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    Help to downgrade from Vista Home Basic to XP Pro

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by fu8u, Jan 24, 2008.

  1. fu8u

    fu8u Newbie

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    Hello everyone,

    Ok, so I did something kinda stupid. I bought a laptop for school with a French interface of Windows Vista Basic Home Edition. Ok, haha, but it was really cheap & I could use the practice (in Quebec here), but for obvious reasons I need an English OS. I have a version of Windows XP Pro, but when I boot my lappy with the disc in it just goes straight into Vista. I read somewhere about downloading drivers and changing how Vista loads to put emphasis on the DVD drive, but I'm not sure how to do either (it's more difficult with the whole French thing). I'm now considering doing a dual boot as a comprimise, but I don't think that this laptop could handle that. I put my specs in with this thread in the hopes that someone out there will at least have a link that I missed on my options to get through this. With papers coming up, it would be handy to use this thing for what it was intended. Thanks to all for reading the same question for a millionth time.

    Cheers,
    fu8u

    Specs: Acer Aspire
    Intel Celeron M processor 520
    120GB HDD
    1GB DDR2
    (Graphics not included, too embarassing...unless necessary)
     
    fu8u, Jan 24, 2008
    #1
  2. Lithus

    Lithus NBR Janitor

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    Hmm...

    How about not using a cracked or ripped (i.e. illegal) version? We don't discuss that kind of stuff here anyway.
     
    Lithus, Jan 24, 2008
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  3. fu8u

    fu8u Newbie

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    Ok, so now I have a real copy, any options?
     
    fu8u, Jan 24, 2008
    #3
  4. Lithus

    Lithus NBR Janitor

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    No. Because we're not stupid. Thanks for the insult though.
     
    Lithus, Jan 24, 2008
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  5. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    The boot order is usually controlled in the BIOS.
     
    ZaZ, Jan 24, 2008
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  6. fu8u

    fu8u Newbie

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    Ok, I was being hypothetical. I wouldn't insult someone when I'm asking them for help.
     
    fu8u, Jan 24, 2008
    #6
  7. vashts121

    vashts121 Notebook Evangelist

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    Yea, piracy is bad (even though I have XP Pro and home CDs from torrents (I have keys for both, lost the CDs)) but you pop the CD in, and restart your pc. Then you have to boot the CD, so look for a boot menu (for me, F12 loads the boot menu). At that point, it should ask which interface to boot, choose CD drive, and the rest has instructions.
     
    vashts121, Jan 24, 2008
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  8. fu8u

    fu8u Newbie

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    I changed the boot order for "IDE CDROM" to be first, but it still does not recognize a disc in the drive. Sorry again to Lithus, I think we got off on the wrong foot. My student budget only allows for so much and I was just trying to put in as much info as I thought could help. I should have read the forum rules first I guess.
     
    fu8u, Jan 24, 2008
    #8
  9. TedDemen

    TedDemen Notebook Guru

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    TedDemen, Jan 24, 2008
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