How Do I downgrade from Windows 7 to Windows XP on HP 64 bit desktop

[oppie2]

I have a 64 bit HP Pavilion Elite HPE-210 which has a windows 7 operating system which I want to replace with Windows XP. I want to do this because I have a lot of older but expensive software and some excellent printers and scanners which won't work at all on windows 10 and which were very "glitchy" on Windows 7 but it all worked perfectly on XP. Since I have windows 7 on one laptop & windows 10 on another, I want to switch the desktop to XP. I've used the unit's recovery discs before but I've never installed a different operating system - there is a video on YouTube with a step by step tutorial on how to do this. I've emailed HP and asked if they have any other recovery software or installation software to do this but I think I know the answer. If someone would be so kind, would you please tell me if either of these two products are the software I would need to install ... I know they're both 64 bit with activation keys but I'm no pro at this. Any other advice on this matter is most appreciated. Thank You

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323469227888?ul_noapp=true

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Windows-XP-Professional-x64-Edition-Full-Version-Disc-COA-Product-Key-6...

[Lisa_maree]

I doubt you would be able to find drivers for the HP Pavilion Elite HPE-210 for windows XP. There is no drivers on the HP site for XP.

Also as Microsoft has stopped phone activation's and the Windows XP activation servers are shut down there is no way to activate windows xp.

So I think it is a waste of money to buy the XP from ebay. You would be better to find an xp computer in a garage sale which is already activated and say put an solid state HD into it.


 

[Nev71]

Hello Oppie2,  I am faced with a very similar problem to yours at the present time.  There seems to be two methods that will solve the problem for sure.  Firstly, have a second computer with an older 32 bit operating system on it such as XP or Vista, or you could try the 32 bit version of Windows 7 as well.

The second method is to purchase some software which is fairly expensive known as "Virtual Reality" which you install onto your computer which is using Windows seven or ten 64 bit operating systems.  Should you try to activate a 32 bit program on your computer, it detects that and brings up the program to operate it in a manner just like it would be running on a computer with a 32 bit OS on it.  Apparently this process does tend to slow down the operation of your computer a little but it is quite acceptable.  Please have a look at this article which I think you will find is very relevant to your exact problem and in particular read the public feedback at the bottom of the article from a user called "guests999".

https://www.pugetsystems.com/blog/2011/01/13/windows-7-64-bit-running-32-bit-applications/

[oppie2]

@Lisa_maree, @Nev71, Thank you both so much for the input. My problem was solved for me though; my sister gave me an old Gateway with xp pro for an operating system. It doesn't put my HP desktop to any kind of productive use but at least I can run my old photoshop and corel paint and use my scanners and printers which was my ultimate objective here ... I am retired now and simply can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on new software and equipment every time these microsoft theives decide to put out a new (and usually redundant) operating system. *censored* this planned obsolescence crap! At any rate, I thank you for your input. It didn't work out the way I had planned but it did work out which is all that really matters.

[Roosje]

First and foremost, downgrading from windows 7 to windows XP is a huge mistake. Windows XP has fewer support options and microsoft itself is already phasing out support for Windows XP. Both software and hardware are already leaving Windows XP behind.
Downgrading from windows 7 to windows XP is quite easy since a machine capable of running Windows 7 can run windows XP. Follow the following simple steps;
1.Get a copy of XP.
2.Back up as Installing Windows XP from scratch will typically erase everything on your computer.
3.Install Windows XP by using the reformat operation to clean off the hard disk as part of the installation.
4.Reinstall all of the applications that you had that were separate from Windows.
5.Copy all of the data that you'd been keeping on your computer prior to this operation from your backup or any other convenient storage place that you used.