Windows XP Pro for cheap?

I was wondering if anyone knew of any good deals anywhere for Windows XP Pro? I don't really care for Vista so I'm looking to make a change,but I don't want to spend a fortune either.

 

Did you know that Microsoft doesn't support XP anymore?

 

If you upgrade to Vista Business, you'll get downgrade rights to XP Pro.

(Or maybe you have Vista Business or Ultimate already?... you didn't say.)

 

If you don't have an XP disc, an easy and inexpensive way to obtain one is if you are a student of a university/college, go to your IT department and inquire about a purchase. They are usually very cheap, I bought mine for $10. If you are not a student, you could ask a relative or friend who does go to a school to buy you one, then you can pay them back. Usually, the disc will say Student Media Edition but it's essentially the same as XP Professional.

 

Really? that bites. I guess I will have to read up more on Vista then.

 

In that case why is it updating as I type?

 

I thought MS is supporting XP till 2014.

 

They are only doing security updates. So no more service packs and such. It's no reason to leave XP though, as security updates are the important things and they will continue to release them for a few more years (I believe).

 

I think what WM meant was that Microsoft doesn't want you to buy XP anymore, so no authorized retailers are going to get more XP cd's. Only sell off what they have left.

 

If your C:\I386 folder still exists...you CAN use nLite (Google it) to make your own XP CD no problem.

 

i never knew you could NLITE directly from the I386 folder...

good one Greg!

 

I am running Bussiness...can you explain more about this please?? i would love to have XP Pro
EDIT: can this be done using the same key? i doont have the XP CD how am i supposed to install it?

 

Don't have time to read it but the info on the Vista Business to XP Pro downgrade is here on the MS site.

 

Here's the info:
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...cbd-699b0c164182/royaltyoemreferencesheet.pdf

I haven't done this -- I prefer Vista myself -- but, as I understand it, it's the same license key, but you need to supply the XP Pro disc. If you can't borrow one, you can see if you can get one from the computer manufacturer.

 

Amazon has it for $100, which is pretty cheap. It doesn't have the latest service pack, but that's easy enough to do after the install anyways.

You have to somehow get an XP Pro CD...it can be any XP Pro CD, even one someone else has already used. From what I've read you have to register be telephone if you use an already-used XP Pro CD - but read the link Purehazard posted. I haven't actually done this myself - I switched to XP Home. Which you can't usually do for free - I knew someone with extra XP Home licenses.