Luke122
01-03-2008, 05:36 PM
This guide will help you to cut through all the BS out there, and give you the fastest and easiest downgrade experience possible.
Here we go!
Requirements:
Vista Business OEM
Vista Ultimate OEM
Installation media for one of the XP versions below (Also must be OEM)
Installation key for the XP version below (yes, it can be one already in use!)
Either of these OS’s can be downgraded to Windows XP Pro, XP Tablet Edition, or XP Pro x64. Contrary to believe, you cannot downgrade from Vista to Windows 2000 (though you can from XP to 2000.. bit of a grey area to me).
MS will not provide the installation media, you have to get it yourself.
Procedure:
Once you are certain you want to do the downgrade, and have backed up all the essential stuff, it’s time for the fun.
Start by formatting the drive. Yes, this is a reinstall, not a true “downgrade”, or at least not an “in-place downgrade”. Does that suck? Oh well.. deal with it.
The XP installation CD is bootable (in case you didn’t know), so boot from it, and start the install. If you need to add drive controller drivers, press F6 (you are prompted for this).
When you get to the drive selection, it’s easiest to format the drive (quick is fine) and reinstall. You *could* juggle partitions here to keep data safe in another, but I don’t trust that myself.. I’m a big fan of external backups. Anyways, select where you want the install, and have at it.
Here’s where I got stumped at first: “Enter your installation key”.
NO, THE WINDOWS VISTA KEY DOES NOT WORK HERE.
Use the key for the XP version you are installing. It’s in use on another machine? That’s fine, use it anyways. **Before you ask, this is not illegal, you’ll see why soon enough.**
Finish the install, and get to the desktop. This will take some time.
OK, ready to activate XP? DON’T DO IT OVER THE INTERNET. IT WILL FAIL.
Choose the telephone option, and call the number for your country. I’m in Canada, so I chose “Canada”. Pretty obvious.
When the automatic voice thing starts, wait until it asks you what you want to do. Say “SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE”. It will confirm, and then bring up another prompt. Say “TRANSFER ME” to confirm again.
Now, you’ll be transferred to a real person (eventually.. my hold time was about 3 mins the first time, 5 mins the second).
Important step: TELL THE PERSON YOU ARE DOWNGRADING TO XP.
They’ll get you to read the activation key on the screen. Take your time, and get it right. Next, they’ll want you to read the Vista Biz or Prem. OEM key. (If you got this far, you know where to find it!)
They will then read you a confirmation number, take your time, and enter it carefully, confirming each series of numbers with them. Press next when it’s complete, and then press finish. If there’s no problems, it’s say “good job dude” or whatever.
THAT’S IT.
You now have a legal, licensed copy of XP installed.
---------------------------------------
So why did we use the installation key that was already in use? I called MS to get another XP installation key to do the downgrade before activating, and was told that it would cost $10 for a new key! Needless to say I was pissed about that, and the person I was dealing with (Ashley) refused to help me until I got a credit card number.
I asked for a manager to confirm, was put on hold for 10 minutes, and then was told that the manager would call me back in “30 minutes”. Suuuuure… that was almost 21hrs ago now, and still no call. No matter..
So yeah, this is free, this is legal, and the only person you have to deal with is the activation agent, who will absolutely empathize with you.. mine was like “You have no idea how many downgrades we do in a day!”
I guess I’m not the only one seeing red over Vista (Pissta?).
Enjoy!!!
-Luke
Here we go!
Requirements:
Vista Business OEM
Vista Ultimate OEM
Installation media for one of the XP versions below (Also must be OEM)
Installation key for the XP version below (yes, it can be one already in use!)
Either of these OS’s can be downgraded to Windows XP Pro, XP Tablet Edition, or XP Pro x64. Contrary to believe, you cannot downgrade from Vista to Windows 2000 (though you can from XP to 2000.. bit of a grey area to me).
MS will not provide the installation media, you have to get it yourself.
Procedure:
Once you are certain you want to do the downgrade, and have backed up all the essential stuff, it’s time for the fun.
Start by formatting the drive. Yes, this is a reinstall, not a true “downgrade”, or at least not an “in-place downgrade”. Does that suck? Oh well.. deal with it.
The XP installation CD is bootable (in case you didn’t know), so boot from it, and start the install. If you need to add drive controller drivers, press F6 (you are prompted for this).
When you get to the drive selection, it’s easiest to format the drive (quick is fine) and reinstall. You *could* juggle partitions here to keep data safe in another, but I don’t trust that myself.. I’m a big fan of external backups. Anyways, select where you want the install, and have at it.
Here’s where I got stumped at first: “Enter your installation key”.
NO, THE WINDOWS VISTA KEY DOES NOT WORK HERE.
Use the key for the XP version you are installing. It’s in use on another machine? That’s fine, use it anyways. **Before you ask, this is not illegal, you’ll see why soon enough.**
Finish the install, and get to the desktop. This will take some time.
OK, ready to activate XP? DON’T DO IT OVER THE INTERNET. IT WILL FAIL.
Choose the telephone option, and call the number for your country. I’m in Canada, so I chose “Canada”. Pretty obvious.
When the automatic voice thing starts, wait until it asks you what you want to do. Say “SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE”. It will confirm, and then bring up another prompt. Say “TRANSFER ME” to confirm again.
Now, you’ll be transferred to a real person (eventually.. my hold time was about 3 mins the first time, 5 mins the second).
Important step: TELL THE PERSON YOU ARE DOWNGRADING TO XP.
They’ll get you to read the activation key on the screen. Take your time, and get it right. Next, they’ll want you to read the Vista Biz or Prem. OEM key. (If you got this far, you know where to find it!)
They will then read you a confirmation number, take your time, and enter it carefully, confirming each series of numbers with them. Press next when it’s complete, and then press finish. If there’s no problems, it’s say “good job dude” or whatever.
THAT’S IT.
You now have a legal, licensed copy of XP installed.
---------------------------------------
So why did we use the installation key that was already in use? I called MS to get another XP installation key to do the downgrade before activating, and was told that it would cost $10 for a new key! Needless to say I was pissed about that, and the person I was dealing with (Ashley) refused to help me until I got a credit card number.
I asked for a manager to confirm, was put on hold for 10 minutes, and then was told that the manager would call me back in “30 minutes”. Suuuuure… that was almost 21hrs ago now, and still no call. No matter..
So yeah, this is free, this is legal, and the only person you have to deal with is the activation agent, who will absolutely empathize with you.. mine was like “You have no idea how many downgrades we do in a day!”
I guess I’m not the only one seeing red over Vista (Pissta?).
Enjoy!!!
-Luke