Solved Replacing Vista OS with an XP OS

[skeezix]

• I have a Windows computer that came with a MS Vista OS installed. I would like to replace the Vista OS with a MS XP OS. Can I do that and if so, do I need to do anything to the computer (like low-level formatting) before I install Windows XP?

The computer is a model HP a64f and I'm thinking about it so I can install and run CorelDraw 12 on it.

 

[wither 3]

I can't find your model computer anywhere but there's no reason you can't install 12 on it and then run it in XP compatibility mode. However, I'm not sure if you would have issues with 12 in either case based on this- Corel 12 compatible with Win Vista? - CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 - CorelDRAW X3 and older - CorelDRAW Community

 

[Vistaar]

Downgrading from Vista to XP was once a popular idea because Vista was never very popular. Googling “downgrade from vista to xp” returns a bewildering number of results. I never downgraded myself, but chose to stick with Vista until the bitter end. Do you have a Windows XP product key?

The computer is a model HP a64f and I'm thinking about it so I can install and run CorelDraw 12 on it.

According to your posted “My Computer” information, the computer is a model hp a6400f. This might explain why neither wither 3 nor ranchhand in your Bleeping Computer thread was able to find your model. If I remember correctly, your Vista installation has had corruption that could not be fixed by sfc /scannow for a very long time, so a clean install of something is not a bad idea if the hardware is still in good working order. Here’s a sad thought: Your CorelDraw 12 installation CD might very well be corrupt by now. Nothing lasts forever.

I believe you have a Windows 10 PC, so it might be much, much simpler to get yourself some recent software for drawing.

 

[skeezix]

>>I believe you have a Windows 10 PC, so it might be much, much simpler to get yourself some recent software for drawing.<<

I could do that but I've worked with CorelDraw for many years, and learning something like LibreDraw and OpenOffice Draw to the point where I become as proficient as I am with CorelDraw would take several months. So... I've given up on loading XP on the Vista drive because it would entail downloading a lot of drivers, and only God knows what else might be packed into those drivers.

Now I'm in the process of reinstalling, or rather recovering my Vista installation.

>>Do you have a Windows XP product key?<<

I thought I did, but I'm having problems locating it right now. I do have a DVD with what I need to do a Reinstallation operation, and I used that to do a Reinstallation of Vista on the C: drive. In 2018 I also made a set of 3 DVDs that are labeled "Recovery".
I'll try those next to see if I can get an absolutely clean install of Vista.

 

[Vistaar]

The first thing I would do is run sfc /scannow from an elevated command prompt.