How to Downgrade a Dell Studio 17 OS Vista 64Bit to Windows XP sp2?

Question

i have a dell studio 17 running windows vista 64bit, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD
im trying to downgrade it to windows xp sp2 i have the disc and everything but its not even getting to the f8 i agree thing, it just gives me a blue screen error. i believe it has something to do with the sata settings in the bios but i do not want to mess around in there, since i know very little about it. can anyone give me a barney style tutorial on how to fix this?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, downgrading to XP will bring MORE trouble. There are no XP drivers for that laptop. With XP on this laptop, you'll be stuck with no audio and 800x600 resolution.

Answer 2

You would need to delete the partition on your hard drive (which is normally the entire drive), create a new partition, format it, and then install XP from an Xp CD. You will wipe everything that is currently on the PC (all your pictures, music, programs, etc will be permanently gone.) You will also need to be sure that you have an unused acrivation code for XP. As Microsoft no longer sells XP, good look coming up with a code. You will also need to check that there are XP drivers available for your computer. Otherwise the sound, video, Internet network card, etc will not work. Most newer computers that are designed for Vista are NOT XP compatible. Check the manufacturer's web site to see if there are XP drivers available. Realize that Microsoft is no longer updating XP, and will end all support for it next year. This means that is any new security holes are found (something that happens about one a month), Microsoft will NOT be offering protections or fixes. It will leave your PC wide open to viruses, hackers, etc. Also most new hardware and software currently coming out is no longer XP compatible. Within a year you will be unable to run anything on your computer. It will all be Vista or Windows 7 only. A smarter move may be to live with Vista for another two to three months until Windows 7 comes on the market, and then UPGRADE to 7 rather then downgrade to XP. With the release of the Vista service packs, Vista is now a stable and usable version of Windows. They have fixed the problems with Vista, and there is no valid reason to downgrade to XP any more.

Answer 3

Changing the SATA operation in the BIOS should at least let you install XP... Tap F2 at the DELL logo as your computer is booting to enter the BIOS, then go to Onboard Devices, then SATA Operation. Change the option from AHCI to ATA - you should now be able to install XP, but even this isn't a guarantee.



I've installed XP on several Studio laptops, and each time, it's become necessary, if not immediately so, to switch back to Vista. The hardware in these machines is just not very, if at all, compatible with XP. I had the best luck with the hardware in the Studio 15 series - the 17s have met utter failure. At best, you'll experience random blue screen errors - which is unacceptable for most users.



Checking with Dell internal sources, other experts, and even searching forums - this seems to be the final line. If you've got a Studio, you're best off with Vista... And it could be worse. At least it's not ME.

Answer 4

Problem is, downgrading a Vista PC to Windows XP can be a chore, and doubly so if you want to do it without reformatting your hard disk. The main roadblock is Windows Setup, which won't let you install an older version on top of a newer one; you are left with the tedious task of fooling Setup into thinking that there's no Windows at all on your PC.

Here is a pretty good tutorial it might help but if you really have any doubts you should leave it alone or have it done professionally

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2287700,00.asp

Answer 5

keep your vista. you have 4 gigs more then enough to support vista and whatever else you want. and once you get used to vista it is a nice program. they dont even make updates for xp anymore.



most computers now have everything on it for vista. if you go to xp you might not run as smooth and as nice and might not beable to run everything.



dont know why you want to downgrade. i would have if vista was brand new however it is not now and they got the bugs out. if you are just used to xp you can change how vista looks and make it look like xp. like you were able to with xp and changing it to classic mode. same with vista.