Windows 7: Downgrade from Windows 7 Professional to Windows XP Professional SP2

Hi guys this is my first post of sevenforums ever, and i am rather excited I am doing a downgrade from Windows 7 Professional OS to Windows XP SP2. The machine i am doing the downgrade is an HP 500B MT, I am using the HP Restore Plus DVD that came with the machine as well as the Operating System CD. I started the setup yesterday and it seems to be taking forever!!!

Please help

Hello teekash and welcome to Seven Forums.

Please forgive these questions - I mean no disrespect. Why are you downgrading to XP? Did you know that Windows 7 Pro has an XP Mode? Did the HP 500B MT originally come with Windows 7 or XP? If it came with 7 you may have issues trying to find XP drivers. Did you know that XP is now Microsoft's biggest security headache?

Windows XP Mode - Install and Setup

Windows XP Security Headache

As to why things are taking so long, one more question. Does the HP Restore Plus DVD have Windows 7 on it or XP? If it has Windows 7, why not do a clean install of XP using an XP installation disk? It will format the hard drive (erase everything) during the install process. But you may still have driver issues if the HP originally came wiht Windows 7.

How To Clean Install Windows XP (Part 1 of 4)

I agree with you Marsmimar, however what i am trying to accomplish requires either Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows 2008 Server, since i do not have the latter, i have to use the former. I have been given the task of installing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard and this requires a machine running XP SP2 or Win 2008.

That is the dilemma i am in, and the machine is still loading drivers as we chat

If the restore appears to be progressing, however slowly, I'd let it ride.

Do you have an ordinary Windows XP Professional SP2 installation disk if your restoration attempt ultimately stalls or fails??

Video walkthrough of a Windows 7 install: Installing SQL Server R2 2008 in windows 7 - YouTube

Known compatibility issues (not a big deal): Known issues installing SQL Server on Windows 7 or on Windows Server 2008 R2

And a total walkthrough and explanation of how to install SQL Server 2008r2 on Windows 7: Aaron Bertrand : Is SQL Server 2008 supported on Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 R2?

I could imagine using some incredibly old scheduling or logging platform that you're trying to retrieve and use for archive finding purposes that was designed on, say W95 and for some reason isn't compatible at all with anything past XP... but downgrading to an obsolete OS (and not even up-to-date with SP2) for a modern and current, core Microsoft product just for compatibility with the install, is not smart in any way. That's like, Crysis 3 coming out and somehow only being compatible with DirectX 7 OR DirectX11, nothing in between and one of those versions leaves out almost every graphical feature the game uses.