Going Back To XP After Upgrade

[Alejo]

i am an amatuer at best and i have just downloaded Vista (twice). first i chose to be ignorant and i loaded it as an up-grade...mistake!
well after chasing down bugs and drivers i decided to re-install using a clean install. it worked beautifly. i am really enjoying the system and so far no real problems at all (unlike before) i read the forum and pblished pare "So You Overwrote XP". so i started to investigate the damege. somehow i still have "windows.old" however i do not hve all the files. i am missing:
\ntldr
\netdetect.com
\msdos.sys
\boot.ini

so... my question is; knowing what i have done would it be still possible to return to XP or should i just quit while i am ahead.

[Computer Guru]

Welcome to NeoSmart Technologies, Alejo.

The answer: It would indeed have been possible - but for one problem: you upgraded from XP to Vista.
I believe you're referring to this guide: http://neosmart.net/blog/archives/188

This guide can be used to recover XP only in one case: While doing a clean install of Vista, you accidentally selected the wrong partition to install to, and as such, you wrote Vista to the same drive as XP. It won’t recover an upgrade from XP to Vista, nor will it help you “unformat” your partition if that’s what you did.

The only thing you can do at this point is
1) Return to the upgraded Vista which still has your programs, accounts, and settings; but has the bugs too.
2) Keep on with this build and grab the files you need from the Windows.old directory.

In the future, check out NeoSmart's latest Vista guide before upgrading to Vista: 10 Steps to Vista Upgrade Success

[Alejo]

good god don't you guys ever sleep. i cant believe how fast you reply :o
ok so i'm sticking with what i have, however re-installing programs is not working very well, forces me to re-boot from disc after a seemingly perfect download. so if i can not use windows.old and all my info and programs are on discs is it safe to remove windows.old?
and can i instal and run my new programs from an external HD?

[Alejo]

oh thanks for the info about the sound drivers, got sound! however i dont have 5.1. a have on board ac97 currently with the nghost driver you recommended great sound but no 5.1. im guessing just need to wait; but if you have any ideas.....

[Computer Guru]

We pride ourselves in our fast response time

Can you give us more info on

forces me to re-boot from disc

Because I'm sure we can help you, but I personally don't understand the problem you have, so if you could clear that up that would be great.

To remove Windows.old just use these steps here: http://neosmart.net/forums/index.php?gettopic=69

[Computer Guru]

oh thanks for the info about the sound drivers, got sound! however i dont have 5.1. a have on board ac97 currently with the nghost driver you recommended great sound but no 5.1. im guessing just need to wait; but if you have any ideas.....

You're very welcome

5.1......
Open the Control Panel and take a look at the audio devices section - can you select the kind of speakers you have? I personally have two tiny digital speakers and a sub (2.1 audio), so I can't comment on that, but you should give that a try.

Good luck!

(oh, and for your previous question: yes you can (install to an external USB HD - just mount it, and during program setup point it to that drive )

[Alejo]

ok, so i am re-installing some of my programs like "CATIA V5" if you are not familiar with it it is a 3D modeling software for creating parts (car parts, airplane parts.....) so for that one i tried to send it to my external HD and almost at the end i got an error and removed itself. OK no biggie. installed Roxio Media Creator 8 suite and worked perfectly. re-stared the computer and during boot it makes it to after the Vista button splah screen and hags up bad. it will just sit there and safe mode or any mode will not go past it. so i boot with my cd and perfect, program... everything. now it is working beautifully.... i did loose my gadget old school clock----kinda mad about that!

[Alejo]

as for the speakers, yep i can select my 5.1 and when i test all the sound comes from my two front speakers, for all the speaker tones--except the woooooofer. but when i play music the woofer works.

[Alejo]

To remove Windows.old just use these steps here: http://neosmart...php?gettopic=69

this is what i mean as far as quality help, you dont even seem to get annoyed when the same question is asked. i did see this post but wasnt sure i applied to me as weel.
just one question im not sure how to rename a folder from cmd. prompt. just type "rename\windows.old\to\windows.old1" ??!!

[Computer Guru]

OK:

1) Before you install any software, right-click the exe, Properties | Compatibility | Windows XP SP2
2) It seems that the Vista Audio Center doesn't recognize the woofer - but it doesn't cause any issues anywhere else, so I wouldn't worry about it - it's just a minor annoyance (unless I'm misunderstanding you..)
3) Just do this:
Boot from the Vista DVD and into the recovery console (advanced options on the install screen)

c:
cd \
rmdir /s Windows.old

That should do the trick

[Alejo]

thank you again.

[Sarge]

thank you again.

Its his pleasure

[Alejo]

ok so i deleted window.old.... so why is it still there? i did gain a significant amount of space, however it seems that most of my old programs are still alive and living in windows.old.

why wont it DIE!!!

[Computer Guru]

Where did you delete it from?
If you deleted it from within Vista, certain write-protected files will be preserved.

[Alejo]

i did what you said... boot with the Vista DVD and delete windows.old
i did notice quiet a few "access denied"

so are they just there for life?