You're thinking of going backwards to XP? If you're not happy with Vista, why not go forward and get Windows 7?

Because I already have a license for XP

And my older software packages work with XP

That makes sense.

I don't know if this will help or not, but I can tell you I upgraded to Windows 7 and wish I'd stayed with Vista.

I am NO fan of Vista, but would really advise caution before doing this. First, XP won't be supported for long but more importantly, can you get the necessary drivers to operate your Vista machine on XP? I doubt you will, unless you use totally generic drivers and that's problematic.

I'm using my XP machine as I type since I'm having issues with the Vista unit. There's not a lot about Vista I like better than XP and there's a lot about XP I prefer over Vista. I thought about just loading XP onto the Vista unit and then thought about the driver issue and thought better of it. I'm going to watch for a new unit with 7 on it.

Should you do it, the best way to do it is to back up the unit COMPLETELY on a separate drive, like a USB drive. Then if you forget a file or something it's easy to bring over. There's a lot of little things that are easy to forget.

Why do you want to go to XP? The only issue I have with software compatibility with Vista is the lack of a built-in fax software and possibly an issue with using my scanner but I think that's resolved. And now that my XP unit is running again it's a moot point anyway. Otherwise, I can't think of anything that doesn't work with Vista that works with XP.

Perhaps a better alternative is to back up completely, and do a clean reload of Vista.

I did that very thing. I still had installation disks for XP and installed it on my laptop which came with Vista. I bought the laptop locally and I told them exactly what I wanted and what I used it for. What I got was the introductory package of Vista and hated it. I had never bought a computer before that did not have full software versions included. When I told the owner of the store that he seemed to think I didn't know what I was talking about and wasn't about to change it. My DIL bought a Dell with complete software. I priced computers at WM that included Windows 7 full version. It never occurred to me to question that but you can bet I will next time. Buyer beware.

Cynic, I have some statistical software that does NOT like Vista. To purchase a compatible package, I would spend upwards of $600 (grad student versions are not strong enough for what I am doing)- the laptop cost that in 2006. I am trying to hold out until I graduate and get a faculty position someplace and have a better income.

I just bought a new laptop with 64-bit Windows 7 Premium.
Old laptop has Vista, and I was preparing to upgrade it to Windows 7 when I had a port problem and just decided to get a new system.

I had Vista for 3 Loooong years - hated it, but going back to old XP was not an option I wanted.

I don't know about running Win 7 on an older machine...you would have to make sure you buy the 32-bit version.

ONE big problem with Win7 - it won't run really old software.
Couldn't install my favorite Simtower or the old 32-bit CARDFILE Rolodex program, which I need very much.
Found a freeware - azzCardfile which is 64-bit compatible, and was able to easily import my old .crd files.

I'm very happy now.

Monica, thanks for the head's up! I will definitely be keeping the XP install CDs for a while. Why can't they leave things simple for those of us who prefer "tried and true" over "newest and greatest".

You could go back to XP by saving all you data files on external media. And then, the fast way to wipe your disk is to reformat it and that probably is a good move to start over with a clean hard drive.

But before you wipe everything, check to see what copy of XP you have. If it is the upgrade version, it will not install on a clean machine. It looks for an earlier version of Windows before it will install. Maybe, as in earlier versions, you can get it to go by inserting a CD that has an earlier version of Windows.

After XP has been installed, you will have to install all your software and get updates. XP itself will need at least 30 to 60 MB of updates. You will need to load in your data files as needed.

There is an issue you should consider. In the not too distant future, you may wish to upgrade to Windows 7 bypassing Vista. (I plan to do this.) An upgrade from XP to Win7 can not be done directly. A clean, freshly formatted disk is required. As I understand it, you can perform a direct upgrade from Vista to Win7.

A cautionary note about memory sticks (thumb drives). These may not be dependable as permanent storage devices. I wathced the development of these devices and noted that they contained a lithuim cell to hold the states of the storage cells also known as a "keep alive" cell. At that time, those cells were rated for a 10 yr life. After that, the stick may go bad. I do not know the construction and limitation of newer memory sticks. That limitation could have been extended. Research your memory stick before you depend on it for long term storage. For my use, I transfer all my camera pictures to other media and I advise to use new sticks for new data. I consider thumb drives as a temporary storage. Sticks older than 4 to 5 years old should be tossed and replaced with new ones. The price of these devices have reduced enough to make replacement practical.

The other issue to consider on the installation disks, many are tied to the machine and will only have the drivers and such for that series of machine. There's a difference between manufacturers' restore disks and true Windows installation disks. If you have a retail or OEM version, you shouldn't have a problem but most any "junkbox" machine will be like this, examples: Dell, eMachine, HP, etc. If your disks say a manufacturer name on it and came in the box with the computer, they're likely just a restore disk, not an installation disk so do your research before committing too far or you may wind up having to purchase a new OS.

Janie_ga, have you tried using the XP Compatibility Mode to install the software? Essentially that is a semi-limited mode to make it work more like XP and be compatible with older software. That might solve your problem.

And BTW, there is NO form of storage that is truly "permanent" storage. CDs & DVDs deteriorate after just a few years, hard drives have limited life, diskettes deteriorate and even paper copies don't last "forever". External drives are hard drives subject to the same mechanical issues and limitations of any other hard drive. Backup is different than archiving. Important data should be backed up in a variety of methods and stored in various locations for safety purposes. Data requiring archiving requires a different philosophy altogether.

Janie Ga,

You can perform a clean install from a Windows 7 upgrade version. However, you will have to have a valid previous copy of Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista installed to validate the upgrade and activate the product key. Please note that when migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 you will not have an 'in place upgrade' option. You will however have the option to select 'custom' install when prompted. The Windows 7 install process will then copy all of your data in 'My Documents' over to a Windows.old folder within Windows 7 itself. All applications and documents stored in other locations will have to be reinstalled / transferred manually.
For more information on the Windows 7 Upgrade, please go here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Installing-and-reinstalling-Windows-7

For additional assistance with the migration of Windows XP to Windows 7, please go here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ee150430.aspx

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team