Uninstalling vista - back to xp

empirix

Howdy all,

Got a new dell xps with vista home premium installed. None of my hardware(music) related are being found and no drivers out yet, so i want to install xp.

This seems impossible, booted up from an xp, 2000 pro cd and basically the installing process starts (loading drivers etc) and then when it says windows is starting, i get a fatal exception, saying to restart the pc. I've tried various ways to get in and try and format the hdd using many apps, nuke it etc and i am blocked every time.
Please somebody save me here, how do i reformat and get rid off this piece of sh*t.

cosgrove80

Have a llok at Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, a free download from their site. It allows you to install XP (if you have a disk and serial of course) on a Vista PC. You can then launch XP in a window.

It hasn't got any USB port support though afaik

CptSternn

Most of the new Dell PC's use new hardware that isn't supported in XP. To install it your going to have to slipstream an XP disc (not an easy task for beginners) plus add in a few custom drivers in that same install (if you can find them, if they even exist) from the net to avoid the BSOD (blue screen of death).

As you may know, XP is being discontinued in 2008. It's better to get on to Vista now, before your forced to later.

ethernet

empirix wrote:

Howdy all,

Got a new dell xps with vista home premium installed. None of my hardware(music) related are being found and no drivers out yet, so i want to install xp.

This seems impossible, booted up from an xp, 2000 pro cd and basically the installing process starts (loading drivers etc) and then when it says windows is starting, i get a fatal exception, saying to restart the pc. I've tried various ways to get in and try and format the hdd using many apps, nuke it etc and i am blocked every time.
Please somebody save me here, how do i reformat and get rid off this piece of sh*t.

Try installing with only essential hardware connected first -- keyboard and mouse. If this works, you can then install drivers for your other devices.

empirix

Lads thanks for the replies and all, but can anybody tell me how to format the hdd and delete vista.



cheers

homehelptech

If you really want to format then there'll be a bootdisk at bootdisk.com that will probably help you. You'll need to go for one of the disks/utilities that support NTFS.

ethernet

empirix wrote:

Howdy all,

Got a new dell xps with vista home premium installed. None of my hardware(music) related are being found and no drivers out yet, so i want to install xp.

This seems impossible, booted up from an xp, 2000 pro cd and basically the installing process starts (loading drivers etc) and then when it says windows is starting, i get a fatal exception, saying to restart the pc. I've tried various ways to get in and try and format the hdd using many apps, nuke it etc and i am blocked every time.
Please somebody save me here, how do i reformat and get rid off this piece of sh*t.

Just reread your OP. You won't be able to format the Windows partition if it's in use, i.e. you can't format the Windows root partition when running Windows. Just thought I'd mention this in case this was what you were trying to do.

Could you give more details about the error message. Someone is bound to have had the same problem.

ressem

Deleting the Vista install is not your main issue. You need to be sure that you can reinstall another OS on the machine.

As CptSternn alluded to, XP install CDs don't have SATA support as used on modern PCs, and most PCs do not have floppy drives suitable to provide the drivers (by pressing F6 during install).

If this is the case with your PC, then after formatting, you still will not be able to install XP, making you reinstall Vista (or Linux) putting you back where you started.

As you haven't provided details about the error you saw dealing with the XP install, this is the problem we suspect you are running in to.

Or tell is what music devices are not working for you, perhaps there are XP drivers or drivers from a different manufacturer that work.

kaizersoze

CptSternn wrote:

As you may know, XP is being discontinued in 2008. It's better to get on to Vista now, before your forced to later.

It just won't be available to purchase after 2008. They have extended the support for it to 2013 though.