Can WinXP be installed on a pre-loaded Vista PC?

My new Desktop PC (Compaq Presario SR2109UK) came pre-loaded with Windows
Vista Home Premium. Can I remove Vista and install Windows XP? Will I have
to install special hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers for XP? The PC
did not come with any installation CDs and the Vista Operating System had a
backup on a separate partition in the Hard Disk. I checked on the internet
for motherboard drivers; there are none available for Windows XP. Does this
mean I have no way of installing Windows XP? So I am told by the PCWorld
Technician who sold me the PC but I wish to get confirmation from more
knowledgeable experts on the newsgroup. Can someone out there kindly
enlighten me?

You must have the requisite drivers available for the O/S you plan to
install. If your M/B is new the chance is good that drivers for it are NOT
included in Windows XP, which is 5-6 years old. Even if Windows XP install
you may be running at a reduced functionality due to the lack of specialized
drivers.

Are you certain that there are no M/B drivers for WinXP for the M/B you have
purchased? Have you checked their support web site?

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)



"Ram" <> wrote in message
news:...
> My new Desktop PC (Compaq Presario SR2109UK) came pre-loaded with Windows
> Vista Home Premium. Can I remove Vista and install Windows XP? Will I have
> to install special hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers for XP? The PC
> did not come with any installation CDs and the Vista Operating System had
> a backup on a separate partition in the Hard Disk. I checked on the
> internet for motherboard drivers; there are none available for Windows XP.
> Does this mean I have no way of installing Windows XP? So I am told by the
> PCWorld Technician who sold me the PC but I wish to get confirmation from
> more knowledgeable experts on the newsgroup. Can someone out there kindly
> enlighten me?

Yes, but why would you want to?

"Ram" <> wrote in message
news:...
> My new Desktop PC (Compaq Presario SR2109UK) came pre-loaded with Windows
> Vista Home Premium. Can I remove Vista and install Windows XP? Will I have
> to install special hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers for XP? The PC
> did not come with any installation CDs and the Vista Operating System had
> a backup on a separate partition in the Hard Disk. I checked on the
> internet for motherboard drivers; there are none available for Windows XP.
> Does this mean I have no way of installing Windows XP? So I am told by the
> PCWorld Technician who sold me the PC but I wish to get confirmation from
> more knowledgeable experts on the newsgroup. Can someone out there kindly
> enlighten me?

Believe it or not, not everyone likes Vista.
I have it on only one of the many machines that I use regularly.
I have used Vista in BETA, RC and RTM versions for over a year.
It hasn't grown on me a bit.
I use it because I have to support it, not because I have found any
redeeming qualities in it.
Know how to use it, Yes; like to use it, NO!

Opinions are like rectums, everyone has one, and I have yet to find one that
doesn't stink...
--
A Professional Amateur...If anyone knew it all, none of would be here!

Change Alpha to Numeric to reply
"Mac" <> wrote in message
news:7FDE749F-F7E6-45AE-8CFA-...
> Yes, but why would you want to?
>
> "Ram" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> My new Desktop PC (Compaq Presario SR2109UK) came pre-loaded with Windows
>> Vista Home Premium. Can I remove Vista and install Windows XP? Will I
>> have to install special hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers for XP?
>> The PC did not come with any installation CDs and the Vista Operating
>> System had a backup on a separate partition in the Hard Disk. I checked
>> on the internet for motherboard drivers; there are none available for
>> Windows XP. Does this mean I have no way of installing Windows XP? So I
>> am told by the PCWorld Technician who sold me the PC but I wish to get
>> confirmation from more knowledgeable experts on the newsgroup. Can
>> someone out there kindly enlighten me?
>

Why not reply to the OP with helpful advice? Because you can't.

The OP can't get XP drivers for the new machine.

My conclusion is that the OP should take the machine back for a full refund.
Or learn to live with it.

"NotMe" <> wrote in message
news:#...
> Believe it or not, not everyone likes Vista.
> I have it on only one of the many machines that I use regularly.
> I have used Vista in BETA, RC and RTM versions for over a year.
> It hasn't grown on me a bit.
> I use it because I have to support it, not because I have found any
> redeeming qualities in it.
> Know how to use it, Yes; like to use it, NO!
>
> Opinions are like rectums, everyone has one, and I have yet to find one
> that doesn't stink...
> --
> A Professional Amateur...If anyone knew it all, none of would be here!
>
> Change Alpha to Numeric to reply
> "Mac" <> wrote in message
> news:7FDE749F-F7E6-45AE-8CFA-...
>> Yes, but why would you want to?
>>
>> "Ram" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> My new Desktop PC (Compaq Presario SR2109UK) came pre-loaded with
>>> Windows Vista Home Premium. Can I remove Vista and install Windows XP?
>>> Will I have to install special hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers
>>> for XP? The PC did not come with any installation CDs and the Vista
>>> Operating System had a backup on a separate partition in the Hard Disk.
>>> I checked on the internet for motherboard drivers; there are none
>>> available for Windows XP. Does this mean I have no way of installing
>>> Windows XP? So I am told by the PCWorld Technician who sold me the PC
>>> but I wish to get confirmation from more knowledgeable experts on the
>>> newsgroup. Can someone out there kindly enlighten me?
>>
>
>

HP (www.hp.com) lists only Vista drivers for this product.

However, they also list the mainboard as an Asus A8M2N-LA.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...344579&lang=en

That doesn't match any of the retail products that I see from Asus. (Omit
the A8 to see some similar products for Socket AM2.) It appears to be a
design specific to HP/Compaq.

You can download XP drivers for the 430 chipset and the 6150LE graphics from
www.nvidia.com. The LAN controller is supposed to be Marvell; I think that
you want the Yukon drivers from www.marvell.com. The audio drivers are the
HD Audio ones from www.realtek.com.

I presume that any other drivers that you need are available for download,
once you've identified the hardware.

My question is: do you really need to go through all this? Vista is still
having some teething problems, but I imagine that Microsoft and the
third-party vendors will have it sorted reasonably soon. XP was far from
trouble free, six years ago.

HTH.

Address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn to reply.

"Ram" <> wrote in message
news:...
> My new Desktop PC (Compaq Presario SR2109UK) came pre-loaded with Windows
> Vista Home Premium. Can I remove Vista and install Windows XP? Will I have
> to install special hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers for XP? The PC
> did not come with any installation CDs and the Vista Operating System had
> a backup on a separate partition in the Hard Disk. I checked on the
> internet for motherboard drivers; there are none available for Windows XP.
> Does this mean I have no way of installing Windows XP? So I am told by the
> PCWorld Technician who sold me the PC but I wish to get confirmation from
> more knowledgeable experts on the newsgroup. Can someone out there kindly
> enlighten me?

"Ram" <> wrote in message
news:...
> My new Desktop PC () came pre-loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium. Can
> I remove Vista and install Windows XP? Will I have to install special
> hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers for XP? The PC did not come with
> any installation CDs and the Vista Operating System had a backup on a
> separate partition in the Hard Disk. I checked on the internet for
> motherboard drivers; there are none available for Windows XP. Does this
> mean I have no way of installing Windows XP? So I am told by the PCWorld
> Technician who sold me the PC but I wish to get confirmation from more
> knowledgeable experts on the newsgroup. Can someone out there kindly
> enlighten me?


First thing I would do is to clone the current drive.................then
you can play around.

I would then get something like Everest ( its free for home users ) to find
out what exactly I have in my Desktop. Then I would do a search for
drivers for each component............and then you can try and install XP
but you will have a clone available if things go wrong.
In any case even if you decide to keep Vista I would still do a clone of the
hard drive

Why?

"will_s" <> wrote in message
news:5A2309B8-4E50-49F9-AEE9-...
>
> "Ram" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> My new Desktop PC () came pre-loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium. Can
>> I remove Vista and install Windows XP? Will I have to install special
>> hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers for XP? The PC did not come with
>> any installation CDs and the Vista Operating System had a backup on a
>> separate partition in the Hard Disk. I checked on the internet for
>> motherboard drivers; there are none available for Windows XP. Does this
>> mean I have no way of installing Windows XP? So I am told by the PCWorld
>> Technician who sold me the PC but I wish to get confirmation from more
>> knowledgeable experts on the newsgroup. Can someone out there kindly
>> enlighten me?
>
>
> First thing I would do is to clone the current drive.................then
> you can play around.
>
> I would then get something like Everest ( its free for home users ) to
> find out what exactly I have in my Desktop. Then I would do a search for
> drivers for each component............and then you can try and install XP
> but you will have a clone available if things go wrong.
> In any case even if you decide to keep Vista I would still do a clone of
> the hard drive

why what ? be specific or kindly go and annoy someone else



"Mac" <> wrote in message
news:2040D2B4-1488-4A7E-A4AF-...
> Why?
>
> "will_s" <> wrote in message
> news:5A2309B8-4E50-49F9-AEE9-...
>>
>> "Ram" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> My new Desktop PC () came pre-loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium.
>>> Can I remove Vista and install Windows XP? Will I have to install
>>> special hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers for XP? The PC did not
>>> come with any installation CDs and the Vista Operating System had a
>>> backup on a separate partition in the Hard Disk. I checked on the
>>> internet for motherboard drivers; there are none available for Windows
>>> XP. Does this mean I have no way of installing Windows XP? So I am told
>>> by the PCWorld Technician who sold me the PC but I wish to get
>>> confirmation from more knowledgeable experts on the newsgroup. Can
>>> someone out there kindly enlighten me?
>>
>>
>> First thing I would do is to clone the current drive.................then
>> you can play around.
>>
>> I would then get something like Everest ( its free for home users ) to
>> find out what exactly I have in my Desktop. Then I would do a search
>> for drivers for each component............and then you can try and
>> install XP but you will have a clone available if things go wrong.
>> In any case even if you decide to keep Vista I would still do a clone of
>> the hard drive
>

Ram wrote:
> My new Desktop PC (Compaq Presario SR2109UK) came pre-loaded with
> Windows Vista Home Premium. Can I remove Vista and install Windows XP?


If you don't mind voiding your warranty and support agreements, perhaps.


> Will I have to install special hardware (graphics, audio, etc.) drivers
> for XP?


Most definitely. And, if the PC was designed solely with Vista in
mind, there may well not be any WinXP-specific drivers.





--

Bruce Chambers

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