Downgrade from Vista to XP - how it works
If you are dissatisfied with Windows Vista, you can downgrade to the older Windows XP, which many perceive as more powerful. In the CHIP forum you will find many helpful tips to make the changeover easier - we will introduce the most important of them.
The biggest problems when downgrading from Vista to XP - and how to solve them
- In addition to the actual installation of the "old" Windows XP, the crucial prerequisite for downgrade: compatible drivers. It may be that there are no XP drivers available for your (mostly newer) Vista hardware. You can read more about this and tips on driver search in our forum FAQ on Vista downgrade.
- A special case of this problem: XP does not recognize SATA hard disks as they are installed in modern PCs / notebooks due to the lack of drivers. Therefore, you should create a customized XP installation CD with SATA driver. You should also follow the instructions in the CHIP forum for this.
- How you finally install the adapted XP version is explained in the forum in this thread.
What else you should consider when downgrading Vista
- You can find out here whether you are allowed to use an XP license already used for the Vista downgrade.
- Microsoft will end support for Windows XP in April 2014. The reasons and effects for this are explained on this Microsoft info page.
