vista

[clocktower]

what is the best way to get rid of vista home basic on a lappy my m8 wants winxp back on cant just had the winxp disc and overwrite it could do fdsk the old way isnt there a way to do it better ?? :wacko::huh:

[svr]

I'm not sure I understood you but cant you just use win XP disc to format the partition?

[rocky1234]

Ya, format the partition & do a fresh installation. Crappy Vista !!

[clocktower]

ok i know how to partition the drive cant do it via the managment thingy im just after getting vista off this lappy and adding winxp ive tried this from a friend but when i enter the setup disc it says sorry no hard drives found :(



how to completely uninstall vista You can boot from the XP install CD, delete the partition(s), then create new one(s) and install XP

Before you do that . . check to see that XP drivers are available for the laptop.

I've done this on several machines . . My reccomended way to do all this is to buy a new drive, take the original out and put the new one in and install XP . . that way, If you ever want to revert to Vista, you just change the drives.

You can set up a dual boot, but it's easier if you first install XP, then Vista.

[Adama]

format the install xp
simple

[deepee]

run a winxp bootable disk. It ll help u partition and format easily

[orcutt989]

Either your hard drives are bad, your windows disc is bad, or you just need a 3rd party hard drive formatting program. You should be able to pop in the Windows XP CD and navigate to where it will allow you to format the partitions. It is interesting that the installation disc is telling you that it cannot find hard drives. That is why I think there might be some errors or something on your discs. I like to use "Darik's Boot and Nuke" it is a free and quick way to erase drives. You can put it on a floppy, USB drive, and a CD. Pick your poison. Back up everything on your hard drive that you might need. Go here (http://dban.sourceforge.net/) and download the program, put it on the media of your choice. Restart your computer with your media in its respectable position, run the program and follow the instructions nuke your hard drive, and then try installing XP again. (We use this program at the university I work at to erase hard drives, so you know it is good.) If Windows still says you have no drives, try a different install disc. If it still says it after a different install disc, then you just need a new drive.

[tesco]

Put in the xp cd, restart the computer and boot from cd. continue with the installation and at one point it asks you which drive to put it on and you get partition options, then formatting options.

[clocktower]

thx but still same does nothing when i add the winxp disc on boot it goes through it all then says press f3 to quit sorry found no hdd's may as well keep it on also tried partion magic etc none work and this lappy is brand new

[orcutt989]

Sometimes laptop manufacturers put only vista drivers for certain hard drives if the laptop came with vista. I have learned this from reading many-a-review on newegg. What model of laptop do you have? I know it sounds weird but it could be the problem. XP just does not want to see it because of that vista driver on it.

Addition: Not to be an ass, but would you mind using punctuation? I have to read all of your posts extremely slow and a couple times over in order to understand what you are trying to communicate. Maybe I am just illiterate and have not adapted to the ways of the internet. If that is the case, carry on!

[clocktower]

forget it i cant be assed with it so ive left it on :lol: