Error reformating from Vista to XP

[Guest]

Just bought a Gateway computer with Vista pre-installed. After working with
it, I want to reformat my HD and install XP home. I have 2 "old" XP full
installation disks that came with 2 different computers that I no longer use
- Dell and Cyberpower. I put the CD in the drive, then re-booted the
computer. After loading several items, I then get a screen that asks me to
choose if I want to partition the drive, and then there is a box at the
bottom that seems to indicate no drive is available. No matter what key i
hit, I get the following message:

"A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent
damage to your computer.

If this is the first time you've seen this error screen, restart your
computer. if this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to be sure you have adequate disk space. If a driver is identified in
the stop message, disable the driver or check with the manufacturer for
driver update. Try changing video adapters.

Check with your hardware vendor for any BIOS updates. Disable BIOS memory
options, such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe mode to
remove or disable components, restart your computer, use F8 to select Advance
Startup Options, and then select Safe Startup Mode.

Technical information:
XXX STOP:0X00000008E (0XC00000050X8081A799, 0XF6C26778, 0X00000000)"

This happens with both the Dell and Cyberpower XP disks...any ideas why, and
how to get around this??

 

[Rick F]

I assume the XP CD's that came with the Dell and Cyberpower computers are
OEM. That XP is only licensed for those computers, not your new Gateway.
Basically OEM software "lives and dies" with the original computer. It
cannot be used anywhere else.

But that is the legal issue, technically it should work though. Have you
tried using the Vista DVD and blowing away all partitions, then shutdown and
use XP to install? I would also recommend called Gateway support for
assistance too.

You need to go out and purchase XP Home if you really want to use that
instead on your new Gateway or see what Gateway the company can do for you.
(Yes there is downgrade rights but you probably need to ask Gateway what you
can do there, I've heard it is only valid with Open Licenses)

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You cannot use the Dell or Cyberpower Windows XP CDs
to install Windows XP on a Gateway computer. You'll have
to purchase a conventional (boxed) full version of Windows XP
if you want to install Windows XP properly.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

Just bought a Gateway computer with Vista pre-installed. After working with
it, I want to reformat my HD and install XP home. I have 2 "old" XP full
installation disks that came with 2 different computers that I no longer use
- Dell and Cyberpower. I put the CD in the drive, then re-booted the
computer. After loading several items, I then get a screen that asks me to
choose if I want to partition the drive, and then there is a box at the
bottom that seems to indicate no drive is available. No matter what key i
hit, I get the following message:

"A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent
damage to your computer.

If this is the first time you've seen this error screen, restart your
computer. if this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to be sure you have adequate disk space. If a driver is identified in
the stop message, disable the driver or check with the manufacturer for
driver update. Try changing video adapters.

Check with your hardware vendor for any BIOS updates. Disable BIOS memory
options, such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe mode to
remove or disable components, restart your computer, use F8 to select Advance
Startup Options, and then select Safe Startup Mode.

Technical information:
XXX STOP:0X00000008E (0XC00000050X8081A799, 0XF6C26778, 0X00000000)"

This happens with both the Dell and Cyberpower XP disks...any ideas why, and
how to get around this??

 

[Guest]

Thanks to both of you for your replies. I didn't try to remove the
partitions with the Vista disk - from everything that I have read so far,
using the XP disk and opting to reformat was supposed to wipe the drive clean
and allow me to start over. Sounds like my next step should be to contact
Gateway about getting a "downgrade" to XP disk.

RE: the legality issue of using an XP disk from another computer, it was my
understanding that you are free to transfer licenses as long as you wipe the
hard drive from the computer it came from i.e. you can't have copies from
the same disk on multiple computers. I was planning on using the Cyberpower
version because it is completely dead in the water and making a trip to the
dump. Because I am still using the Dell, I figured I couldn't downgrade with
that copy because of the original still being in use. Tried it though, just
to see if I would get the same message (which I did), so that i could verify
that it wasn't a bad/incomplete copy of XP on the Cyberpower disk (Lord knows
everything else about Cyberpower is crap, why not te version of XP they gave
me too?).

So, short of trying to wipe the partitions with Vista first, it sounds like
I need to contact Gateway for a copy of XP from them, agreed?

 

[Barry Watzman]

Re: "it was my understanding that you are free to transfer licenses as
long as you wipe the hard drive from the computer it came from i.e. you
can't have copies from the same disk on multiple computers"

That is not necessarily the case.

It is the case for retail copies; it's not the case for OEM copies. OEM
copies are tied to the computer on which they were first installed for
life and cannot ever be legally moved.

Note, also, that the CD media is not the license. Using the same CD
media (JUST the media) on multiple machines is always ok. The "license"
is the COA and in particular the product key. Note that there are
different kinds of media, and different kinds of licenses (different
kinds = the unique combination of Home/Pro, Upgrade/Full product,
Retail/OEM, etc.). The "kind" of media has to match the "kind" of
license (e.g. product key). An XP Home product key won't work with XP
Pro media, etc.