Don't like Windows 7 - Can I Install XP instead??

I recently bought a Laptop that has Windows 7, which I am not happy with at all. TWo questions please:

#1 - can I reformat the HD and install a clean copy of XP on it?

#2 - I have two other computers networked, one a laptop, the other a desktop. Both run XP SP3. To perform #1 above, one of the computers has to convert to XP Pro (this is my spare XP). Which computer should run the Pro so all 3 can be networked to share printers/files/etc.? My guess is it would be the one that has the printers connected to it (the desktop)??

Thanks!!
Nancy

 

Well, you should check to see if you have all the XP drivers for your laptop first at the maker's site and check to see that you won't void the warranty by doing so, some honour it and others don't.

Just my opinion but give it a couple of weeks, the learning curve is really very low. Anyways, apart from opinions, all depends on driver availability. I've seen sound being the worst culprit so far.

Post up your make and model if you need more help finding drivers.

 

AugieDoggie~

You raise a really good point about driver availability - I hadn't thought it that far through. I'm gonna start researching availability tonite. In the meantime, my plan is to backup the computer first, then try installing XP Pro and see if it eliminates my problems/frustrations.

FYI- I've had the computer for 3+ weeks now. Two other computers in the home run XP (one ME, the other HE). Can't get all three to network (the two older ones already are). Can either get one XP plus the Win7 to network, or the other XP plus Win7 to network, but not all three. This plus several other quirks in 7 vs. XP are driving me buggy.

I'll let you know how it turns out..........wish me luck!!

 

Well, if connectivity is your issue then I can understand, I had a heck of a time getting W7 to talk to my lone XP machine and vice versa(I'm horrible in networking). May I humbly suggest that you tackle your networking issues first by posting in the 'Networking' forum and supplying as much info as you can there and start a new thread here detailing the other W7 'quirks' that you have.

Tackling everything in one thread just gets too complicated. Divide and conquer!:-D Good luck to you.

 

As a user of XPsp3 I agree that it would be hard to move to a new OS that does things a little different, and not as nice as the status quo. But I realize that as XP is slowly fazed out, it will become harder and harder to get updates and to get new apps. Finally we all will have to upgrade to WIN7 or a later version to stay current. I will have to get a new computer when I have to go to WIN7 because my 5 year old computer hasn't got the stuff. I'm going to hold out until I see the hand writing on the wall, which I think will come for me in about a year. So if you have WIN7 on your new computer, use it to learn the ins and outs of the OS and you'll be ahead of the game.

 

Ya, one has a few years left with XP according to this article in ComputerWorld.

Hehehe, MS made XP too good even with all of it's security flaws, now that the security pendulum has swung back to a middle ground with W7 after Vista's overkill, and including many new supported technologies out of the box, W7 should do well by most folks.