Revert to XP without windows.old

[Mike F from TN]

For some unexplainable reason, I cannot find windows.old on my pc. I wish to
revert to XP from Vista Business. Here are details:
1. Purchased eMachines pc Dec 06 with XP Media Center installed, with free
upgrade to Vista when available.
2. obtained Express Upgrade to Windows Vista and installed it May 07.
3. I have emachines operating system disk called "Windows XP MC version 2005
with Update Rollup 2" which has the following printed on it: Use this disc to
re-install your operating system.
4. computer: 2G RAM, Pent 4, 3GHz, 160G hard drive with about 100G free
(includes a d: drive partition), 250G external hard drive.
Question 1: despite absence of windows.old, is there any way to kill Vista
and re-install XP MC? A clean reformat, perhaps?
Question 2: if it is possible, I need step-by-step. Can you furnish this?
Thanks. Mike

 

[Malke]

For some unexplainable reason, I cannot find windows.old on my pc. I wish
to revert to XP from Vista Business. Here are details:
1. Purchased eMachines pc Dec 06 with XP Media Center installed, with free
upgrade to Vista when available.
2. obtained Express Upgrade to Windows Vista and installed it May 07.
3. I have emachines operating system disk called "Windows XP MC version
2005 with Update Rollup 2" which has the following printed on it: Use this
disc to re-install your operating system.
4. computer: 2G RAM, Pent 4, 3GHz, 160G hard drive with about 100G free
(includes a d: drive partition), 250G external hard drive.
Question 1: despite absence of windows.old, is there any way to kill Vista
and re-install XP MC? A clean reformat, perhaps?
Question 2: if it is possible, I need step-by-step. Can you furnish this?
Thanks. Mike

If Windows.old doesn't exist, you'll need to restore your computer to
factory condition. Back up any data and use the eMachines install disk.
Refer to the eMachines manual or tech support website for how to restore to
factory condition with their media. Or take a look here:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

Malke

 

[Mike F from TN]

Malke, you have helped me before. thanks. the data backups i have been making
were done on an external drive. they are safe but they were made using vista.
will they restore if i revert back to xp?

 

[Malke]

Malke, you have helped me before. thanks. the data backups i have been
making were done on an external drive. they are safe but they were made
using vista. will they restore if i revert back to xp?

You were using Vista's backup utility? If that's the case, then I don't
think so. You'd better restore your stuff and back it up in a different way
then. This is why I hate backup programs that put the files in a
proprietary format; you need to have the backup program installed on the
target computer to restore the backup generally.

However, I don't pretend to have any expertise with Vista's backup utility
since I prefer Second Copy for plain backing up and Acronis True Image for
imaging. So you might want to get a second opinion on restoring data made
with Vista's backup utility.

Malke

 

[Mike F from TN]

just what i needed to know, malke. i have a stand-alone backup utility that
came with my external drive that i will use to back up the data files. i'm
just going to stay away from anything that says vista on it until this is
done. since i'm doing a complete clean installation of XP MC, there should be
no need for an image backup. also, i have made copies of everything on those
two links you gave me. i also have lots of other opinions about this, but
yours has been the most helpful so far.

 

[Mike F from TN]

my stand-alone backup utility is not vista compatible. i will now have to ask
others out there if they think data file backups made with vista's backup
utility will be able to be restored when i revert to xp, which will be
"clean" installed after i trash vista. help please.

 

[Gordon]

You were using Vista's backup utility? If that's the case, then I don't
think so. You'd better restore your stuff and back it up in a different
way
then. This is why I hate backup programs that put the files in a
proprietary format; you need to have the backup program installed on the
target computer to restore the backup generally.

Absolutely. Do you remember all the posts that went: "I backed up my data in
W98, went to XP and now I can't read my backups...."

 

[Gordon]

my stand-alone backup utility is not vista compatible. i will now have to
ask
others out there if they think data file backups made with vista's backup
utility will be able to be restored when i revert to xp, which will be
"clean" installed after i trash vista. help please.

I think the answer is not - MS has NEVER addressed the compatibility of
built-in backups right from Windows 98. XP used a different format to W98
and I expect that Vista uses a different format yet again.
Your best bet is to buy a copy of Acronis Trueimage - that will run on both
Vista and XP and obviously uses the same file format.
It's not expensive either BTW...

 

[Malke]

just what i needed to know, malke. i have a stand-alone backup utility
that came with my external drive that i will use to back up the data
files. i'm just going to stay away from anything that says vista on it
until this is done. since i'm doing a complete clean installation of XP
MC, there should be no need for an image backup. also, i have made copies
of everything on those two links you gave me. i also have lots of other
opinions about this, but yours has been the most helpful so far.

Sounds like a plan, but do heed my warning about backup programs that put
your files in a proprietary format. If your stand-alone utility just copies
the files, great. If not, I strongly recommend using something like Second
Copy ($29.95) instead. Second Copy just copies files. It can do a lot of
things, but basically your files are saved in their original formats. Makes
transferring data to another computer completely easy. No, I don't work for
them or make any money from the recommendation; I've just used it for
clients for years and been quite pleased with it.

Acronis True Image also does incremental backups but I've never used it for
that so I don't know if it puts the files into a proprietary format. I use
True Image extensively on my PCs to image installations and think it's
great.

Cheers,

Malke

 

[Gordon]

Acronis True Image also does incremental backups but I've never used it
for
that so I don't know if it puts the files into a proprietary format. I use
True Image extensively on my PCs to image installations and think it's
great.

I think it does put the backups into proprietary format - having said that,
the same version of Acronis will work on both XP and Vista, so that's not so
much of a problem...

 

[Mike F from TN]

Gordon & Malke, I will purchase both programs. Got a quick link to them? I
sometimes use Tiger Direct and NewEgg. Any other suggestions?
Gordon, my wife (British citizen) and I spent March in UK and we heard the
term "cheers" a lot there. so...cheers, Mike

 

[Malke]

Gordon & Malke, I will purchase both programs. Got a quick link to them? I
sometimes use Tiger Direct and NewEgg. Any other suggestions?
Gordon, my wife (British citizen) and I spent March in UK and we heard the
term "cheers" a lot there. so...cheers, Mike

www.centered.com for Second Copy
www.acronis.com for True Image or just look on New Egg

Malke

 

[Mike F from TN]

thanks again, Malke. cheers mike

www.centered.com for Second Copy
www.acronis.com for True Image or just look on New Egg

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

 

[Mike F from TN]

I have purchased both Second Copy (already downloaded and installed) and
Acronis 11 (3-day delivery). Using Second Copy, I have backed up all my data
files onto the external drive, which will be disconnected during the wipe. I
have checked that the files are there and readable. I also have the
installation disks or the license keys for downloaded programs that I have
been using. Yes, I have checked with the producers of the downloaded programs
to make sure I can re-install at no cost.

I did not make a backup of the computer because I am doing a "destructive"
re-install of Windows XP using the XP Media Center disk, because I do not
have the windows.old file. Probably deleted it last year when i installed
Vista. Duh!

The instructions I am using for the process came from Gateway, the makers of
my machine. They claim this will bring the pc back to its factory shipped
form. I certainly hope so.

I will not start of process until late this evening so if anyone has any
comments on this, please send them now. thanks. will report back... Mike

 

[Malke]

I have purchased both Second Copy (already downloaded and installed) and
Acronis 11 (3-day delivery). Using Second Copy, I have backed up all my
data files onto the external drive, which will be disconnected during the
wipe. I have checked that the files are there and readable. I also have
the installation disks or the license keys for downloaded programs that I
have been using. Yes, I have checked with the producers of the downloaded
programs to make sure I can re-install at no cost.

I did not make a backup of the computer because I am doing a "destructive"
re-install of Windows XP using the XP Media Center disk, because I do not
have the windows.old file. Probably deleted it last year when i installed
Vista. Duh!

The instructions I am using for the process came from Gateway, the makers
of my machine. They claim this will bring the pc back to its factory
shipped form. I certainly hope so.

I will not start of process until late this evening so if anyone has any
comments on this, please send them now. thanks. will report back... Mike

It sounds like you have things well in hand, Mike. Then after you get
everything installed - operating system, drivers, programs you always will
want, Windows & Office updates, etc. - image your new system with True
Image and store the image on your external drive.

Good luck, and I'm sure everything will be just fine for you.

Malke

 

[Mike F from TN]

thanks. your suggestion regarding True Image will be followed to the T.
thanks for all your help. also for Gordon's help. I may be able to close this
thread but will wait until all of this is done, which may take a couple days.
Mike

 

[Mike F from TN]

Malke and Gordon and anyone else:
Something isn't going according to Hoyle. I cannot get to the place in the
bootup where I press F11 to start the recovery. Gateway's instructions do not
include anything about how to erase the data on the hard drive (format?) or
when to insert the XP re-install disk. I will fax you the Gateway
instructions if you think it will help. Or you can get them at:
http://support.gateway.com/s/SOFTWARE/Medialess/MLXPMC0/MLXPMC0su13.shtml
Mike

 

[Gordon]

Malke and Gordon and anyone else:
Something isn't going according to Hoyle. I cannot get to the place in the
bootup where I press F11 to start the recovery. Gateway's instructions do
not
include anything about how to erase the data on the hard drive (format?)
or
when to insert the XP re-install disk. I will fax you the Gateway
instructions if you think it will help. Or you can get them at:
http://support.gateway.com/s/SOFTWARE/Medialess/MLXPMC0/MLXPMC0su13.shtml
Mike

is this a proper XP CD or is it an XP Recovery CD? Either way, you should
boot from the CD. The recovery CD may or may not give you the option to
delete, create and format partitions (my Acer does...), the proper XP CD
certainly will.

 

[Gordon]

Malke and Gordon and anyone else:
Something isn't going according to Hoyle. I cannot get to the place in the
bootup where I press F11 to start the recovery. Gateway's instructions do
not
include anything about how to erase the data on the hard drive (format?)
or
when to insert the XP re-install disk. I will fax you the Gateway
instructions if you think it will help. Or you can get them at:
http://support.gateway.com/s/SOFTWARE/Medialess/MLXPMC0/MLXPMC0su13.shtml
Mike

I agree, the instructions don't say how you get to the "prompt" to press
F11....are there any gateway forums you could ask on?

 

[Malke]

Malke and Gordon and anyone else:
Something isn't going according to Hoyle. I cannot get to the place in the
bootup where I press F11 to start the recovery. Gateway's instructions do
not include anything about how to erase the data on the hard drive
(format?) or when to insert the XP re-install disk. I will fax you the
Gateway instructions if you think it will help. Or you can get them at:
http://support.gateway.com/s/SOFTWARE/Medialess/MLXPMC0/MLXPMC0su13.shtml

Let's address exactly what you have because I don't really remember the
beginning of this thread and it will be easier to refresh my aged memory
this way. ;-)

1. Gateway computer* you have has the ability to return to factory condition
by applying the factory image, which you get to by pressing F11 when the
computer first starts up. If you are doing this and nothing happens when
you press F11 (and you've tried at least a few times to make sure your
timing is right), then probably the special partition on the hard drive
holding the image has been damaged, overwritten, or maybe this is a new
blank hard drive in which case naturally the factory image won't exist.

2. In that case, you would need to use physical restore media. This would be
either restore disks or a CD/DVD with the actual Windows operating system
on it. You would a) make sure your computer is set to boot from the optical
drive first; b) have the install disk in the drive; c) do the install.

In the case of applying an image, you don't need to worry about erasing any
data on the hard drive. The image will replace everything on the drive now
and your machine will be as it was when it came from the factory.

*I thought you had an eMachines computer. Does Gateway own eMachines now and
that's why you've given us a link to a Gateway support article?

Malke