How to install XP on pre loaded Vista in HP Laptop

I bought a cheap Compaq laptop that came with Vista Home Premium. The speed was horrendous! Anyway, I received the same no hard drive found error. To solve the problem, I went into the system config (BIOS) by pressing F10 on startup, and turned off SATA hard drive support (its supposed to make the hard drive run faster), I rebooted, inserted my Win XP Pro disc and viola, it detected the hard drive. I would say that the laptop runs a good 40% faster than before. Vista is a big no no when it comes to low end laptops built for word processing and internet browsing.

SilverDragon,

In order for the USB F6 solution to work, he's gonna have to have a very specific brand of memory stick, which he might not have. Probably easier to buy a removable USB floppy drive.

I'd also suggest he downloads every XP driver for his laptop FIRST.
This would not be the first case where there is NO XP driver for a system component, I've already run into that.
If he cannot download or find every hardware driver, best to learn how to use Vista.

A helpful site for the procedure would be http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/ple...

ZT3000
"Beta tester of "0"s and "1's"

I presume you have a USB port? That means ya can use a Memory Stick, put the "Driver" onto the MS, F6 & then when asked for the driver point it to the USB Drive... ya all good... ?

You will have to completely Repartition AND Format B4 Installing XP SP2... some will say ya don't ...But trust me, if ya do ya get LESS hassles later on in life.. I have learned.

here is a link for ya help & info..

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916196/e...

1. download the Hiren boot cd http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd
2. Burn .iso on a cd (<150 Mb)
3. Must have a Win XP CD bootable + drivers for win xp
4. Boot from hiren
5. Use one of the partition manager programs from it (not partition magic, acronis maybe, don\t remember exactly)
6. Destroy all of the partitions, and those hided too
7. boot from win xp cd and install XP

vote please
more on icq 475653626

FIND YOUR SOLUTION DIRECT FROM MICROSOFT. YOU WILL FIND YOUR SOLUTION HERE www.microsoft.com/prob57ij52/solution



4102a10

Try this link . . . http://www.microsoft.com/Windows-XP-Professional-With-SP2

To find your best solution.

9

GO TO BIOS SETUP . THERE IS OPTION FOR XP INSTALL ENABLE. MAKE ENABLE TO INSTALL XP.. ALL THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!1

nesuprantu kalbos

www.microsoft.com/vista/preloadedvista/instal/help