Solved! How to remove vista from my xp laptop

[Guest]

Hello,
My Sony VAIO came with Windows XP. I upgraded to Windows Vista and it has run poorly ever since. How can I remove Vista from my laptop? It did not come with recovery disks but I have purchased a Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade. What do you recommend? Thanks for your help. My laptop will barely run now.

Thanks,

Crazy in Arizona

 

[dwellman]

If you start the install process from within Windows you don't need to provide a "previous" version of Windows. But, you cannot do a "clean install" that way, I do believe.

Easiest thing is to grab a copy of 98 or ME or borrow one and have it handy for when the GUI install asks for it.

Edit: actually you "could" do a clean install by starting withing windows if you install to a different partition and then use a partition editor (GPARTED) later on to rejigger things and activate the correct partition. . but be careful with drive letters. I really don't recommend this, but if you have your data backed up, there's no harm in it.