Demote Windows Vista System to Windows XP system

Pre-downgrade preparation

Evaluate carefully whether it is necessary to change the operating system from Windows Vista to Windows XP. You may need to check some of the features of an existing computer to see if you can improve performance for a better use experience. For example:

Performance: If your computer has a memory of MB or less, it may run slower than expected.

You can improve system performance by adjusting the Windows Vista system settings without adding hardware.

Compatibility and reliability: To improve the compatibility and reliability of Windows Vista operating systems, see Microsoft Knowledge Base documentation 938194 (English).

Change the operating system to Windows XP

If you decide to change your operating system to Windows XP, here are some considerations and tips.

Note: HP (HP) does not recommend or support you to change the operating system from Windows Vista to Windows XP. This may cause some unknown factors to your computer or limit the use of certain features, and you may need to install applications and drivers that are compatible with Windows XP systems.

The general procedures for changing the operating system to Windows XP are described below. Because your computer's configuration, application software, and peripherals are different, you may need to perform other actions.

First, you need to create a set of system recovery disks (in English). If you are not satisfied with the effect of changing to Windows XP, you can use the System Recovery disk to restore your computer to its previous state.

Note: If you experience hardware and software failures, you may need to restore the operating system to the original software image.

Please back up all important files.

Determine if the application you are using in Windows Vista operating system can work correctly in a Windows XP environment. If necessary, you will need to install an application version that is compatible with the Windows XP system, or an equivalent alternative software. For example, a computer preinstalled with a Windows Vista operating system provides DVD movie playback software that is compatible with Windows Vista operating systems. If you install the Windows XP operating system, you may need to purchase and install a new DVD movie playback software.

Please refer to the installation instructions that came with the genuine Windows XP operating system to install.

Installs the latest chipset drivers for the Windows XP operating system. Chipsets include the core drive features of onboard components (such as sound and networking). If your computer does not have an Internet connection, you can download the chipset driver to another computer, and then save it to a CD or USB storage device and then copy it to your computer.

Download and install the latest drivers for components that are not functioning correctly. For example, if the Realtek high-definition Audio driver on your computer does not work correctly, download and install a new High-definition sound card driver from either Microsoft or Realtek Web site.

You can also open Device Manager to view the status of installed components. If the component has a yellow exclamation point on the left, right-click the component's name and click Update Driver to search for the applicable driver.