Replace Win 7 with XP

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Replace Win 7 with XP

by bbrose2 Sep 10, 2011 8:22AM PDT

I am interested in purchasing a new computer but I know that it will be loaded with W 7 which I don't want. Can I delete W 7 & load XP as my OS?

What would I need to do this if possible & how to do it.

Will everything else function properly?

Any problem with this concept?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

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Many things.

by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 10, 2011 11:35AM PDT

1. If the system has more than 4GB ram. (XP installs are known to fail under that condition)
2. How you will get XP to recognize the SATA drives.
3. If drivers have been issued for all the things you want to work.

For example some one may want to install XP (the OS) and then complain the sound or video is not up to the full potential. Well the OS is installed!
Bob

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It won't work

by Jimmy Greystone Sep 10, 2011 12:29PM PDT

It won't work, Bob gets a bit into why, but there's also the legal issues.

If you check Dell's Optiplex line, you MIGHT be able to find a couple of units still that will have the option of having XP installed on them, but it's a big if.

Besides that, XP is slated for total abandonment in a little over a year IIRC. It's an ancient OS that has a number of limitations that people often tend to forget. The 4GB of RAM thing is one, the fact that it predates SATA drives, so installing it on a system with SATA drives is a pain, the process scheduler is very bad at making good use of multi-core CPUs, and as I already said, it's on life support as it is. Updates for XP will be fewer and fewer as time goes on, until they finally stop some time in 2013 IIRC. And IE8 is at least worlds better than IE6, but it's still IE and will thus be riddled with security holes. So if you're going to use IE, it should ALWAYS be the latest version. And since IE9 is already out, and XP is set to go bye-bye soon, more and more web developers are making IE9 the new minimum so that they can FINALLY take advantage of some of the newer HTML, CSS, and JavaScript features other browsers have supported for years.

It's time to accept that XP is dead, and that you need to move on. It wasn't really that great of an OS anyway, and if you use Win 7 for 6 months and then tried going back to XP, you'd understand what a turd it really was.

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And another thought

by MarkFlax Forum moderator Sep 10, 2011 8:19PM PDT

It seems you already have a working XP system.

Why not keep that and get yourself a new desktop anyway with Win 7? Have two computers and use the XP for the things you don't or can't use the Win 7 for, and also use it as a backup system. That is what I do.

You have already been advised of the difficulties, both installation and legal, and also Microsoft support for XP will be ending in 2 or 3 years time anyway. That doesn't mean that XP will suddenly stop working, but Microsoft will cease to help with any issues a user has with a retail version of XP. Support for XP SP2 has already ended, and support for XP with SP3 will end in 2014. There is more about that here;
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle

Mark

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Thanks to all who responded to my ? "Replace Win 7, etc."

by bbrose2 Sep 12, 2011 4:19AM PDT

THANK YOU to one & all who responded. You all have provided very thoughtful comments that have made me rethink what I was proposing. Thanks again.

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Answer

Unlikely.

by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 10, 2011 8:27AM PDT

Today, it's getting harder and harder to install XP proper. Also you didn't write XP SP1, XP SP2 or XP SP3 so your boot drive will be limited to 127GB and you will get from 2.1 to 3.5 GB of usable RAM.

Here's an example of installing XP onto a newer laptop -> http://www.fastfs.com/help_pages/hp%20downgrade.htm

A desktop may be no easier.
Bob

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Answer

Option or alternative

by Steven Haninger Sep 10, 2011 9:36AM PDT

You might be able to have a reliable builder put together a system that's compatible with XP but with or without an OS installed. You could install XP yourself if you have a retail version that's not already in use. Or, you could have it built with Win 7 and just buy another hard drive. Keep the Win 7 drive in case you change your mind. But, again, make sure the builder uses components that come with XP drivers.

Back to Windows Legacy OS forum

bbrose2 · Accepted Answer · Sep 10, 2011 11:23AM PDT

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Replace Win 7 with XP

by bbrose2 Sep 10, 2011 11:23AM PDT

Sorry that I was not more specific in my details.

I am talking about purchasing a Dell Desktop (don't know which model yet) & thinking of trying to get rid of the Win 7 & reinstalling XP SP3 with IE 8.

I guess I am being to simplistic but could I just make a total copy of my existing system on an external drive & then just use that to install on the new system/new drive where the install software wipes the existing drive clean & then installs the copy of my XP system on the new drive. Won't that be just like I had a crash of the disk on my system, purchase a new disk drive & then copy to the new drive? What have I overlooked?

Replace Win 7 with XP

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