vista drivers do work in XP, providing you use the drivers that are for Vista before Service Pack 1. You may have to install them manually through Device Manager.

[highland403]

What ever happened to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"? Is Vista actually any better than XP? For that matter, is it any better than Windows 95 or DOS? I'm not a computer geek, but if I'm not mistaken, all any of these programs do is open other programs. It seems to me that by continuing to buy MS's bigger and better OSs, we are just feeding the monster...

I looked for a new computer that didn't have Vista on it but I couldn't find one. And if I wanted to "downgrade" to XP, I was going to have to pay another $100. Since when do we have to pay more to go "backwards"? So I bit the bullet. I fed the monster and bought a machine with Vista on it. At the time, it didn't dawn on me that none of my software would be compatible with Vista. So now what do I do? Hunt for drivers that may or may not be available?

There has to be a better way...