Operating System Help

[Tom M.]

I have been trying to install xp in a dual boot configuration on a new
gateway notebook. I purchased a full version (at least that's what the web
sight said) of xp pro to install with vista. Now I am reading this will only
work if both operating systems are the full versions.(how do you tell??) My
wife needs this computer for work and most of her programs are not
compatible with vista. Am I better off getting rid of vista completely and
installing xp pro. What is the best way to un-install vista and install xp
pro? I have the recovery cd for vista so I am assuming after her programs
become compatible with vista I could re-install it with the recovery disk
and get the computer back to where it was when I purchased it. I have a
thousand dollars into computer that won't run my programs, And now I had to
fork out more for a new operating system and now that will not install!!!
Thanks in advance for any help!!!!!!!

Tom

 

[Thomas Olsen [MSFT]]

Hi Tom,

I suggest seeing if your programs will work in Vista's program compatibility
mode. You can learn more about this feature in the following Windows Help
topics:

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/334c6e6c-9289-49e3-8a81-c3981f5f42dc1033.mspx

and also

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/bf416877-c83f-4476-a3da-8ec98dcf5f101033.mspx

If this option doesn't work for you, then you might consider running a
multiboot system. You can learn about how to do this by reading the
following Help topic:

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/8572be9b-8580-49f7-9719-b3a4c42749fe1033.mspx

And if you just end up wanting to remove Vista from your multiboot system,
then you can learn how to do that in this Help topic:

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/0a522b50-983b-4b6f-8e07-b33471e027c01033.mspx

I hope this helps you with your problem.