downgrading frome vista

[dracoon]

I’m at a loss for witch forum this should be in so I’m placing it here
I bought a Compaq Presario SR2163WM PC about 2 weeks ago and it came with windows vista. I knew it had vista on it and I thought I could live with it. After dealing with vista I have come to loath it and decided to downgrade to XP. I set my computer to boot the CD-drive first put the CD in and went through all the steps to upload the OS.. Now the problems start, the CD is an upgrade disk and it asked for a me to put my windows 98, 95, ME, 2000 ect. CD in. So I put my 98 and then after that tried my 95 CD’s I have in it then asked me to put back in the XP disk and began to install. I had it do a complete format of the drive so as to get rid of everything on the pc. The problem is that now when I turn on my computer all that happens is it goes to the Compaq screen then to a black screen then restarts. Iv tried completely F-Disking the hard drive and then installing 98 but it won’t install 98 it keeps saying I don’t have enough memory. I don’t know if the new vista comps can’t be downgraded or if I have to go buy a full version of XP to do this(id like to avoid this if possible) id be extremely grateful for any help pleas.
In case it helps my comps specs are
Pentium4 631 (C) HT 3.0 GHz 800 MHz front side bus Socket 775
ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 for Intel Processors
1.512 GB DDR2 SDRAM
160 GB SATA 3G (3.0 Gb/sec) 7200 rpm
16X DVD(+/-)R/RW RAM (+/-)R DL LightScribe drive

[Freakitchen]

Moved to 'Windows Vista' forum

[Great_One]

My guess would be an issue with the SATA drive and the windows XP upgrade disk.

If you are loading Windows XP onto a computer with a serial ATA (SATA) hard drive, you will have to manually load the SATA drivers.

Copy the drivers from motherboard support CD *\DriverDisk\SATA\*.* (or where ever your sata driver is) into root directory of floppy disk. (i.e. root directory of floppy disk should contain \pide and \sata folders, txtsetup.oem, etc. files.)

Then, boot system by Windows XP installation CD, when the message "Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver" shows up, press "F6". Then, press "S" to specify additional device when next screen pops up. Put the driver floppy disk you made in and press enter to continue. If the floppy disk is made successfully, the installation program will ask for selecting driver. Please then select "VIA Serial ATA RAID Controller(Windows XP)".) After SATA driver loaded and Windows XP can recognize the SATA HDD, you can continue to install Windows XP as usual.

Or if you don't have a floppy drive available, you could build a slipstreamed cd version of XP with the SATA drivers on it.

http://maximumpc.com/2005/01/how_to_slipstre.html

[glc]

There may be a SATA setting in the bios that needs to be changed to allow XP to install.

[dracoon]

Copy the drivers from motherboard support CD *\DriverDisk\SATA\*.* (or where ever your sata driver is) into root directory of floppy disk. (i.e. root directory of floppy disk should contain \pide and \sata folders, txtsetup.oem, etc. files.) i didnt receva support cd with the comp do you know o another place i might find the drivers??? and i tryed to make that slipstreem cd but it keeps saying that files ar missing whenever i try to use the new cd

[glc]

To expand on my comment, there's another thread in here somewhere where someone had the SAME problem with a Compaq laptop, and it was a bios setting having to do with SATA that needed to be changed. I can't find the thread. It's only a week old or so.

[FLG]

Found the thread g was talking about.

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=176469&highlight=compaq+laptop+vista

Heres the link he posted in the pc mech thread.

Go to post#10- http://www.driverheaven.net/windows-xp-2000-nt-9x-forum/129622-compaq-presario-c500.html

[dracoon]

OMFG THANK YOU!!!!!!!! *BOW* *BOW* *BOW* THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUTCH IT WORKED GREAT IM RID OF VISA.....ok now that i sad that it worked great i dont know how to thank you properly .

[crisd000]

Ok i finished downgrading an Hp Compaq Presario C500 (C502US) from pre installed windows vista to windows XP.. if anyone else is looking how to do it, heres how (as it took me some internet research):

1. Reboot your pc and hit F10 when it just starts to get into the BIOS
2. Get into "System Configuration" tab and change "Sata Native Support" to [Disable].
3. Insert the windows XP installation disk and Exit setup saving the changes.
4. Make the pc boot from windows XP disk and install it (formate the partition when promped).
5. Once XP is installed go to www.intel.com and find the driver for "Mobile intel 945GM Express Chipset Family" Graphic Driver (its filename is win2k_xp1429), download and install.
6. open ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/ and look for SP34152A, download and install, this are the Wireless drivers.
7. Keep browsing the ftp files and now look for the SP34510, download and install.. this will install HP's wireless configuration manager.
8. Now find SP32395, download and install.. reboot your system. This will install the Architecture necessary for audio and modem.
9. open ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/ again and browse for SP35270, download and install. This is the audio driver.
10. finally look for SP35272, download and install. This is the modem driver.

PS: I still have a 'SM Bus Controller' and an 'Unknown device' in the Device Manager that i dont know how to set up correctly, any ideas please post.