Uninstall vista I realize I can not downgrade from vista to xp but, can you tel me how to get to the partition it resides on and delete it? I only see that you can minamize the partition.

You download GPARTED live cd, boot it usually by pressing the boot key at startup, select cd drive, delete the paritions on the hard drive, or if you want to keep you're vista, resize it, then once thats done, boot from the XP disc, and select the empty partition format it, then install to it. Done.

On the setup you need to select the xp partition if its not visible you will need to load additional SATA drivers when the setup asks you to

You will need the XP CD to "downgrade", and you must re-partition the hard drive, and re-format the new partition before installing XP.

I’m happy to help further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/jeremy_69f3cc28d95bf514

Greetings.
There is no direct path to downgrade Vista to XP. You can’t simply insert the XP installation CD media into the CD-ROM drive and hope to ‘upgrade’ and replace the Vista with Windows XP usual install routine because Vista won’t allow it to be overwritten. XP will treat Vista as ’superior’ operating system and refuse to install over it. There’re actually few options available instead of completely uninstall Vista as listed below. But if you decide to downgrade from Vista to install XP, there is also a simple guideline that you can observe to ensure that the migration goes smoothly.
Option 1 – Dual Boot:
It’s by far the easier and best method to run XP instead of Vista if you have another partition or hard disk. Simply boot up any XP setup media and install XP into different partition or hard drive than the Vista installation. Once completed, you can choose to boot up either XP or Vista, and has the best of both world.

Option 2 – Virtual Machine:
Install VMware Server or Virtual PC 2007 (both free) or any other virtualization software, and then install Windows XP into the virtual machine
environment. You will get XP which runs inside Vista, with minor compromise on speed, performance and have to go through Vista first on every bootup.

Option 3 – Format the Hard Drive, Wipe Off Vista and Install XP:
For those who totally fed up with Vista and just want XP, or prefer a clean installation of OS has only this option to rely on. To downgrade to XP from Vista, you have to basically delete the whole hard disk that installed with Vista, and start anew with XP. Here’s a simple guide and procedures that you can try to follow to switch to XP. However, each system configuration is different, so you may have to adapt the steps to suit your own need.

1. Download all drivers for your system for Windows XP from the manufacturer’s website(in case if you don't have the CD/DVD installers). Copy the drivers files to a USB flash driver or external hard drive or burn them to CD/DVD.
2. Find a Windows XP installation CD (should be pretty easy to find or else you can search in torrent sites such as Demonoid to download via BT network such as uTorrent and BitComet or search and download via ED2K network client such as eMule. You can also use Volume Licensing (VL) CD, retail (FPP) disc, or system builder hologram CD provided by Microsoft.
3. You will also need a XP product key even if you legally can downgrade from Vista Ultimate or Business edition. The Vista serial number won’t works with XP. (try to search for XP product key on web).
4. Backup to USB flash disk, external portable hard disk or CD/DVD every data files and any other things such as documents, downloads, pictures, movies, programs and etc that you need and want to keep. You can also create a second partition with disk management utilities such as Acronis Director or Partition Magic, and then move the data files to the new partition.
5. Ensure that also you have CD or DVD setup media for the software applications that you want to install and use after wiping off your system from Vista.
6. If your OEM doesn’t provide you with recovery CD/DVD discs and Windows setup media discs (it’s because they’re stored in the hard disk in hidden location), you may want to burn a copy of recovery CD to CD/DVD first before you proceed, just in case the hidden partition is lost and you want to recover your computer to original state. (How-to Guide: IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad recovery CD)
7. If the system has SATA (Serial ATA) hard drive, locate the driver for SATA controller and put it in USB flash drive, diskette or CD first. If you have PATA (normal IDE) hard disk, simply go to BIOS CMOS to disable SATA or Native SATA mode if you don’t want to install XP on SATA hard drive. Else, you can also create an XP install disc with the SATA drivers integrated by using tool such as nLite.
8. In the BIOS, also set the CD or DVD optical drive as the first boot device in the boot sequence.
9. Put in the Windows XP installation CD into CDROM drive and boot up the computer by using the CD. You probably need to press a key when prompted with “Press Any Key to Boot from CD…”.
10. If you’re using SATA hard disk with driver on external media (not integrated into XP setup disk), remember to press F6 when you see the message at the status base: “Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver…” during the very initial stage of setup to load the SATA driver so that the SATA hard disk can be recognized.
11. Run through the setup wizard at per normal. However, when prompting for where to install Windows Vista, delete (by pressing D and then confirmation), create and format the Vista disk drive or partition (if you have multiple partition). And then choose to install on that just formatted partition or hard drive.

IMPORTANT: If you choose the wrong hard disk or partition with data to delete, you will lose your essential data.

Note: If the setup does not allow you to delete or format the Vista partition or drive, you will need to find a third party software that can recognize and read NTFS filesystem to clear the drive or partition first.
12. Enter any product key for XP. Vista product key will not work.
13. If you own a legitimate Windows Vista edition that allows for downgrade (See Vista downgrade rights), call Microsoft after performing the clean install of Windows XP Pro to activate the XP installation. Notify Microsoft that you’re downgrading from Vista and require to activate XP Professional or other version allowed newly installed. You won’t get a new Windows XP product key though. You will have to read out the long Installation ID plus your original Vista serial key, and Microsoft will provide an activation ID that will make the XP usable.
14. Install the drivers for your system devices.
15. Reinstall any software programs that you want to use.
16. Move back the data files and documents.

Thanks

If you have a Windows XP Pro installation disk, put it in the optical drive, restart your computer, on startup, go to BIOS settings (usually press [Delete] and set the optical drive as first boot device. Save changes and exit. When the computer starts it usually says to press any key to start from CD. Press any key and the windows installation will start. Make sure you format C: and you will downgrade to Windows XP Pro. If you want to upgrade to Vista again, you will need to know the keyboard sequence to start Vista from Its partition or have Vista install disk.

You can't downgrade from Vista to XP. Windows had already thought of that and fixed your BIOS so you cannot downgrade. Load Visa back on and then post whatever problems you are having with Vista.

If you don't need any files currently on the computer, boot from your Windows XP disc, have it delete the current partition and then format the new partition, and install windows XP.
Note: this will delete anything you currently have on the computer at this time!

Put your window XP disk into the Disk drive. Start up your computer. When it asks you what Drive you want to install it on select C:\ (where Vista is) Say yes to deleting the current Operating System and follow the instructions from there.

You did say you wanted to Uninstall Vista!

If you mean Dual Boot Vista and XP, then you will need to create a Logical Partition of about 10 Gb to install XP on and when asked where to install select this partition. But note that XP will wipe the Boot sector clean of all other Operating Systems which means that if you want to Dual boot then you will have to reinstall Vista again to get Dual Boot functionality.

no there aren't any drivers, but the problem you will have is that the bios is updated to suit Vista and installing XP will cause problems with components in the notebook.

My advice is to keep Vista if you havent already uninstalled the operating system, but you will notice that your hard disk has two partitions, install XP on the other partition and have a dual boot notebook, if you have uninstalled then lend a friends copy of Vista and use your own instalation product key code on the underside of your notebook and re install.

Hi,

You did this right:
1.Boot from XP disk
2.Deleted partitions
3.Installed XP on the new partition
4.Installs but then wont go through the rest of the process?

Thanks,
Cam