downgrading from xp to 2000 pro.

[tom berkin]

I am unaware that this procedure is ill advised. what
kind of problems may i run into? will I be able to get
all the drivers i will need for an alienware area-51m
laptop? The laptop has never had a previous version of
windows installed on it so i can't revert, is downgrading
recomended? please advise

 

[Guest]

Well... open up your device manager & write down your hardware, then go on the internet & find the win2k drivers for your hardware. It shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

I am unaware that this procedure is ill advised. what
kind of problems may i run into? will I be able to get
all the drivers i will need for an alienware area-51m
laptop? The laptop has never had a previous version of
windows installed on it so i can't revert, is downgrading
recomended? please advise

As far as I'm concerned, it's ill-advised only in the sense that
XP is a newer, better version of Windows XP. You'd be taking a
step backward.

And also note that you *can't* literally downgrade. If you want
to go from XP to 2000, your only choice is to do a clean
installation of 2000.

I don't know your particular laptop, but getting appropriate
drivers is often a problem when changing operating systems on a
laptop. It would be prudent to look for drivers *before*
installing 2000.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

I would just say one thing: Going from XP to Windows 2000 may void your
warranty. Check the warranty info before doing this.

Also, since the system was configured with XP, there might not be any
drivers for other versions of Windows.

Y.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There is no "rollback" to Win2K.

To replace WinXP with an earlier OS, you'll have to boot from the
appropriate boot disk, format the hard drive, and install. There is
no supported downgrade path or technique.

Simply boot from the Win2K installation CD. You'll be offered the
opportunity to delete, create, and/or format the system partition as
part of the installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the
order of boot devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

Before proceeding, though, you'd better take a few minutes to see
if there are any device drivers for the older OS available for the new
machine. There may not be, if the PC was specifically designed by its
manufacturer for WinXP. Also, check with the PC vendor to determine
whether or not replacing the pre-installed OS will void your warranty
and/or any service agreement(s), as normally the case.


Bruce Chambers

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[Alex Nichol]

I am unaware that this procedure is ill advised. what
kind of problems may i run into? will I be able to get
all the drivers i will need for an alienware area-51m
laptop? The laptop has never had a previous version of
windows installed on it so i can't revert, is downgrading
recomended?

I don't know the machine, and you should make sure from the makers that
it does not have specialist driver needs. LAptops often do. Other than
that, it would have to be done by clean install. Why do you want to?
If it is only a dislike of the XP GUI you can easily enough change that
to look like Win2000