I have a Compaq Presario C500 that came with Vista. However, I have been having a lot of problems with Vista so I want to change to XP. I talked to the tech support guy and he said that my laptop was not compatible with XP and that people that have done it have experienced problems with the screen being unclear, etc. I wanted to know if anyone has tried to install XP on this model and if it works and then also how to go about doing it.
2007-09-08 18:12:22 · 4 answers · asked by MER2000 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
Yes you can install XP. Use this link for drivers after installing XP. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3413016&lang=en
2007-09-08 18:35:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Compaq tech support has taken quite a beating since I used to work for them. Back them we all had to be certified techs. Now all most tech support does is read a fault tree (script). Another erason he might have told you that is because they are not legally allowed to "downgrade" the OS.
Yes, your computer can load XP, but you may have some issues with device drivers. You need to BUY a retail copy. Do NOT try to pirate a copy. It is best NOT to use (mischannel) an OEM copy. If you instal a retail copy, you will need to load drivers for your devices. Dont be surprised if you have a few issues with mostly your vid card or your audio.
2007-09-09 01:37:28 · answer #2 · answered by Harrison H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are issues with installing XP, but you can get everything working correctly.
Google Presario C500 driver install
The first few articles had all the answers.
2007-09-10 16:32:17 · answer #3 · answered by Michael R 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
>>laptop was not compatible with XP
Well, it's really interesting to see this statement because Vista is much heavier than XP! The system requirements for Vista are far more than "good enough" for XP. So, I really don't see any problem in installing XP on Vista machine.
>>experienced problems with the screen being unclear
These sort of problems arrive when your Graphics card Driver is not correctly installed. Unfortunately, when we install fresh Windows XP, we need to install each of the driver again (such as Sound, Graphics etc.) If you don't have the proper Driver CD for it then please avoid installing XP. Here, note that this be the case with XP installation and not "XP installation on Vista machine". What I mean to say is: If you don't have a proper driver CD to install drivers, then you will face problems with XP on any machine installation; it has nothing to do with Vista getting replaced by XP.
>>has tried to install XP on this model
No. I don't have this model; so personally I have not tried it on this model. However, I've installed XP on HCL and DELL machines which came with Vista installations and those worked really well.
>>how to go about doing it
Process of installation of XP is fairly simple. Make sure you have:
- Created backup of your important documents etc. which are on your C: drive.
- The Driver CD (usually comes with Intel Motherboard.)
- Windows XP bootable CD.
If any of this is missing, please complete the check-list before you attempt to install XP. After that...
[1] Keep Windows XP CD in CD Drive.
[2] Restart PC and go to BIOS Setup.
[3] Boot from CD drive. This will trigger the Windows XP Installation.
It will be too much of typing for me to explain you how to install windows XP. Thankfully, there is a nice video on YouTube that will guide you how to install the Windows XP. The Instructure guy says he is installing XP on Vista machine; but this is Desktop PC. Please go and check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxeda6pxGBs
There are plenty of other videos discussing the same issue. You can check out all of them until you're satisfied. Don't worry, nothing wrong is going to happen to your machine if your installation goes wrong anywhere. You can always boot from your CD. If you want to keep your Vista, then you can create a Duel boot system as well. If your Vista is installaed on say C:\ drive then select D:\ for installation of XP. That's it. But here, now make sure that you have created a backup of your important information on D drive; because for best results, you may like to format D and install fresh XP on it.
Best Wishes!
-- Ruturaaj.
2007-09-09 01:35:23 · answer #4 · answered by Ruturaaj 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋