downloading Vista home basic to XP Pro

My friend was formatting my hard drive in my laptop and went and put his copy
of Vista Home Basic on instead of XP Pro.

How can I downgrade from Vista to XP.

I have tried formatting it and reinstalling XP but it froze and then I tried
it again with a different disc and it froze at the very same point. He ended
putting Vista back on and then used a virtual PC program and put XP on there.
It worked for a while but now it doesn't -see below*
I can't go on the internet because of course it is a copy of his genuine copy
of vista and he is using it too


What can I do? I need XP for college and I can't go on the internet which I
need for my homework. In fact I can't do anything with it at the moment
because it is telling me *I must contact dell (it is a Dell version of
windows Vista and my laptop is a Fujistu Siemens which was XP ready) and get
a new product key but I don't and never will want vista.

You need to contact Fujistu Siemens support and request
their Windows XP recovery disc. You cannot use a Dell
Windows XP reinstallation CD and license on a non-Dell
computer.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Marimari" <u38945@uwe> wrote in message news:7b02c85d016d2@uwe...
My friend was formatting my hard drive in my laptop and went and put his copy
of Vista Home Basic on instead of XP Pro.

How can I downgrade from Vista to XP.

I have tried formatting it and reinstalling XP but it froze and then I tried
it again with a different disc and it froze at the very same point. He ended
putting Vista back on and then used a virtual PC program and put XP on there.
It worked for a while but now it doesn't -see below*
I can't go on the internet because of course it is a copy of his genuine copy
of vista and he is using it too


What can I do? I need XP for college and I can't go on the internet which I
need for my homework. In fact I can't do anything with it at the moment
because it is telling me *I must contact dell (it is a Dell version of
windows Vista and my laptop is a Fujistu Siemens which was XP ready) and get
a new product key but I don't and never will want vista.

Put the XP CD in the drive and boot from the CD. Use the HD utilities on
the CD to delete the partition. Create a new partition and install XP.

There are www sites that have detailed instructions. Google for "install
XP from CD" or similar. This is one:
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

and another:
http://www.petri.co.il/install_windows_xp_pro.htm

Tom
MSMVP 1998-2007

"Marimari" <u38945@uwe> wrote in message news:7b02c85d016d2@uwe...
> My friend was formatting my hard drive in my laptop and went and put
> his copy
> of Vista Home Basic on instead of XP Pro.
>
> How can I downgrade from Vista to XP.
>
> I have tried formatting it and reinstalling XP but it froze and then I
> tried
> it again with a different disc and it froze at the very same point. He
> ended
> putting Vista back on and then used a virtual PC program and put XP on
> there.
> It worked for a while but now it doesn't -see below*
> I can't go on the internet because of course it is a copy of his
> genuine copy
> of vista and he is using it too
>
>
> What can I do? I need XP for college and I can't go on the internet
> which I
> need for my homework. In fact I can't do anything with it at the
> moment
> because it is telling me *I must contact dell (it is a Dell version of
> windows Vista and my laptop is a Fujistu Siemens which was XP ready)
> and get
> a new product key but I don't and never will want vista.
>

Very good point.

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" <> wrote in message
newsAFA72AB-1E45-4514-9B10-...
> You need to contact Fujistu Siemens support and request
> their Windows XP recovery disc. You cannot use a Dell
> Windows XP reinstallation CD and license on a non-Dell
> computer.
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Shell/User
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Marimari" <u38945@uwe> wrote in message news:7b02c85d016d2@uwe...
> My friend was formatting my hard drive in my laptop and went and put
> his copy
> of Vista Home Basic on instead of XP Pro.
>
> How can I downgrade from Vista to XP.
>
> I have tried formatting it and reinstalling XP but it froze and then I
> tried
> it again with a different disc and it froze at the very same point. He
> ended
> putting Vista back on and then used a virtual PC program and put XP on
> there.
> It worked for a while but now it doesn't -see below*
> I can't go on the internet because of course it is a copy of his
> genuine copy
> of vista and he is using it too
>
>
> What can I do? I need XP for college and I can't go on the internet
> which I
> need for my homework. In fact I can't do anything with it at the
> moment
> because it is telling me *I must contact dell (it is a Dell version of
> windows Vista and my laptop is a Fujistu Siemens which was XP ready)
> and get
> a new product key but I don't and never will want vista.
>