Broken laptop... Forced to buy new one...

[Andy Mac]

Bugger... It means I have to use Vista. It looks very nice but I've already had a few problems with installing programs. VLC media player doesn't work, (I need it, as I work abroad, and use DVD's from all over). I even bought a game, that said Vista ready, and it just stops in the install process. I never had these probs with XP. Everything always worked with XP, so hpefully Vista will sort itself out sooner, rather than later.

[cjs]

Why not get a Macbook?

[niva441]

There are still places stocking XP laptops (just changed mine) and Dell offer either XP or Vista on their machines.

[trooperiziz]

VLC works fine on my Vista install!

[Andy Mac]

cjs said:

Why not get a Macbook?

Because I don't like them...

[ThePassenger]

Why not combine the two Laptops?

Use ones XP install CD and one's driver CD... that way you get XP + drivers.

You own both after all.

[malman]

ThePassenger said:

Why not combine the two Laptops?

Use ones XP install CD and one's driver CD... that way you get XP + drivers.

You own both after all.

Betting the original XP was an OEM install so technically he doesn't. Question is does he have downgrade rights in his Vista OEM - haven't read the licence so dunno

[Andy Mac]

As far as I can gather, you can, via some roundabout way, but the issue is drivers, I think.

[ThePassenger]

Andy Mac said:

As far as I can gather, you can, via some roundabout way, but the issue is drivers, I think.

Sorry, but the MS licensing stuff is, IMHO boswellox. You have an XP CD, you have a license to use it on one machine... jobs a good `un in that respect.

As for drivers visit the manufacturers website and see if they have drivers for XP and your new laptop, most quite probably will, they'd be insane not too; you'll probably see a lot of them marked "2K-XP-Vista". Download them, shove them on a USB key or preferably a CD/DVD and set about the rebuild.

[FunkyGibbon]

ThePassenger said:

Andy Mac said:

As far as I can gather, you can, via some roundabout way, but the issue is drivers, I think.

Sorry, but the MS licensing stuff is, IMHO boswellox. You have an XP CD, you have a license to use it on one machine... jobs a good `un in that respect.

Indeedy. Even if it is an OEM install - as long as you have the media you will be fine. It may well carp about the "Licence Key" (like on the M$ sticker on the box) but it will give you the chance to create a new licence and then it gives you a phone number to M$. Phone that (freephone IIRC), answer a few questions (i.e. why do you need to re-install? ans: critical hardware failure) and they will dictate a new licence key to you, write it down and type it in.

Job done. (I had this problem myself 6 months ago).