Vista to XP questions

I am going to remove vista from my new laptop & install XP IF I can do what I think I shoud be able to do.

I have a New Toshiba laptop that came with Vista.
I have a XP Upgrade disk and also the original ME system disk that the XP disk ask for when installing the XP upgrade. (This is from an old Dell desktop) So I am thinking I would be able to use the XP upgrade disk as when it ask for the disk from the original os I can use the ME disk to verify I am doing an authorized upgrade... ?? Sounds Logical yes??

I see from reading that Backups made using Vista wont work when trying to reinstall them to XP.
I made a backup of my Vista RoboForm using the roboform backup option from within roboform to a memory stick & it appears my xp desktop can read the info. At least it displays all the folders on the stick so maybe it can read them ok.......

 

Yes, what you are attempting sounds perfectly logical. However, we're delving into the world of Microsoft licensing, so LOGIC DOES NOT APPLY.

Vista is the first Windows Operating system (in a while, at least) who's licensing is NOT backwards compatible. Previously, you could use an XP license to install Windows 2000, for example. With a Vista license, you cannot legally go back to XP.

As for your XP upgrade license, you COULD use it on your Toshiba laptop, if you had a qualifying license to do it. Sadly, your license for Windows ME is more than likely to be an OEM (although I would confirm by checking the COA on the dell desktop), and cannot be legally transferred to another machine.

So while what you want to do is perfectly reasonable, Microsoft has made it illegal.

 

All that aside I feel that as long as I am using the XP only on one machine there is no problem involved.
Of course maybe the Dell ME disk won't pass some test in the Toshiba laptop when the XP install ask for comformation.

 

You MIGHT be able to get away with it, but Microsoft is capable of referencing product keys to BIOS IDs, so there is some potential of getting caught.

It sucks, I know, but I don't think we can help you do this.

 

glad to know that before i did it too- vista is still having fits w/ recording software & games..and for reasons known only to microsoft - the sigmatel driver update still kills the audio and ya have to roll back to the previous driver,next time i go w/ a new os i'll wait 3-5 years until it's bugfree..

 

You can always set up a dual boot with XP to run your mission critical apps when you need them. It's a pain I know, until the 3rd party folk get their act together.

 

Couldn't you just reformat your hard drive, use the XP upgrade and when it wants a license use a Windows '98 disk? I am sure you could find Win '98 really cheap online.

This way you would leagally have licenses for everything... Or am I wrong?

 

There are instructions on performing a clean installation using an upgrade disk at this link. Also, it appears that windows 98 is a valid operating system for an upgrade. (Heck, Win 95 appears, too!)