Why is it not possible to roll back to XP?

[R. McCarty]

Windows Vista is installed by a Imaging process. For an upgrade it
must lift out applications/data, lay down the image and overlay the
previous OS apps & personal data. Due to the complexity of that
process it's not possible to restore the previous OS by simply taking
out new code and replacing the old. Even having a Windows.Old
folder isn't a guarantee you could fall back to your original OS.

I would never perform an OS upgrade without first taking an image
of the current setup. The lack of ability to return to an older OS isn't
marketing or "Being Sneaky" but just a highly complicated process
that probably wasn't considered a high priority when Vista was being
developed.

 

[Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]]

Were you compelled to go to the store and purchase Windows Vista?

 

[Dave]

Don't you just hate it when that big bully Bill Gates comes to your house,
twists your arm, and makes you buy something?
;-)

 

[Ric]

If you are unwilling to verify compatibility or work out Windows vista
issues, it seems your only option is a Clean Install of Windows XP.

I did verify compatibility before the upgrade - the upgrade assistant did
not explain the true extent of the ensuing carnage and it did not tell me
that the process would be one-way. Most software these days is "trialware"
that offers the possibility of returning to the old state - why did
Microsoft not build in this option?

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi Ric,

I did verify compatibility before the upgrade - the upgrade assistant did
not explain the true extent of the ensuing carnage and it did not tell me
that the process would be one-way.

The Upgrade Assistant can only report on what it knows to be compatibility
issues. With the millions of possible hardware/software combinations, it is
not possible for it to know them all. It is not a "smart" tool that is able
to decipher something that it does not know about. It simply looks for known
issues. It's up to the consumer to verify that their programs are compatible
or can be upgraded/patched to work under any given operating system. Also,
if I recall correctly, the setup verbiage does state at one point that there
is no going back. But, as I mentioned earlier, this has always been the case
with NT kernel systems, it's nothing new.

Most software these days is "trialware" that offers the possibility of
returning to the old state - why did Microsoft not build in this option?

A) Technically, it's very difficult to provide for this and actually, the
very fact that Vista retains the old install in a windows.old folder struck
me as amazing that they did that (you did, by the way, set folder options to
see hidden and system folders before you went looking for it, right?). In
the old 9x to 9x or NT upgrades, the rollback process often failed miserably

B) Windows is not just a bit of software. It is what allow you, your
hardware, and your programs to interact. There's a hell of a lot more to it
than just slapping it in there. An operating system (and I mean *any*
operating system) is extremely complex. It's not trialware, it's what you as
the consumer decide to use as a platform for everything else you do on your
system.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

"upgrade assistant"
Do you mean Upgrade Advisor?
As the name implies, it is an advisor, nothing more.
It is not a definitive tool nor does it claim to be.
Also in the description "will help you to determine" with the key word
being "help".
The Upgrade Advisor is a great place to start, but because of the wide
variety of hardware and software from almost limitless sources, cannot
be definitive.
You also must research your essential hardware and software in
advance.
Relying on a single tool is not a good idea.
If you consider upgrading at a later time, use the upgrade Advisor,
but do not stop with it.

"Most software these days is "trialware" that offers the possibility
of returning to the old state - why did Microsoft not build in this
option?"
Windows vista is not "trialware", and that is part of your problem.
As to why?
That has already been answered.