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Post by shaggyhair on May 2, 2016 13:17:18 GMT
I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 laptop which originally had Windows Vista installed and was upgraded to Windows 7 a few years ago.
For various reasons I would like to remove everything currently on the laptop and install Windows XP from an OEM System Builder Pack that I purchased some years ago and never used. The laptop will be a standalone device not connected to the internet.
Anyone any bright ideas how I might go about doing this. Could I for instance just delete everything that is on the laptop (If that is possible) and insert the XP disc and go from there?
Any thoughts well received.
brian
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Post by vikingken on May 2, 2016 22:45:31 GMT
Use your XP installation disk to delete everything on the disk, then just format and install. When the disk opens, click Install. it will then download files. At the installation point, click on the Advanced Options and that will give you all the choices to Delete, Format and whatever.
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Post by mikkh on May 3, 2016 8:57:02 GMT
You can delete partitions (thus everything) as part of the install, but ...... I would think twice about putting XP on anything
The lack of support/updates from Microsoft wouldn't worry me, but increasingly third party software especially security software is refusing to install if XP is detected
Finding drivers for XP could prove difficult too. It's had a good run but XP is not a viable OS any more unless it's for an ancient machine that's not good enough to run Windows 7
Even then I'd think twice and install a light version of Linux instead
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Post by shaggyhair on May 4, 2016 18:18:44 GMT
Vikingken - When inserting the Windows XP disc and running it, the 'Install XP' command is grey'd out and not functional which was why I thought about deleting everything first.
Mikkh - As I indicated in my first question I have no intention of connecting the laptop to the internet and drivers will not be an issue.
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Post by vikingken on May 4, 2016 23:29:56 GMT
If you had Windows 7 installed, I presume you must have the installation disk and can use it to delete everything. I thought as you were installing XP, you could have done it with the one disk. As the Install is greyed out, does that mean the other options are not available?? You cant install XP on the same partition as another OS, but Windows 7 will allow you to install XP if you have a vacant partition. Before Windows 7, you could only install an upgrade and nothing below. I did install XP on a Windows 7 machine, just to see if I could. I already had free space to install on, but it was a long time ago and I dont remember what the score was when I put the disk in.
Whaever way you go about it, I would definately wipe the disk clean.
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Post by mikkh on May 6, 2016 5:50:26 GMT
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