Vista to XP

I have a sony VGN-C140G notebook. I recently upgraded to Windows Vista but it's acting up. Can anyone tell me how to go back to XP? I was told to put the recovery CD in but i've lost it.

 

Order a recovery disc from Sony or find a XP install disc.

 

or download off the internet if you can find a good source >> i know of a clean copy of win xp pro >>sp2 .......

 

o really? can you tell me what it is?

 

some models have free recovery disks available through sony

 

Lets keep this legal.

 

Not a legitimate solution, considering that is illegal. Please keep the solutions legal.

 

did you speak with a corporate lawyer to determine that. Actually it is not illegal under certain circumstances/conditions.......

yes, my current bf is a corp lawyer, professor emeritus at a "major univ" and somewhat of of a computer geek who also helps me run our computer shop...

am i serious >> oh yea!!!

annie

 

NBR has a pretty strict stance against anything remotely illegal. And because it's a private forum, they can censor anything they want, without having to consult a corporate lawyer.

 

get the FREE ORIGINAL DISKS from Sony with XP for SZ/TZ if you need them.

 

Keep in mind those XP Downgrade Discs from Sony have massive bloatware.

 

Or you can borrow an XP disk, install it and activate it with your Vista Key. Gotta call them.

Giving up on Vista? Here's how to downgrade to XP
Microsoft has given XP a reprieve, but few PCs come with anything
but Vista; here's how to turn back the clock and downgrade to the
earlier OS
By Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
October 02, 2007
Microsoft's decision last week to delay the end of Windows XP sales five months means users have just that much longer to jilt
Vista and return to the older -- and some say more mature -- operating system. But even with XP's reprieve, few PCs come with
anything but Vista. Even if you wanted to take advantage of the wider window of XP opportunity, you might not know where to
start.
[Note: Corporations that acquire Microsoft operating system software through volume license agreements such as Select License,
or who have signed up for Software Assurance, can downgrade any Windows software at any time.]
For the rest of us, just what does it take to turn back the clock? Read on for more about the trip to Windows yesteryear.
What is a downgrade? To Microsoft, "downgrade" describes the licensing rights it grants to older operating systems. Downgrade
doesn't mean the process for rolling back Windows from Vista to XP, since there isn't such a procedure, not in the generally
accepted use of "upgrade." In an older-to-newer move, developers usually make it possible to retain all the digital detritus on the
drive, from already installed applications and Word documents to iTunes tracks and family photos, while updating the system files.
Not so in a downgrade.
Specifically, these downgrade rights lets owners of some versions of Vista replace it with Windows XP without having to pay for
another license. In effect, the license for Vista is transferred to XP. Think of it as a swap, Vista for XP, not as an extra license. By
Microsoft's end-user licensing agreement (EULA), you can't have both Vista and its downgraded XP installed at the same time on
the same or different machines. You have to pick: It's one or the other.
To the vast bulk of users, though, "downgrade" is a synonym for reverting to an older version. In that case, it simply means
dumping Vista and returning to XP.
So what downgrades does Microsoft allow? Owners of the OEM editions of Vista Business and Vista Ultimate can downgrade
to Windows XP Professional, including Tablet PC Edition and x64 Edition. Only the OEM editions qualify for a downgrade, so if
you purchased a new PC with either Business or Ultimate preinstalled, you're in like Flynn.
Those who aren't: All users of Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium, and anyone who upgraded to Vista using a retail
edition of any of the operating system's SKUs. You are, as they say, SOL.
How do I downgrade? Install a copy of Windows XP Professional with the product key that came with the copy, and when you hit
the activation screen -- which is near the end of the installation process -- select the Activate by Phone option rather than the
online method. You'll likely end up talking with a live rep; tell him that you're downgrading from Vista to XP, and give him the Vista
product key. The rep is supposed to walk you through the rest.
Where do I get the XP install disc? Until this summer, Microsoft put the responsibility on the end-users' shoulders. For example,
in this Vista downgrade rights document targeting resellers, the company said "media is provided by the customer."
A few months ago, however, Microsoft relaxed, and began allowing resellers to provide Windows XP setup CDs to customers
buying Vista Business- and Ultimate-equipped PCs. In some cases, discs are shipped with the PCs; in others, users must request
them. Don't bother calling Microsoft; it won't provide installation media and will instead direct you to your reseller.
If the computer maker won't send a Windows XP Pro disc, you're on your own. While perhaps not easy, getting your hands on the
install media isn't impossible. Any copy of Windows XP Professional will do -- it doesn't matter if it's already been installed and/or
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whether the license is in use -- as long as you can find its product key. Install it (see "How do I downgrade?" above) using that
key, then activate over the phone with the Vista key.
As a last resort, buy a copy. This isn't a downgrade, not as Microsoft defines it, but it's what most users think of when they use the
term.
What can I do if I don't have downgrade rights? Nothing is stopping you from punting to XP other than the money invested in
the Vista license already on the PC and what it will cost to replace it. The total may be inconsequential to some, a deal-breaker for
others. But there are options.
Because you're paying for the swap, you can switch to any flavor of XP. Windows XP Home, for instance, typically sells online for
between $50 and $90 less than Professional. Windows XP Media Center is usually priced between the two.
Once you pick an edition, you can choose from OEM, upgrade, and full product versions, which are priced in that order, lowest
first. OEM, often called "system builder," omits support and can be installed on only one machine, ever. Windows XP Home OEM
is sold online at for around $90. The upgrade version, which runs about $100, can be installed, removed, and installed on another
PC, but requires proof that you own a legitimate copy of an older operating system. You don't need to install that predecessor,
only insert its CD at some point during the XP installation. Eligible versions for an XP upgrade include Windows 98, Windows 98
SE, and Windows Millennium.
Finally, there's the most expensive option: the full edition, which sells for around $190. No earlier Windows version is necessary to
install this, and like the upgrade, it can be transferred later to another PC.
Of course, the most affordable downgrade is one using the XP installation CD you saved when you upgraded that well-worn
machine of yours to Vista earlier this year. You did save it, right? If you didn't get an install disc with that box when you bought it --
and some vendors don't bother, instead slapping restore files in a hidden partition on the hard drive, which has been, of course,
copied over by Vista -- you may be able to pry one from the reseller. Dell owners, for instance, can use an online form to request
one free copy of the install CD.
I have XP and I'm ready to downgrade. Now what? From here, a downgrade is just like any clean install. You'll need to back up
data files, record and/or copy settings and passwords, and make sure you have installation files and/or discs for the applications
you'll reinstall in XP. If you've upgraded to software suitable for Vista, it's likely that the newer programs will also run under XP.
Copying data and the application installation files you've downloaded from the Web is easiest if you plug in an external drive.
Set the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD/DVD drive -- check your computer's documentation or the manufacturer's Web site for
details on this -- and reformat the primary drive. Install XP, then reinstall all applications and copy data and settings from the
external drive.
There aren't any downgrade utilities to do the kind of work that upgrade, or migration, tools provide when you're moving up in the
world, operating system-wise, so don't bother looking for them. Pity.
Any caveats? Although Vista has been out for less than a year, that's plenty of time for change. If you bought a machine
preinstalled with Vista, make sure there are XP drivers for the PC, its components, and any new peripherals before you
downgrade. Check the computer maker's site. If you find any major holes, reconsider.

 

Is it safe to call Vista the next "ME"?
Microsoft takes a little over 5 years from XP to Vista and this garbage called Vista only has us loving XP more, don't take XP for granted!

 

It is Windows ME revolutionized. It has its own place in history as:

The Fatter, Slower, DRM-pumped, nothing new to offer Microsoft Plus Edition of Windows XP

 

Originally Posted by nobscot6 View Post
or download off the internet if you can find a good source >> i know of a clean copy of win xp pro >>sp2 .......


Lets keep this legal.

lol, you silly rabbit, trix are for kids >>> i knew someone would bite

actually what we did was download the 120 day trial of Win XP Pro 64bit from MICROSOFT(online) , tried it out, and then purchased a copy of the software w/ COA-key from a microsoft vendor off the internet......where we buy most of our software. So we recommend the same thing for those customers that ask about it- download the free trial and try it out w/ your new dual core processors, then if you like it, you can always find a much cheaper solution on the net, whether it's ebay or cietdirect.com >> as long as it's genuine and comes w/ a coa and valid key.