Vista removal

[durkinjt]

I have installed Vista Home over Windows XP, do not like Vista, what is the best way to get rid of Vista and go back ro XP?
T.I.A.

[doctorhardware]

I would do a complete format of the hard drive and start from scratch.

[road_rascal]

Yup. I just spent 3 days re-doing my desktop XP system. For some frakking unknown reason everytime I install XP it sets the file system on the hard drive as FAT32 instead of NTFS, even though I set the partition as NTFS. %$#@*% Windows....

[blutach]

Use the "convert" command in DOS to fix this up seamlessly road rascal.

To convert a volume to NTFS from the command prompt
Open the Command Prompt window.
In the command prompt window, type
convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs

For example, typing convert D: /fs:ntfs would format drive D: with the ntfs format.

Regards

[road_rascal]

That's what I ended up doing, but why it kept going back to Fat32 AFTER I partitioned it in NTFS drove me nuts.

[Chewy]

the safest approach is to delete all partitions, hidden and othewise

xp will default to using ntfs

[doctorhardware]

I have said this before and I will say it once more Vista is pure evil.

[durkinjt]

I would do a complete format of the hard drive and start from scratch.

What is the best method of a complete format?

[katzdvd]

the safest approach is to delete all partitions, hidden and othewise

Run XP Install CD, follow prompts to delete & create new partition, for clean install...

However, did you purchase an Upgrade version of Vista, or the Full Version?

Another issue that occurs is that you will invalidate the XP product key that you are upgrading from.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic79852.html

I haven't worked w/ Vista yet, so I don't know if MSoft has done anything about that yet, but if your XP product key is now invalid because of the Vista upgrade, I would think a phone call to MSoft tech support might be necessary for a "workaround"...

[doctorhardware]

If it is, they will issue a different key or re-auth the original key. What I would do is a fdisk and remove all partitions.

[durkinjt]

If it is, they will issue a different key or re-auth the original key. What I would do is a fdisk and remove all partitions.

What is the procedure for fdsk.I guess it must be done in DOS?

[Chewy]

fdisk won't handle ntfs

do you have an xp cd?

[anonymez]

You might want to take a look at GParted.

[Chewy]

You might want to take a look at GParted.

how do you get it to see sata drives?

generic drivers

[jm1647]

I have installed Vista Home over Windows XP, do not like Vista, what is the best way to get rid of Vista and go back ro XP?
T.I.A.

My free upgrade to Vista Home Basic arrived today for my laptop...I think in the envelope it will stay