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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: BBQJOE on June 18, 2007, 09:15:22 AM

Title: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: BBQJOE on June 18, 2007, 09:15:22 AM

Hi all, just popped over here from THR.
I recently got a new dell inspirion laptop. Dell said it could not install xp, that it comes with vista period.
Does anyone know if vista can be removed successfully and replaced with xp or xp pro?
I've heard some guesses, but no one with actual experience.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: K Frame on June 18, 2007, 09:16:30 AM

Dell is still selling laptops with XP for those people who don't want to convert.

Any chance of exchanging the unit?


And I can't see any reason why the laptop wouldn't work with XP, unless there were some unsupported components.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: BBQJOE on June 18, 2007, 09:24:17 AM

Well one of the "Guesses" I heard was that the processors would only work with vista.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: MillCreek on June 18, 2007, 10:23:53 AM

I have read on the Intarwebs of people successfully formatting their Vista hard drive and doing a clean install of XP.  This requires having a retail disc of XP and of course losing any data on the drive.  Apparently, trying to install XP over an existing install of Vista causes problems.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: roo_ster on June 18, 2007, 11:22:21 AM

You can still order a Dell with XP.

No processor issues.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: JimMarch on June 18, 2007, 12:40:36 PM

What I've done is load Ubuntu Linux 7.04 "Feisty" and then run Win2000 as a virtual machine under that for the two Windows programs I need.  I assign Windows up to a gig or more of my 2gigs RAM total.  More details on virtual machine tech including my recipe here:

http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/72/47504.html?1182127332

This is a screenshot showing Linux running on my 1280x800 screen, with Win2k taking up an 800x600 window:

http://www.equalccw.com/virtual2.jpg

I can also full-screen Windows and scale the resolution up.

Not only does it work, it allows Ubuntu's improved security to "shield" Windows from trojans and such. And if malware does get in, it can't burrow into the disk's boot sectors because the Windows "boot disk" is really a file within the Linux disk structure.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: InfidelSerf on June 19, 2007, 05:13:45 PM

Welcome BBQJOE, I hope you brought some good smoked brisket and pork shoulder. 

As for installing on a "vista only" laptop.  I am assuming that it came with a restore disk.
If so I would just try an installation and see if it works. 
Worst case scenario is you have to use the restore disk and put that bloated POS back on it.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: RadioFreeSeaLab on June 19, 2007, 07:49:31 PM

You can certainly replace it with XP if you want.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: Phyphor on June 19, 2007, 08:05:23 PM

As others have said, there's no issues with replacing Vista with XP.

Except, possibly, hardware support...but at this time, that's not too likely.  6 months from now, with MS threatening to yank licenses from those that still support XP, that could be a different story.

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: Jamisjockey on June 20, 2007, 03:00:31 AM

Who told you that at Dell?  I've got a brand new Dell Desktop (less than 2 weeks) and I demanded (and got, without a fight) XP. 

Title: Re: Can Vista be replaced on laptop?
Post by: lee n. field on June 20, 2007, 03:34:35 AM

Quote

I recently got a new dell inspirion laptop. Dell said it could not install xp, that it comes with vista period.
Does anyone know if vista can be removed successfully and replaced with xp or xp pro?
I've heard some guesses, but no one with actual experience.

Borrow someone's OEM copy of Dell's XP Pro install disk.  Boot off it, blow away the Vista partition and have fun.

There should be no reason at all you can't install XP (or better yet, Debian or Ubuntu) on it.