Get me back to XP!

[Kanoob]

Well I'm one of those smart people that clicked the upgrade option when installing the Vista beta. Foolishly not reading what MS stated about not being able to go back.

After countless problems, games not working, compatibility issues; I've decided I want to go back to XP no matter what. Now I've read on several forums that there is absolutely no way to go back easily besides formating. I know its unlikely but I was hoping one of you extremely software savy people might know some way possible. I was toying with ideas of tricking Vista into thinking its being updated to a newer release but really replace the files with XP. Of course I'm too nooby to know how to do something like that.

Unfortunately reformating would also be an issue, firstly because I'd like to keep all my files and secondly because I only have an XP upgrade disc to work with.
While pulling some files onto a custom made disc might not be impossible... I was also wondering if it might be possible to fresh install XP on a seperate partition and move my stuff from Vista to there (of course then I'd need XP full).

Simply, what is the easiest way for me to get back to XP and not loose all my files?
BTW, I am new to forums even though I've been an avid reader of anandtech for some time.

 

[agnitrate]

There is no way to 'go back' to an older operating system.

What you need to do is move your files off of the Vista partition, reformat that partition, and then install Windows XP on it. If moving the files means putting them on another hard drive, another partition, or on a CD, it doesn't matter. If you've got the upgrade disc of Windows XP, I'd imagine you have a Windows 98 disc or something like that to go along with it. I'm not sure if it lets you do this any more but can't you just do the install with Windows XP and it just asks for a Windows 98 disc to confirm that you are allowed to have the upgrade?

Any way it goes:
Back up your files to CD, partition, hard drive, whatever -> reformat -> reinstall Windows XP. That is the only way.

 

[Kanoob]

Okay, I have a compaq MS Windows XP SP2 disc that came with a laptop. I think I used this disc before when I was repairing XP. It is a full version though and is made for the compaq laptop, but it should have what I need. I'm hoping that I can use this when my upgrade disc asks for the files I need.

Is there anywhere I can find a list of the files that it will want when reformating with an XP upgrade disc? Then can I check this CD, and if it has them can I create a custom CD with my XP upgrade and the needed files?

I'm still trying to find an easier way to keep my files rather than moving them to another hard drive (mostly because another isn't easily available to me)...

EDIT: Just got an idea, what if I completely destroy the Vista system files and such and then boot from the XP disc and repair, thus reverting back to XP? Might something along these lines be possible?

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

Note If your Windows XP CD-ROM is an upgrade, you are prompted to insert a CD-ROM of a previous operating system to verify upgrade compliance. Remove the Windows XP CD-ROM, and then insert the CD-ROM from your previous operating system into the CD-ROM drive. You can use the CD-ROM to upgrade from the following versions of Windows:
Windows 98
Windows 98 Second Edition
Windows Millennium Edition
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 2000 Professional

know anyone that has these? or do you have any?

 

[Kanoob]

I have 2000 Pro, but I was under the impression that 2000 Pro was not upgradable to XP Home.
I also have Windows 98 Upgrade.

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

Looks like it is..

 

[Kanoob]

Ah, you are correct but that is only with a reformat and clean install.
Again, I'm looking for some way to keep from loosing all of my data.

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

You can't really.. partition any free space and send all your files to that part of the partition, or back them up on DVD.

 

[imported_goku]

It was beta software... Maybe you should just wait for a newer vista release and upgrade to that. If you're so worried about the state of your system, take the drive out, put another drive in and or parition out a peice of the drive, start over and then when the release a newer version of vista, on your initial drive upgrade your crapo version of vista to the latest edition. I'm assuming you don't want to start over due to hundreds of programs being installed etc?