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I want to replace Vista with XP on Sony laptop

N

NoelS

Senior member
Hi all,

Seems like a silly question, I know, but I recently tried to put a clean copy of XP on an older Averatec laptop and it wouldn't install due to lack of (apparently built in) drivers for such as the HDD, monitor, etc. It bombed! I had to put my old back-up on and it's still SLOW...

So I just bought a Sony 14.1 inch VAIO laptop, model CR320E, and would like to take Vista off and put XP on it, but don't want to have the same thing happen here as happened on my old Averatec.

I'll make a back-up before I attempt anything, but would like it to be successful the first time. What do you recommend as prep to do a clean install?

Thanks, Noel
 
Well, I did it couple of times with different brand, usually these are what I'm doing before:

1. I will see if I have all the necessary drivers with me. Normally, the old laptops (like my ol' ACER laptop) came with CD drivers in one package. But recent laptop (like my HP) didn't come with any CD/DVD. Usually we can find all necessary drivers on the website. Download them all and burn it on cd.
2. Backup all data.
3. See if we can restore image (normally each new laptop come with standard image package and the have a way to burn it on CD/DVDs)

After all those checked, I'll go ahead with trial and error. That's it I think.

GL
 
Antas,

Thanks, I'll try to find XP drivers and then do the backup and installation.

Welcome to the forum,

Noel
 
Yes, the drivers are the most important things.

Also Notebook Review has a pretty good Sony forum. I know others have made guides for installing XP on other manufactures don't know why someone wouldn't have made for Sony lappies.
 
Installing XP on Sony laptop is risky business. I had a VAIO that always got update from Microsoft but it became very sicky recently. I was advised by a Sony techie to get all driver update from the Sony site.
 
Hi all,

Just gave up on my quest and took the Sony back where I bought it and traded it in for a Macbook laptop (2.2GHz CPU). No Vista and it runs great. Just a different new OS to learn, then 'll put XP on it with Boot Camp.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. BTW, I still have 2 PCs with XP so will be back for help with them and to help others as I can.

Noel
 
yes u can but understand that there are some software that is not availble on the sony driver update page ...

i did the same thing and it landed me in big trouble.,.

turns out they do not allow particular software to be downloaded from thier site and the only way u can get it is to buy the recovery disks... or have made a back up disks ( up to 10 cds or 3 dvd )

like the intergrated media server.... you can not download this any where,,
 
Originally posted by: NoelS
Hi all,

Just gave up on my quest and took the Sony back where I bought it and traded it in for a Macbook laptop (2.2GHz CPU). No Vista and it runs great. Just a different new OS to learn, then 'll put XP on it with Boot Camp.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. BTW, I still have 2 PCs with XP so will be back for help with them and to help others as I can.

Noel
Click to expand...

Can I ask something without offending you?

WHY THE HELL?

People HATE Vista so much but can NEVER come up with a reason. They say 'I'm waiting till SP1'. BUT WHY? No one I've talked to about it has a reason for waiting for SP1. And now that it's here and doesn't really do much, are they all happy?

You switched to Mac OS X rather than use Vista? Why? How much time have you spent trying Vista or did you do it because of the 'I hate Vista bandwagon'? Don't even go with the 'it takes too much memory' crap, an Apple system is easily 10% more than a similar PC, and memory is DIRT cheap these days. $80 for a 4GB laptop kit.
 
Originally posted by: Fraggable
Originally posted by: NoelS
Hi all,

Just gave up on my quest and took the Sony back where I bought it and traded it in for a Macbook laptop (2.2GHz CPU). No Vista and it runs great. Just a different new OS to learn, then 'll put XP on it with Boot Camp.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. BTW, I still have 2 PCs with XP so will be back for help with them and to help others as I can.

Noel
Click to expand...

Can I ask something without offending you?

WHY THE HELL?

People HATE Vista so much but can NEVER come up with a reason. They say 'I'm waiting till SP1'. BUT WHY? No one I've talked to about it has a reason for waiting for SP1. And now that it's here and doesn't really do much, are they all happy?

You switched to Mac OS X rather than use Vista? Why? How much time have you spent trying Vista or did you do it because of the 'I hate Vista bandwagon'? Don't even go with the 'it takes too much memory' crap, an Apple system is easily 10% more than a similar PC, and memory is DIRT cheap these days. $80 for a 4GB laptop kit.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
 
Fraggable,

I ran with Vista for quite awhile (over a month), but only for a few days with the last laptop, which happened to be a Sony. U S Sony is dead set on not letting anyone put XP on their Vista laptops, whereas European Sony did put drivers on the web for users... Unfortunately, those drivers were for a different version Sony laptop.

I don't hate Vista, I just didn't like it as well as I like XP. But I couldn't get a laptop that suited me that also had XP on it. The Mac allows me to use OS X and XP at the same time (either dual boot or with Parallels). I like that set up, so went with the Mac after considering it for a year or so... Not a quick decision, but I thought I would give Vista a try first and then make my decision... My beefs with Vista are primarily the control MS put into the OS and my difficulty with getting things put where I wanted them... I like to set up a desktop the way I like it, and when I did that in Vista, it changed every time I re-booted. That was frustrating! Someone suggested that wouldn't happen if I turned UAC back on. UAC was my first beef, opening at every turn and making me bow to it every time I wanted to install an old program that was on my reserved directories of old apps that I've used forever. But with the UAC off, I could't have my desktop the way I like it, so I was kinda screwed both ways?

I still have an OEM copy of Vista sitting on my components shelf at home, so will probably install it on a future PC anyway... 🙂

At any rate, I?m a Windows user (and I build my own PCs) and now am also a Macbook OS/X user ? in my view they are both good OS?s. So I think I?ve made a good decision ? for me ? and that?s what counts anyway, isn?t it? 🙂

EDIT: BTW, on the issue of cost, my 13 inch, 2.2 GHz, 1 GB RAM Macbook was less expensive than the 14 inch, 2.0 GHz, 2GB RAM Sony laptop I returned... after I installed 4GB RAM in the Macbook, they are even on cost. Not bad...

Noel
 
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