Install XP over Vista, WITHOUT formating?

Currently have Vista on my system. I have two harddrives, but both are nearly full, and I need to downgrade to xp. I don't want to format the harddrive that has Vista, and just want to install a fresh copy of XP.

Is it possible? I know you can dual boot, I'm not interested in that. I just to install fresh copy of XP without having to format.

Am thinking that you can dual-boot and then delete the vista partition, no?

 

You could dual-boot and then delete the Vista partition, but then you'll need to recover the MBR using the XP recovery mode (using the CD).

 

Generally speaking, if you install XP without formatting over Vista you will end up with an XP machine with a broken VISTA--it will not be a dual boot. (you can repair the Vista installation and make a dual boot, but that is not what you are after).

So, yes, install XP on top of Vista and you will have an XP machine with all the old VISTA folders and files (as well as your personal files and folders).

However, be clear--the programs you installed will not work, and you may need to take ownership of Vista folders to regain use of the files.

 

greg, the act of installing XP will overwrite the VISTA mbr and boot files

 

thx for the quick replies guys.

gerry am not concerned about the vista folders. i put all my stuff not in my pictures, my music, etc, instead I put in right on the c drive. as well i don't mind reinstall programs. am in the safe in regards access to those folders right? i will not have control issues in xp, or will i?

so then is it just a matter of booting from xp cd, and install xp on the c: drive without formatting?

 

If you put all your data in the root, you will not have any issues recovering them--UNLESS YOU ENCRYPTED THEM (almost always forget to mention that, because people rarely encrypt their files, but should always make that clear).

If you encrypted a file and destroy the Vista installation, you will never get those files back because destroying the vista install will destroy the necessary public and private keys needed to decrypt.

Other than that, you would just pop in the XP cd, install while leaving the file system as is, and you will have an XP system with old VISTA folders. To DELETE those folders, you may have to take ownership of them.

You do not have to, but you should choose to install XP into a different folder than c:\windows. Otherwise, you will have a great deal of VISTA bloat and you will not know what to remove from the c:\windows directory. For example, Vista includes a very large subfolder called WinSxs, that is also in Windows XP, but tends to be very small. If you install XP into c:\windows, you will not be able to recover what is likely 6-10gb of drive space. If you install XP in a different directory (name it c:\winXP) you can delete the entire c:\windows directory after XP is up and running.

I have also dropped the drive in a different computer as a slave (or use a linux live cd, or windows live cd), and renamed c:\program files before starting. Why rename? Some programs will occassionally write saved data within a c:\program files\programName\save folder (games are notorious for this, but I have seen others, too)

That way I can still access those folders (c:\program files) later if I need to and I have a cleaner folder heirarchy. After a month or so, I delete the old, renamed program files folder and subfolders when I am sure I do not need them.

 

thank you very much gerry.

i did think about the encription as i have several folders encryted. i already exported the key and i know for sure it works in regards to importing it to another system when vista is involved. not sure it would work vista to xp system. so i will dencrypt before i start os reinstall just to be on the safe side.

you make very good points about the program files & windows folder. would never thought about that. i will try to rename program files in safe mode as i doubt i can do in normal mode given that some program will be in running in background.