How to Install Windows XP over Windows 7?

Question

I have a Dell laptop that came pre-installed with Windows 7.

When I try to install Windows XP on it, Windows 7 does not allow me to.

I don't want a dual boot system, I just want Windows XP on my system.

Can anyone help me install Windows XP?

Solution 1

My suggestion would be to save your data externally then wipe your hard drive. Then install XP first followed by 7.

I haven't installed Windows in such a long time I can't remember if there is a built in partition manager. Because the easiest solution is to partition beforehand.

Solution 2

You need to download and install EasyBCD to remove Windows 7's bootloader

You should then be able to install from your Windows XP CD.

Solution 3

If you want to use just Windows XP, reboot your PC from the Windows XP CD. And then select INSTALL Windows XP . It will ask to you "Which partition?" In this screen, delete all partitions of your hard disk. Windows 7 will be deleted, and your XP install will continue.

Solution 4

Install a floppy drive and run the Windows 98SE startup disk. Then run fdisk and delete all partitions. Then boot to your XP disk and create new partitions.

Then reinstall Windows 7 if you want a dual boot.

Technology has changed a lot, but, what we had 20 years ago still holds true today. The oldest system must be installed first and so on and so on.

The bigest issue to overcome today is the SATA drives. Slap four 500 GB IDE drives in there and change the DVD writers to SATA and all will work fine.

Solution 5

You can - But you will have to repair the boot manager from the Windows 7 disc. The reason why is XP will install it's own (older) version, and XP's boot manager can not boot to win 7. Repairing using the Win 7 disc will re-install Win7's boot manager, which can start XP.

You must take backup of you data before using this stuff. It is little risky..

Check these links for more details..

http://www.pronetworks.org/forums/install-windows-xp-in-dual-boot-with-pre-installed-windows-7-t104890.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/687-63-installing-windows

But the save is First Take backup of drive and partition your drive then install Windows 7 after window Xp.
this is safe approach to do this...

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Comments

[UNK]

Are you sure Windows XP mode / a VM wouldn't do?

[Moab]

Posting your make and model of PC would help others help you.

[Eroen]

Zero out the MBR (or to be on the safe side, the first GiB or so) and create a partition to install to first.

[kinokijuf]

Do you hava an XP licence?

[Ishan]

Thank You.There will not be any problem for windows Xp installation.Correct?

[marcusw]

You may need to erase the hard drive before starting, as the WinXP installer could try to be smart and "upgrade" your installed windows 7, resulting in bad things.

[Shevek]

@mxp: SATA disks will only be a problem if you have them in AHCI mode or RAID mode in which case you will need the correct driver on a floppy disk and hit the F? (can't remember which one) key when the XP installer asks for additional drivers. If you have it them in IDE mode then XP will see them fine.

[foraidt]

@Shevek: Oh, I wasn't aware, that SATA disks could be set into IDE mode. I learned something again, thanks!

[Shevek]

@mxp: it's not the disk which changes mode it's the SATA controller on the motherboard. It's a BIOS setting.

[JJ_Australia]

"it had terrible support for hardware" No, vendors refused to support it because they didn't have to.

[JJ_Australia]

They still don't, because they don't have to.

[Eroen]

There is a partition manager in the xp install software, but it is really clunky to use and makes a few wrong assumptions on modern systems. I'd suggest creating the partitions with a linux live disk and creating the filesystems on them with the xp installer.