Vista drivers with XP?

[Sleepless in New Jersey]

I’ve installed XP on a PC that came with Vista installed. Not surprisingly,
drivers are missing. Can Vista drivers work with XP?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I’ve installed XP on a PC that came with Vista installed. Not surprisingly,
drivers are missing. Can Vista drivers work with XP?

No.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I’ve installed XP on a PC that came with Vista installed. Not surprisingly,
drivers are missing. Can Vista drivers work with XP?

No. That's why in many cases you can *not* successfully install XP on
a computer that comes with Vista (especially if it's a laptop).

 

[Anteaus]

As the man said... no

Principle with any new computer these days:

Preferably, check for drivers on manufacturer's website before buying. To be
certain check several international sites, I've found XP drivers on Dell USA
when there weren't any on Dell UK.

If none found, run Vista (assuming you've bought it or can get to a display
model) and have a look in Device Manager for exact types required. Armed with
this info you may be able to get drivers from the component-manufacturer,
e.g. AMD, nVidia.

If all else fails, your other options -other than gritting your teeth and
bearing it- are to buy Windows 7, or use the free RC of Windows 7, which will
work until well-into next year. (You can't download this any more but you can
still get a legit key if you can find someone with the .iso)

Windows 7 will work with Vista drivers. Even the beta of Win7 is vastly
better than Vista, and will run most XP apps.