Can't restore XP image onto Win7 PC

My first post on these forums,

I am having an issue with an office computer and have run through every tactic I could think of to fix it. The hardware is an HP Compaq 6000 pro, 2.80 GHz, 1.94 GB RAM, Pentium Dual Core.

As far as I can tell, the PC is designed to run Win7, but like all the PCs in my office, it was running XP, until it crashed. I tried using the Restore CDs, but they only offered the 3 versions of Win7 for reinstall. My company normally uses a Linux based bootable program called Multi-Boot, and an ISO program called Redo, to restore images on machines with XP loaded. But no matter how I've tried, the machine will not load the image, or reinstall XP. I even zeroed the drive as a last resort, but to no avail.

My question is, what is the easiest way to get XP onto a machine that's factory default is Windows7? I can manually setup all of the additional options which the image contains, but not until I have a working version of XP on the machine. I have tried a lot of things, too many to list here, but since it's possible that I missed something simple, I would appreciate any level of response.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Have you tried the downgrade DVD to reinstall.
or
You use a std Win XP Pro CD:
XP Repair Install

Not sure if I even have a downgrade DVD. I'm sort of cleaning up the mess left behind by my predecessors. I have a kind of XP installation CD, but it's in a series, (2 of 3) of HP Restore CDs. The problem is that the first CD, (1 of 3) is the same for 5800 or 6000 series, and only allows me to reinstall the default OS, (Win7 for the 6000s, Vista for the 5800s.) Is there somewhere I can get either an XP install disc or the downgrade DVD?
Thanks for your help.

Attachment 156310

A set of downgrade DVD's from HP 540 with Vista Business.

Same of the newer HP's have a BIOS problem with Win XP.
General XP Downgrade Guide for HP Laptops - HP Support Forum

You can Order HP Recovery Disks from here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...dTypeId=321957
or
Check on Businness Support.

Thanks to both theog and whs, for your help. Some good suggestions. I'll have to try acquiring some downgrade discs.

In the end I may have been able to convince my boss allow the crashed PCs to run Windows7. My only concern is that I might have some problems when they interact with the XP computers over the network.

If you know of any issues I might run into or that I should safeguard against, let me know. and I'll try some of your solutions and see how it goes. Thanks again for your time and assistance.

whs said:

One possibility is a driver problem. You say that "it was running XP". Do you know how that XP was originally installed. Maybe the drivers were slipstreamed on the installation disk that was used at the time.

SATA Drivers - Load in Windows XP Setup on Dual Boot
OR
SATA Drivers - Slipstream into Windows XP CD

mjm6783 said:

Thanks to both theog and whs, for your help. Some good suggestions. I'll have to try acquiring some downgrade discs.

In the end I may have been able to convince my boss allow the crashed PCs to run Windows7. My only concern is that I might have some problems when they interact with the XP computers over the network.

If you know of any issues I might run into or that I should safeguard against, let me know. and I'll try some of your solutions and see how it goes. Thanks again for your time and assistance.

You are welcome.


May be worth having a look at System Properties, to see what disk was use, HP/Compaq or MS.

Attachment 156661

Downgrade DVD was best choice, but I did leave Windows 7 on two PCs, I'm trying to convince the boss to convert. Thanks for your help everyone.

Well done. Take trying with the boss.
You are welcome.