From Vista to XP Pro on Vaio FE41M

[robbindi]

Hi, someone can help me? I have absolutly to downgrade from Vista to XP Pro, i've a XP Pro Corporate + SP2 on CD but im insure on yhe procedure ....

1) To install XP i have to format all, also the Restore Partition to free space ( i did Restore CD), but ... what are the exact steps to do that?

2) After is enought boot with the XP CD and the installation goes. Doesnt needs any floppy? (i'vent floppy driver..)

3) After installation can i use the FE31M drivers for XP? Some advice for graphical card ? (GeForce Go 7400)

Sorry for confused questions but im in trouble ...

[MattWilson]

You will need a USB floppy drive with a floppy disc that contains the SATA drivers that can be found on the intel website.

When you start the machine (already having the floppy attached).

When you see the VAIO logo press F2 repeatedly until you see the BIOS.

Make sure that the boot order has the CD/DVD drive first.

Save it and restart (With disc in).

When the WINDOWS XP SETUP screen is shown hit F6 and this will take the drivers off the floppy disc.

When this is done it will start the normal XP setup process.

When it gets to the partitions screen you can hover over the recovery partition and press delete to make sure you have one complete disc. (Make sure you make backup discs in vista 1st)

Hit enter and it will ask you which file system you would like (NTFS but not the quick one).

After it is all installed the FE31 drivers should give you everything you need.

Anything you have problems with then post them and we will try and help.

[robbindi]

Actually i hurry started formatting before see your message, i didnt used USB floppy driver(i havent..), but there wasnt problems, it recognized hard disk, so now the installation is going ... thanks for now

[MattWilson]

Well let us know how you get on

[robbindi]

Gosh, i get lost 20 gb after the downgrade procedure...before formatting the FE41M to install XP Pro i decided to erase the Rescue Space, but now, after installed XP the Hardisk look only 102 GB, it should be 120 ,
and also.. i see now in Sistem Management: i have a C: disk with 102 GB, and a 9,31 Gb of "not allocated" space, not partitionated, its normal?... what is my mistake?

[MattWilson]

If your hard drive is 120GB then in actually computing units (1024bytes in a kb) then it is 111GB.

The recovery partition has been deleted but the partition is still there. When you get to the partition screen in the setup you need to delete the space until there is one item that says unpartitioned space or something like that.

I suggest you do it again

[zzzcarol]

Hi Matt,
you are a wizard ,I am in the same position.
I have instaled xp pro,and have been hunting for all the missing drivers, so I will do the stuff you suggested.
Matt what comes before FE31M
Thanks Matt.
Best Carol

[MattWilson]

Matt what comes before FE31M

There are the 11 and 21 series. Both had XP.

[zzzcarol]

Hi Matt,
Thank you.
Let you know how I get on.

Big Hugs,
Carol.

[MattWilson]

Let you know how I get on.

Hope it goes ok