Ron Schenone

Surprising Recommendation About Downgrading Vista To XP

Posted by on Jul 30, 2008 | 6 Comments

On Sunday I was reading our local newspaper, which includes a computer column, when I read this. Seems that a reader was complaining about Vista [they even used the word 'hate'] to describe their frustration and asked about doing a downgrade to XP. Seemed like a fairly straight forward question. But the answer kind of surprised me.

The tech. person stated that if they had a XP CD they could perform a downgrade. That was it. There was no mention about the type of Windows XP needed.  Though the tech. writer explained about getting the correct drivers may be a problem and that the reader should check with the OEM to see if they were available, I felt that a very important fact was left out. The kind of XP CD that the reader needed to use.

Let me explain. I could see the reader getting the proper drivers, if available, from the OEM site. I can than see the reader wiping the hard disk and installing XP. No problem. Than loading the drivers and the system is working A-OK. Now here comes the problem. The CD the reader used is:

1. A borrowed CD from a friend, family member anyone, who already has the copy registered with Microsoft.

2. A CD that came from another OEM that was preinstalled on another system.

How would the person get the installation of XP registered with Microsoft? Legally that is.

Another worse case scenario would be that the reader, after wiping the drive clean, discovers that they failed to make backup copies of Vista, that may be needed before wiping the disk. Now the reader has a system, which they can not reload Vista nor get XP properly registered. :-(

I realize that the writer has a space limitation when writing a column. But I also believe that if you are going to properly answer the question, the tech person has an obligation to explain that a retail  full version copy of Windows XP may be needed.

What do you think? Am I being to picky? What would you recommend?

Comments welcome.

  • earle.allen

    right on ! a MAJOR I advise AGAINST downgrading

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/creedence/ Marcus Hamaker

    No, you’re bang on with this one. If you are in the position of offering help it is best to make sure what you are conveying is sound information. We have a show up in Canada called “Holmes on Homes”. It’s about a contractor who gets hired to go in and repair work that was done by irresponsible people. This is the same sort of idea. If the tech giving out the help is going to hack something in sideways or suggest that the user do it them self, then he or she is acting irresponsibly.

  • George

    i think you have a point, he could get fined a lot of money if he gets caught in activation!

  • http://www.goretsky.com/ Aryeh Goretsky

    Hello,

    I would think that explaining how to search for device drivers at the hardware developer’s web site would be included in such an article.

    Regards,

    Aryeh Goretsky

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Thanks for the comment everyone.

    Aryeh – agree. That would be helpful as well.

  • Darryl

    The other thing the “Reader” didn’t mention was whether the Vista OS was a retail Version, and also as to whether they already had a copy of XP from, maybe, a previous; install.
    ye, I agree, the Tech Reporter had, to some degree, “Short-diagnosed” the dilemma. But the other thing is, did he/she get a more detailed letter than what was printed.
    Now that MS has taken XP off the shelf, it has left many consumers out in the cold and not being able to downgrade to XP.