How to un-install Vista and install XP-Pro on new computer?

Got a new HP m8120n with Vista Home pre-installed. How can I remove Vista and install XP-PRO?

 

1. If you installed Windows Vista as a STANDALONE operating system on its own PC, then simply reformat the hard drive it is on.


below link has the full directions


http://www.pro-networks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=74987

 

As previously stated, Vista came on the PC "pre-installed", new. The PC has 2 x 320GB SATA HDs in a "RAID" configuration for a total of 640GB. I'm not sure it is a simple matter of reformatting the HD and then install XP-Pro. I also want to get rid of the "bloatware" that comes pre-installed on the PC. This probably will be achieved if the 2 SATA HDs can be correctly formated with winXP-Pro installed. The problem again is "how to do it" without problematic after effects.

 

Yes..it's that simple!
Obtain a Windows XP CD, and pop it in the CD-rom. Navigate to Setup.exe, run it, and it will load. Follow the prompts, and the computer will restart.
I just finished doing this with a brand new Gateway. The only problem is finding drivers. But it's not that difficult. Use Google and if you know the chip makers,(which you can findout by looking inside) you will be fine.

 

Thanx for providing the kind of answer I was looking for.....now for the "Drivers".

 

If you get stuck, and can not find a driver, post here and I'll see if I can find it for you.
Start/Run, type devmgmt.msc
In Device Manager, you want to look for all the items with explanation point.

 

Thanx again for the prompt follow-up. Will get back to you with any progress attained. I've been tossing around in my head the idea of keeping the HP m8120n the way it is but swap out the graphics card with a Diamond Radeon X1950 Pro/512MB GDDR3/PCI Express that is "CROSSFIRE" ready. I have a Gateway FX8020 on the way with this card already in it. It would be less of a hassle I think, if I put the XP-PRO on this one and keep the large Media capability of the HP.

 

however if you still want to use the RAID under xp you will have to load the RAID drives for the motherboard before xp will install.

 

The average home user doesn't need RAID

 

i did not know if he still wanted to use it or not

 

CTERRIAN, MIKEH0303 I had in mind of trying to configure a "mirrored" Raid configuration, if I can find out how to do it. What do you think?? Hopefully, I wouldn't lose allof my data if one of the HDs goes down.

 

I strongly advise to use any image software (Like Acronis or Norton Ghost)instead of RAID Mirror.
Basic mirroring can speed up reading data as a system can read different data from both the disks, but it will slow for writing if it insists that both disks must confirm that the data is correctly written.

But if your dead set on using it, my friend Larry has the instructions on his site:
http://www.duxcw.com/digest/Howto/mb/abit/kx7-333/raid1.htm

 

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you guys again so much. I recently installed vista and have had so many problems. I wanted to go back to xp and have had problems getting my hard drive formatted. But thanks to you I'm able to go back to xp. Either microsoft better get on the ball with working out all the bugs with vista or I'll will stay with xp dual boot with ubuntu forever. When xp becomes outdated beyond use I might stick to linux but I'm an avid windows user and would hate to see it come to that . Once again thanks to all the members of afterdawn for your contributions to this forum.

 

There's been a huge demand for XP on new computers. Dell is now offering many models with XP. And the fact that MS is working on SP 3, which is due in early 2008, is testimonial that Vista may not be so great.

FWIW, I've got a brand new Gateway on my bench now that runs very sluggish with Vista. It's already crashed within the first hour of operation. And this is new right out of the box! Nothing added!
I plan on formating and installing XP, and watch it run rock solid.

 

Install Windows XP in a Dual Boot with Pre-installed Windows Vista

http://www.pro-networks.org/forum/about88231.html

 

Yeah, I've done that. And after 6 months of having to standby the computer during bootup, just to choose XP, I finally got rid of Vista all together. LOL

 

I feel like a newb now. How do i go about getting my hard drive formatted. Im only running vista but I may be doing something wrong I go into my right click on my hard drive click format then I get a message saying I cant format since its running my operating system is this something I need to do through the command line? Any help is much appreciated.

 

You have two choices: Set up a dual boot (see my previous reply) or do a clean install of XP.

To do a clean install of XP, simply boot up with the XP CD and let the install procedure do the format. You will lose everything.

Make sure you have XP drivers for all your hardware. I recently set up a dual boot on Toshiba laptops that came with Vista preinstalled. Toshiba did not have XP drivers for all devices. I went to the hardware manufacturers websites to find most of the missing XP drivers.

Dual boot has the advantage of letting you compare hardware in Vista Device Manager and XP Device Manager when you have yellow question marks. And you still have your complete Vista install. You have not lost anything.

When you are satisfied with your new install, you can get rid of your Vista partition.

Vista lets you shrink and expand partitions. XP does not. With XP use a tool like Gnome Partition Editor http://gparted.sourceforge.net/

Also look at Install Windows Vista in a Dual Boot with Pre-installed Windows XP http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877_11-6157570.html for more tips and tricks.

Have Fun!

Peace, Love and Brown Rice,
Carl W.

 

Cool. Thanks for the help.

 

Thanx everyone for your invaluable input/assistance. Also, I'm glad others were able to benefit from this initial inquiry. I think I will fore go the dual boot consideration because I was just informed by Best Buy that my Gateway FX8020 has arrived this AM and I'm going to format the 500GB HD and install XP on it. This way, I'll have Vista preinstalled on my HP Media Center m8120n for those media needs and XP-Pro on the Gateway for everything else. I was able to get a
Diamond Radeon X1950 Pro / 512MB GDDR3 / PCI Express / Dual DVI / HDTV / CrossFire Ready / Video Card from Tiger Direct for $189 including S&H. This saves me $40 vs Circuit City local for the same card. I will use it to replace the Gforce 7500LE 256MB, 128 bit card that comes in the HP. Hopefully, this will get me off to a good start to obviate the very expensive Fusion, etc type Media catologue and playing systems. I should be able to use the HP Vista for a "server" and load my movies, CDs, etc and route them via my Big Flat screen as a monitor. I have to buy a next generation optical drive for the Vista it doesn't come with one to read/play Hi Def movies.

For what I'm spending, I probably could buy one computer that would do everything I would need. I'm not looking forward to the dreaded task of all of us PC mashers, i.e. "DATA INPUT". I understand that it willl take from 20Min.s to the movie length to input a movie into the data bank. I've got more than 2k movies and about just as many CDs.

Well, as Bugs Bunny told TAZ, "I guess that gives him (ME)a hobby."

P.S.: CTerrian- did you mean use Ghost or Acronis to just do a routine backup on the raid discs rather than the raid mirror software?