Menu
  1. Accueil
  2. Tech Forum
  3. Windows
  4. Windows XP

Windows Vista to XP Downgrading/Reformat? [Solved/Closed]

Report
-
 tabu -
Hello,
I bought a new laptop with Windows Vista preinstalled but I don't want Vista at all. There is no data on the laptop as it is brand new. I would like Windows XP but couldn't find a new laptop with XP on it... so I got a Windows XP Home Edition disc and bring it to PC world so they can downgrade it for me. But I have been told it can't be done. Are they lying? What can I do?
See more
Related:

107 replies

Answer 41 / 107

I have a Hp dv 2000 and I downgraded to xp and it is defiantly worth it, I had vista for close to a year and didn't realize how bad it was until I switched to xp. I have gotten everything to work except for the wired internet and several devices in the device manager.
My missing devices are
Coprocessor
Other PCI bridge device
SM bis controller
if anyone has fixed either of my problems can you please share the wealth.
Report

I have a HP pavillion DV 2110tx and have exactly the same issue as Supergeek above. I have managed to format and install XP . For those seeking clarification on how to do this.
Download sp32478.exe from HP website extract and copy files to floppy not utility just the folder contents
Insert XP disc you will need an usb floppy drive plugged in as well with floppy
Goto system bios press f10 as soon as laptop is switched on
Change the enable native sata support to disable save and exit
Reboot machine press f3 choose option 2 cd rom boot
As soon as xp setup starts keep a lookout at bottom of screen
Press f6 when prompted it will look as if nothing is happened dont worry it will stop further down the line
When prompted press S to specify the additional sata driver as long as the usb floppy is inserted and the files you extracted on the root of the floppy drive a list of available options will be given choose one of the mobile options I believe there are only two. For my 2110tx I chose the second one yours may differ depending on model. Once done press enter and it will carry on with setup all being well the drive will be recognised if not you may have to try the other mobile device driver or download relevant one from HP I believe there are two such discs with sata that can be created for sata drivers etc. Check out hp WEBSITE.

The issue I am having is XP is installed but I cannot get certain drivers to work and in device manager the following devices are not recognised even with the HP drivers for XP can anyone help please
Coprocessor
Other PCI bridge device
SM bis controller, sound card Email Id removed for security
Report

I have same issue any joy let me know

Email Id removed for security
Answer 42 / 107

I have a HP pavillion DV 2110tx and have exactly the same issue as Supergeek above. I have managed to format and install XP . For those seeking clarification on how to do this.
Download sp32478.exe from HP website extract and copy files to floppy not utility just the folder contents
Insert XP disc you will need an usb floppy drive plugged in as well with floppy
Goto system bios press f10 as soon as laptop is switched on
Change the enable native sata support to disable save and exit
Reboot machine press f3 choose option 2 cd rom boot
As soon as xp setup starts keep a lookout at bottom of screen
Press f6 when prompted it will look as if nothing is happened dont worry it will stop further down the line
When prompted press S to specify the additional sata driver as long as the usb floppy is inserted and the files you extracted on the root of the floppy drive a list of available options will be given choose one of the mobile options I believe there are only two. For my 2110tx I chose the second one yours may differ depending on model. Once done press enter and it will carry on with setup all being well the drive will be recognised if not you may have to try the other mobile device driver or download relevant one from HP I believe there are two such discs with sata that can be created for sata drivers etc. Check out hp WEBSITE.

The issue I am having is XP is installed but I cannot get certain drivers to work and in device manager the following devices are not recognised even with the HP drivers for XP can anyone help please
Coprocessor
Other PCI bridge device
SM bis controller, sound card email sukhraj@duhra.freeserve.co.uk (wrong email in last post sorry)
Reply to Suky
Answer 43 / 107

hello friend, can you help me I have a big problem with my laptop compaq presario c700 with os windows vista and I have downgrading to windows xp after I downgrade to xp all the drivers that I download from hp and other site didnt work I dont know why. thank you very much
Answer 44 / 107

i have formate my laptop and have lost some drivers like wireless,soundcard,nvidia, all most about seven softwear have lost from the laptop so I will plz need ur help if I can give me an istallation cd for the Hp Pavilion dv2000
Answer 45 / 107

first of all u have to unable the SATA drive going thorugh BIOS
u can enter in the bios after pressin F10 key at the time of wheh u just turn on ur laptop.
after disable yr sata driver u can easily install xp after inserting yr xp cd in dc/dvd- drive.
........follow the instruction

if u want to use bot vista and xp computer. then u can I ask me through mail


ok bye.......have a nice days with Xp
Answer 46 / 107

Knowing all that trouble, I would just get a new harddrive and install XP on it. Ofcourse I would gather the drivers for the computer b4 hand.
Answer 47 / 107

I bought a new laptop with Windows Vista installed but I don't want Vista at all, so I decided to downgrade to windows xp, and I read in the forum about downgrading vista to xp, everything dones I disable tha native sata in bios then I installed windows xp after I installed windows xp the driver that I get in the compaq presario c700 in hp site didnt work and I download again a new driver for this laptop but didnt work again, pls help how to get the driver, thanks friend for the support
Answer 48 / 107

ok
thats a better news that u have install xp
don't worry u have to download all driver for xp "not for vista" from any website for yr laptop model "compaq presario c700"
and if u r trobling some problem for getting that software if u have any friend who is using laptop of any model for "compaq presario " then u can take him all driver and install driver in yr laptop

ok
have a nice time
Answer 49 / 107

hi, I have problems with the WIRELESS connection after downgrading windows vista to XP on a HP pavilion dv9500 notebook PC.

WIRELESS problems when downgrading vista to xp.

Please help ! Thank you !
Answer 50 / 107

my brother was switching from vista back to XP and backing up all his hard drives.
Well an emergency occured while he was doing this and we had to shut the power off to the house
so now when he turns his computer back on it says "searching for files"

does anyone know what to do or how to get it to work?

thanks!
Answer 51 / 107

hey.. plz help.. I want to downgrade from vista to XP but I dnt no how.. I tried but at the booting setup.. it says that there are no dirver and no hard disk.. =S but I have the drivers and the hard disk in the booting page.. =S
Answer 52 / 107

Hey. I just recently got my laptop an HP dv6000 to downgrade from Vista to XP. This is great except for one small problem. On Vista I could easily find the place that told me of all the Wireless Networks available. The Wi-Fi thing on the front of my laptop used to be blue and and now it's red even when it's on. I can't find how to connect wirelessly to the internet and could really use some help.

But here's the catch, at least for me. I went to another website and they told me what I could do. They said open the Run window, and type in devmgmt.msc Once that was done I was supposed to look for any exclamation marks or red crosses or things like that. What ended up happening, though I saw none of these things they mentioned, was that a little pop up window came onto my screen that said I did not have my Wi-Fi turned on and that once I turned it on it would be able to detect Wireless Networks. That was a surprise for me and I thought all of my problems were at an end. The horrible thing is, every time I turn my laptop off, I have to lose what I've previously found and then go find it again. It gets worse, though, because I have found it only one other time by using the method listed above. Now I can't find it alt all and everyone wants me to download these drivers or whatever. I just want to know where it is and how to get to it and use it everytime I turn on my laptop.

Others have told me to talk to the friend that downgraded my laptop. The problem with this istuation is that he lives somewhere in Kansas and was only visiting for two days anyway.

Also, if you're going to tell me to open up Connect To -> and click on the Wireless Connection, maybe right click it and click on something from the menu that shows up from there, this will be a broken record. I want it to be clear as day that I CANNOT find this and I'm tired of everyone giving me the answer, "Well it should be there!" I'm just frustrated and out of a job which happened to be my lifestyle. Now I'm sitting at home and practically picking my nose with no one to help me solve my problem.
Answer 53 / 107
Posts
124
Registration date
Wednesday February 20, 2008
Status
Member
Last seen
February 6, 2009
 20
hi bob 666,
of course they are not lying,if you got the windows vista I advise you to use it as it is more efficient than the previous one so don't matter about it and use the windows vista my friend.....and eventually enjoy the numerous advantages..bybye
Answer 54 / 107

WTF, there are several advantages of vista but their are millions of disadvantages, take for instance the constant crashing, the 15 GB of used hard drive space, the unsupported applications, the insane hardware requirements, and the list goes on, heres who vista is for, rich people that don't use computers for anything other than outlook and internet explorer and can afford a PC with the specs to run vista flawlessly. and those people would be better off buying a mac.
so if you have XP installed on your PC fell gifted and stay as far as humanly possible away from vista.
Answer 55 / 107

Hi pals,
Relax !!!you all know that solutions require patience.
Find yourself a copy of nlite ,download it and use it to make a bootable disk that will automaticaly mount your sata drive and runm xp Normally.
Takes less than two hours.
Karibu
Answer 56 / 107

i I just get a gatway loptop and I can't boot the windows xp on it I had to put vista and I do not what vista how to I delete it for the loptap and install windows xp? plz help
Answer 57 / 107

I've read this entire post website, and none, absolutely none has posted a solution to the downgrading problem of this labtop from vista to XP. I've seen a thousand posts asking for sata drivers to correct this problem in many other models. But that's not the problem here, this machine is AMD based, and when I load the XP installation cd, i'm able to load it to the point where it's going to change the screen so I can select the drive option where to install windows xp. but then, instead of getting the soo mentioned and soo easy to solve message that no drive has been found, i'm not able to get to this point, instead my screen goes blue, and I get a message telling me that the system has stopped to avoid system damage, and that I should check my drive for errors or check it for viruses, and below on the same screen I get the error code: 0X00000000, and various codes which I haven't been able to write down since they are too long. Is there anybody our there with the real knowledge to solve this, or is this something I must resing to and assume my system wont support windows xp ever?
I attached a copy of the screen I get. Please help.
Thanks
Report

Well, if I was u, I wouldn't try that again (putting xp programs on vista) b/c it will eventually cause ur computer to crash and you will lose anything that is not backed up by your recovery disc. it sucks, I know. best buy can degrade your computer (or they know what to get you so that you CAN have xp). they told me all this when I just recently got my computer a month ago, but said it would cost $500!!! most people would'nt want to do that (myself included). but that's the only solution I know of to this problem.
Answer 58 / 107

Hello,
I bought a new laptop with Windows Vista preinstalled but I don't want Vista at all.
There is no data on the laptop as it is brand new.
I would like Windows XP but couldn't find a new laptop with XP on it...
so I got a Windows XP Home Edition disc and bring it to PC world so they can downgrade it for me.
But I have been told it can't be done. Are they lying? What can I do?
Answer 59 / 107

hi I have a compaq c751nr notebook I recently went from vista to xp and the drivers for everything but my audio works I have the conexant hd card and I have tried every link on every forum for the drivers and none work I installed uaa first my computer reconizes the card but when ever I try to install the drivers it gives me a error message that says it can not find the media.Has anyone had this problem and if so how did you fix it?My notebook did not come with a vista disk so if I wanted to go back to it just to have sound I will have to shell out the money for it and I just shelled out the money for xp so any advice I would greatly appreciate.
Answer 60 / 107

I didn't have any problem at all. I bought a new Dell laptop about a year ago with VISTA and immediately loaded XP from an old restore disc I had from my 5 year old pc. Nothing to it. You just have to add the utilities from another old disc. Been running it for a year and absolutely no problems whatsoever.
Ask a question
1 2 3 4 5 6

Subscribe To Our Newsletter!

The Best of CCM in Your Inbox

Subscribe To Our Newsletter!