Windows 7 downgrade to Windows XP

[mbeck123]

I have tried everything to rid my HD of windows 7. I installed my brothers copy on a new build of mine to run some tests and make sure the system was running okay. I did not think that I would have an issue installing windows XP. When I load XP from disc I keep getting an error telling me that I need a real copy of Windows XP. I have a authentic version, I have installed it many times before. I have read that downgrading from Windows 7 can be difficult. Are there any solutions I can try? I have already try installing in on a different partition. Same error. I have tried using the windows 7 install CD to remove windows 7. No luck. I even entered safemode in an attempt to delete WINDOWS and the system told me that they could not find WINDOWS. Any help??

 

[killersquirel11]

Well if you want to completely wipe your hard drive, I highly recommend Darik's Boot and Nuke (free/open source military-grade hard drive wiping). Windows XP will not detect any previous operating system or anything

Also use DBAN if you ever sell a computer to completely blow away all of your data with no hope of recovering.

Make sure you back up anything you don't want to lose before doing this; there's no possible way to undo it.

 

[xaephod]

Yeah, any free disk utility that will wipe your drive. I think you can even use any linux disk you have use that disk utility.

 

[TechJamaica]

i use this. it's a free low level format,it wipes any drive.
http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/
click the download installer option, when you are formatting just do a quick wipe and then partition back your drive.

 

[mbarnes86]

Hi mbeck123

Before using dban on the hard disk do you have the recovery DVD's for 7 in case you want to go back to 7 later ?
(recovery partition may contain Win 7 DVD builder files)

Secondly do you have all the XP drivers for the laptop available now ?
(without Network or Wireless drivers you will need another PC to get them)

Thirdly is your XP a retail disk, Microsoft OEM or a manufacturers OEM version ?

You seem to have got round the problem of lack of SATA/AHCI drivers in XP for modern chipsets

If using DBAN select wipe method that does single pass this will save lot of time.

regards
Mike Barnes

 

[bryonhowley]

Why in the world would you even want to downgrade to a obsolete outdated unsupported crash prone BSOD ridden OS? Windows 7 is better in every way to XP.

 

[killersquirel11]

Why in the world would you even want to downgrade to a obsolete outdated unsupported crash prone BSOD ridden OS? Windows 7 is better in every way to XP.

Driver support, for one. Some old products may not have upgraded their drivers for Windows 7 (I still have to support a spectrophotometer that doesn't have any drivers for anything newer than '98)

 

[mbeck123]

Why in the world would you even want to downgrade to a obsolete outdated unsupported crash prone BSOD ridden OS? Windows 7 is better in every way to XP.

Because it's $120 and I already have XP. I do not have Windows 7. I was using a 30 day trial. I've wiped the drive and I'm using XP now. Thanks everyone.

 

[mbeck123]

Best answer selected by mbeck123.