Windows 7 forum: How do I downgrade from windows 7 to XP?

in both Vista and Window 7. You can't load XP over Window 7 because of it. You will need a clean install, from scratch. This roll back might not work. See your manufacturer for assistance.

XP is no longer sold. Where will you get the disc? XP is also possibly approaching it's end of service, keep this in mind, it has a year maybe two, tops.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/vista/kernel-en.mspx


Windows XP is no longer being made available. Copies available are one still available that exceeded the last day of manufacture by Microsoft or pirated versions. The general Pc user may not be able to find these last remnants of the Os without assistance.

Seems most XP versions have approximately three years left before there end of support. For the informed shopper that might be as little as 6 months, because, no one wants an obsolete OS and falling XP prices are beginning to reflect this.

Your entitle to your opinion and to see it any way you like.

It's not the kernel structure, that has nothing to do with it. XP, Vista, Win7, they're all evolutions of the NT kernel, which really hasn't changed fundamentally since NT 3.1.

What HAS changed, is the installation method. With Vista, MS switched to an image based install rather than copying individual files. This makes it a bit tricky to do an upgrade really, and of course they're trying to encourage people to buy new systems to generate secondary sales of software like Office or Works which may be bundled with a new computer, but wouldn't be purchased separately. It's more to do with money than any technical considerations. Since they made it so Vista could upgrade XP, and 7 upgrade Vista, there's no technical reason 7 couldn't have upgraded XP. They CHOSE to remove that option.

So there's really nothing at all true about your entire post, since Bob has already shot down the idea that XP isn't being sold anymore. Next time, you might want to know a little bit about what you're talking about before speaking. But at least you got kernel right, and didn't use kernal.

Explain this one too!
by R. Proffitt Moderator

@

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-19411_102-0.html?threadID=380621&tag=nl.e497

Sorry about the posting error.

To Jimmy

I am mostly a mac user and do not know much about PCs. I would have imagined that the drivers are dependent on the OS not the computer model. How are there no drivers for XP on a dell? I guess I just don't know how that works. I figured that the drivers would be installed with XP. Im just looking to use XP for probably another year or so till all the audio software picks up their game with updating.

Unfortunately no, it would make a whole lot more sense to move to a device independent system like the Unix world has had since forever, but that makes it quite a bit more difficult to include all the anti-piracy measures Microsoft chooses to add into their OS.

With Apple, they control the hardware and the software, so it's a lot easier to create a cohesive solution. It also puts you at greater mercy to the whims of a single company.

But you should look into XP Mode that's available with Win7 Pro. This basically lets you run XP inside a virtual machine. So think of it kind of like Parallels for the Mac. Though in this case, you're running an older version of Windows on Windows.

You have some hardware and software that will be too finicky for me to suggest XP Mode. Tell Dell you want one of their XP models.
Bob

I appreciate the responses. I need XP for my recording studio. Most of the audio recording software (moslty all the plugi-ins) is not up to date with their drivers, nor does my interface have a driver for windows 7 yet. I guess I will have to return the PC if I cannot get XP to work. I called Dell and they said I could install xp but frankly it sounded like the lady did not know what she was talking about.

Bryan,

Here are the directions for uninstalling (replacing) Windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Installing-and-reinstalling-Windows-7. Other commenters have pointed out some critical information- your new computer may not support Windows XP, drivers may not be available and Microsoft no longer supports XP.

I am not sure why you want to downgrade, I recommend you look at Windows 7 XP mode or a virtual machine if your concern is program compatibility: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/windows-xp-mode.

Tara

You know, Microsoft has been itching to change from a purchase model to a subscription model for years. Guess, what. Their products have always been purely subscription based. They're just clever about it by putting up a smokescreen of "new products" and "life cycle" euphemisms.

This all started when someone made the possibly correct but irrelevant comment that it is impossible to formally, mathematically, guarantee that a piece of software is truly "bug-free". Somehow, that's been perverted into a culture of "doesn't have to work as along as it does something" and "I can keep charging you to fix what you already bought that never worked in the first place."

Gee, how come my hardware/firmware/software products have to work 100% or they come back and I don't get any money? What am I doing wrong? Oh, I know. It's because I have competitors.

You mght be able to get a legal copy of XP on eBay. You will probably run into a problems doing the install since XP did not support SATA drives which the Studio XPS uses.

That doesn't really help if there are no XP drivers for the system's hardware. At the very least, you're going to need a SATA hard drive driver just to INSTALL XP.

Also, maybe a bit of a nitpick, but it's "dual" as in two. Duel is a ritualistic fight. So you might have a duel at dawn with dual pistols.

And dual booting is largely a relic of a bygone era now that we have hardware level virtualization. There's virtually no performance hit anymore, not to mention none of the headaches associated with dual booting.

The system you're dual booting with is much older than a recently purchased Studio XPS, so there might still be XP drivers for the hardware.

It really is time we let XP die. People hated it when it first came out, then they accepted the fact that it was here to stay. Vista wasn't really a bad OS all in all. It was just over promised and under delivered when it came to whiz-bang new features. No one cares about a lot of the under the hood improvements that did make it in, because they aren't readily visible. Win7 is now so well received because Microsoft learned its lesson with Vista. They made very few promises about 7, so it's easy to create the impression they are delivering more.

To the OP. You might just want to stick with an older system that came with XP originally. Then when it's time to update your apps to newer versions that will work with 7, you've got a new system all ready to go. But I also don't believe anyone has asked, or you have answered, whether or not you've actually TRIED installing the apps you need on 7, and to see if they will actually work. A lot of people just seem to assume some app or another won't work, but they never actually TRY it to see. The way I see it, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying. If you try and fail, you're no worse off, but if you try and succeed, then you are considerably better off.

this is all very interesting. I'm applying for a job with a company that still uses XP and requires that their employees not upgrade to Vista or Win 7 until they work out some compatibility issues with the company's own software. Does anyone know where I can read more about running XP mode under Windows 7? Thanks all.

The problem is I'm running Vista on a laptop that is showing it's age. So I'm going to replace the laptop but still uncertain about Win 7. Most of the systems sold these days are with 64-bit versions of Win 7. Do I buy one of those and use the XP option or find a version of XP somewhere and overwrite Win 7? Appreciate everyone's input.

g