The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Downgrading Windows Vista to Windows XP

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by gmb1994, Nov 2, 2007.

  1. gmb1994

    gmb1994 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    86
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I'm interested in upgrading my laptop to one with the newest hardware, but I don't think Windows Vista will work because I run a lot of older (32-bit) applications that will never have driver support for Vista.

    Are there any problems with downgrading a Windows Vista laptop back to Windows XP?
     
    gmb1994, Nov 2, 2007
    #1
  2. Thomas

    Thomas McLovin

    Reputations:
    1,988
    Messages:
    5,253
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Wait...What do drivers have to do with software? :confused:
     
    Thomas, Nov 2, 2007
    #2
  3. Fade To Black

    Fade To Black The Bad Ass

    Reputations:
    722
    Messages:
    3,841
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    106
    gmb1994 you're probably confusing things. Windows Vista always works, it's the programs that are causing problems. 32bit applications (with the exception of antiviruses, firewalls and other applications that need drivers to work) work on any Vista version.
     
    Fade To Black, Nov 2, 2007
    #3
  4. Thomas

    Thomas McLovin

    Reputations:
    1,988
    Messages:
    5,253
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    & in 64 bit vista you can run 32 bit apps & fade to black they need updates not drivers.
     
    Thomas, Nov 2, 2007
    #4
  5. gmb1994

    gmb1994 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    86
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    You guys are entertaining ... I'm pretty good when it comes to computers and that's why I'm not planning on upgrading to Vista for a while. Yes, I'm sure Windows Vista almost always works. Some of the applications I am using, however, were created in the late 1990s and may never have updates or drivers for Windows Vista. So, while Windows Vista may run certain modern 32-bit apps just fine, many of the built-in features within my older collection of apps (certain OS-specific procedure calls, etc.) will not function correctly without "Windows Vista" patches. That's the whole problem.
     
    gmb1994, Nov 6, 2007
    #5
  6. PhoenixFx

    PhoenixFx Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    744
    Messages:
    3,083
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
    When you say plain Vista it implies the popular 32bit edition; which is actually, like XP a 32-bit OS that also supports legacy 16-bit applications. However, it is not a guarantee that all your 16-bits applications will run on 32-bit Vista smoothly. Only Vista x64 (64-bit) can’t run 16-bit apps for sure.

    Updates I can understand, but what do you mean by drivers for applications ? you install drivers for devices NOT for applications. Unless you mean special virtual device drivers you need to run those legacy apps (like virtual network adaptors, CD/DVD emulators etc.)
     
    PhoenixFx, Nov 6, 2007
    #6