Installing XP on a Dell Vista machine

DarkCyber

[H]ard|Gawd
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May 14, 2003
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I just recently got a Dell Ispiron 530 and it came with Vista Home Premium on it. I really don't like Vista, still to much crap don't work with it. It came with a 250 gig hd and it is currently partitioned into a 10 gig recovery and a 220 gig primary. I tired using Acronis Disk Director to resize the 220 into two different partitions and then image the Vista OS partition and then I was going to install XP, but I don't know if Dell has the hd locked or something. All my attempts to do anything to the hd have failed.

What is the best way to proceed here? Since Vista is already on there, can I just install XP Pro and then it will dual boot and I can select XP or Vista when I want or what.

Thanks!
 
If you install XP over the top of vista, I bet you're going to have problems. The rule of thumb is to install the older operating systems first....
 
Figures. So, no way to install XP now and do a dual boot. I guess I'm better off just wiping Vista off there then and doing a clean install of XP.
 
You computer has a "recovery partition" to re-install Vista is it messes up...

IF they actually sent you the Vista CD/DVD.. just go ahead and wipe the drive.

Then, delete both partitions and then divide them into the sizes you want.

Install XP... then install Vista (clean install on a seperate partition).

That will get you dual boot.
 
Before you do anything, make sure XP drivers exist and are available for your laptop.
 
Inspiron 530 is a desktop, not laptop.

I had to wipe the HDD clean of vista before putting XP Pro on 10 machines for a customer.
 
No disc, or if they sent it I haven't seen it. It just has the recovery partition I think.
 
You can dual boot, if you really want to.....Just use PartedMagic to split your drive in half. Once that's done, you'll need to boot from your XP cd to "fix" your Vista install so it will be bootable... for some reason, Vista goes wonky when you change partition sizes.. just boot the XP cd and choose to save the partition that Vista is on. Then go ahead and install XP, and then VistaBootPro to fix the bootloader so that both os's are bootable.





Or just wipe the drive and install XP;)
 
you should also be able to make a boot disc from the recovery partition as a backup copy....i would do that, then wipe the entire hard drive to recover the wasted space
 
you should also be able to make a boot disc from the recovery partition as a backup copy....i would do that, then wipe the entire hard drive to recover the wasted space

How do you make a recovery disc of Vista? I have searched and supposedly Vista SP1 will do it, but it is not out yet. PE Builder only works for XP and lower.

Suggestions? I would like to make an install (recovery) disc from the recovery partition that Dell has on there. In case something happened to the hd...etc.

Thanks!
 
Couldn't you just use the backup option in restore/backup? CP -> Backup & Restore -> Backup Computer to an unused partition...Then reload once XP is installed, or would the restore likely FUBAR the XP install in the process (perhaps VBP would help in this scenario as well?)?
 
Well, the problem I am having is I am unable to do anything to the hd partitions. I do not know if it is something Dell has done or what. I have tried numerous times to add partitions and resize the current partitions using Acronis Disk Director and nothing happens.

So, I do not know if Dell has the hd locked or something. That's why I thought I would try and create a recovery (installation) disc and just try and completely wipe the whole hd...if that even would work.
 
So, I do not know if Dell has the hd locked or something. That's why I thought I would try and create a recovery (installation) disc and just try and completely wipe the whole hd...if that even would work.

Have you tried using PartedMagic? You could also use GParted (basically an older version of PartedMagic).... both work outside of the OS (don't know if Acronis does or not).... I have used them on a variety of Dell machines with no problem.....
 
I forgot about GParted. I have used it numerous times and have had it NOT work either. On one pc that GParted did not work on I used Acronis Disk Director and it worked perfect. So, I guess they all have their pros and cons.

Thanks for the suggestion...didn't even think of it.
 
Dell don't lock hard drives - I think the problem is more to do with the new bootloader/manager that Vista uses (don't know too much about it, except that it's not the same as if you were reinstalling or dual booting XP)
 
LoL, I'm ordering a Dell Inspiron 530 and was on the fence about Vista or XP, came in here to find some info.

Sorry to hear about your problems, little off topic but what didn't you like about Vista and what programs didn't work?
 
LoL, I'm ordering a Dell Inspiron 530 and was on the fence about Vista or XP, came in here to find some info.

Sorry to hear about your problems, little off topic but what didn't you like about Vista and what programs didn't work?

Well, I ran Vista Premium (whatever the top level one is) for about 6 months and had issues with numerous software apps not working. I will try and remember what they were and list them and thus that is why I went back to XP on my pc and really didn't want Vista on this refurb pc. I just pulled the 250 gig Vista hd out for now and stuck my 36 gig raptor in there with XP on it and it's smoking for now.

These are the things I had problems with, Mustek 1200 USB scanner, Alcohol 120, diskkeeper, no firewall (besides the Vista one), had issues with Nero, Gamedrive did not work, Ruckus Lockdown browser did not work (this is used for my online classes).

This is just a short list and most may have been resolved or fixed by now. I really like Vista when I first installed it, but over time I really just got tired of it and went back to XP and have been much happier.
 
How do you make a recovery disc of Vista?

Quite humorous at times to see people trying to apply their limited understanding to scenarios it doesn't befit. Please ignore all advice posted in response to that question.

If the manufacturer has provided a facility for you to create a set of 'Recovery disks' from the recovery partition it'll be preinstalled as a tool somewhere in the Program menu, or accessible via a special keypress combination at system boot. Manufacturer provided documentation should mention and describe it.


If that facility has not been provided then there is a very simple course of action which is the best approach to take.

Remove the hard drive. Store it away safely. Fit a replacement drive to the system, install anything you want on it, and use that. If it goes askew on you, put the original drive back in the machine and use the rig the way it was originally provided.


Sure, you can muck about creating backup drive images, wiping partitions and all the rest of it, but the procedure I described there is the quickest, simplest and safest, and drives don't really cost very much!
 
Quite humorous at times to see people trying to apply their limited understanding to scenarios it doesn't befit. Please ignore all advice posted in response to that question.

If the manufacturer has provided a facility for you to create a set of 'Recovery disks' from the recovery partition it'll be preinstalled as a tool somewhere in the Program menu, or accessible via a special keypress combination at system boot. Manufacturer provided documentation should mention and describe it.


If that facility has not been provided then there is a very simple course of action which is the best approach to take.

Remove the hard drive. Store it away safely. Fit a replacement drive to the system, install anything you want on it, and use that. If it goes askew on you, put the original drive back in the machine and use the rig the way it was originally provided.


Sure, you can muck about creating backup drive images, wiping partitions and all the rest of it, but the procedure I described there is the quickest, simplest and safest, and drives don't really cost very much!

Agreed 100%!

Excellent suggestion.
 
Yes, I do agree sticking away the original hd is probably the best option and for the moment, that is what I have done. This was a refurbed Dell pc and there is nothing on the pc for making a recovery disc of the installation, nor is there any paperwork included detailing how to do it either. I know this type of thing can be done with XP, but I have been unable to find anything about doing it with Vista.

I would like to use the hd and just make a burned dvd backup of the installation (i.e. a bootable type installation disc), but doesn't seem like that is possible at the moment.

I know most manufactures sell these pcs with the OS only available on a recovery partition and in most cases that works pretty well...unless your hd dies on you, then you are screwed. I simply wanted to make a disc of the OS that I purchased and did not get a disc for.

Thanks for the information.
 
Actually you can just wipe the vista and then install xp. You should have the Vista disk if not then call dell and they'll send you one for free. If you ever need vista back on you can just boot to the disk and select the repair option below install now and then select Dell factory image restore. You will need the vista disk to use the restore partition because you cannot get to it without the disk if you have xp installed.
 
Keep in mind now that you've swapped in your own hdd any support from Dell will be gone. They will not support that hdd or the installed XP. Also, if you go the the dell support site - support.dell.com and do a search on recovery disks or making recover cds you'll probably find what you are looking for.
 
Lol. I do xps tech support. Dell Cannot send recovery dvds any more. Thats all :D
 
If you do Dell support, Italix, then perhaps you'd have been better to offer some actual useful support to the topic poster, eh?

That Dell machine cannot conceivably have been originally shipped without either physical reinstallation media, a means of restoring the system without using such media, or a means of creating recovery media from the content of the recovery partition. What is needed here is the elicitation, from the topic poster, of information about the model number of the Dell PC and then the provision of accurate information about the procedures necessary.

This was a refurbed Dell pc and there is nothing on the pc for making a recovery disc of the installation, nor is there any paperwork included detailing how to do it either.
I'm unsure what 'refurbished' means in the context of your post, but considering this machine has been sold as a Vista rig I suspect that it has simply been reimaged using the manufacturer provided Recovery media. That media should have been provided to you, if it is needed to restore the system. The license to use it cannot be legitimately transferred to you unless the media is given to you along with the working installation.

I would like to use the hd and just make a burned dvd backup of the installation (i.e. a bootable type installation disc)

Can't be done. You could, however, use a drive backup program to image the drive, so that you could restore the image later. Decent (commercial) Drive Backup tools can be run from a bootable CD, letting you restore a drive image to a system with no OS yet installed.

I know most manufactures sell these pcs with the OS only available on a recovery partition and in most cases that works pretty well...unless your hd dies on you, then you are screwed.

No. It doesn't work that way. Some people DO purchase systems which have Windows installed, and Recovery media provided only on a 'Recovery partition' on the hard drive rather than on actual physical disk media. But the people purchasing systems like that ARE NOT 'screwed' if the hard drive fails, necessarily, because on such systems you get a preinstalled tool which allows you to burn a set of 'Recovery disks' for yourself.

I was under the impression that Dell's policy was to actually provide physical reinstallation or recovery media, but I'm not really familiar with Delll PCs.

I'm suspecting that, when this Dell PC was sold to you a Windows install disk was withheld for use on a different PC, and if that has occurred it is illegal. You, as the person who the PC has been sold to, would have a strong case for requesting that Microsoft void the product key for that Windows license and provide an alternative working Vista product key to you. Or perhaps a case for arguing that Dell provide you with a replacement Vista disk and product key. Or something. You are NOT the offending person in this it seems, from the information provided in the thread so far. the person selling the PC has committed the wrong, if a wrong has indeed been committed.


But perhaps our joke-cracking 'Dell Support Person' can come back and provide more accurate information about the situation?
 
I just purchased a dell refurb laptop FYI, that DID indeed come with a REAL Vista Home Premium DVD....
 
Yeah. This smacks of being either an improper sale or a misunderstanding about what facilities are available within the machine.
 
Thanks for all the input everyone.

I looked back through the box and found several discs. One is called "Operating System Already Installed On Your Computer, Reinstallation DVD Windows Vista Home Premium 32BIT'...duh! Guess I overlooked the disc. So, is this dvd just like the regular installation disc for installing the OS or does it reinstall everything just like the pc shipped from Dell? i.e. if I wipe that hd that came in the Dell pc and install XP on it and then later want to go back to Vista, will this disc install Vista back on there.

I am not trying to transfer anything to another pc, I just do not want to run Vista at this time. And I just want to make sure that if I decide to switch to Vista in the future I can get back there.

I really thought this the pc did not come with a OS disc, I thought it just came with the recovery partition and that was it.

Thanks!
 
That DVD will restore your PC to the exact state it was in when you took it out of the box.
 
Dell does not send out restore cds/dvds with the systems.


Yep, they send out OS CD's/DVD's with the systems, at least with all the refurbished ones I have bought.

You should have no problem installing Vist adown the road using that DVD
 
If you wish to dual boot without getting any additional software.

Vista has a partition management utility that works pretty well.

A customer wanted to dual boot his HP that came with vista. He had recovery disks for vista and an XP Cd. I used vista's partition utility to resize, then installed XP on the new part.

There are a couple extras steps needed to get things working as XP screws with the vista bootloader if XP is installed after vista.

I suggest having a working computer near if you attempt this, as it will save a few headaches.
 
Thanks for all the information. I would dual boot XP and Vista if I could install XP now and do it. I mainly want to run XP for now. I ran Vista for about 6 months when it first came out and just got tired of it...to be honest :)

I don't have any DirectX10 only games yet, so it is kind of a mute point for me to run Vista right now.

ominous protocol,

You got any instructions on how to do that dual boot when Vista is installed first?
 
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