Downgrading to Windows XP 64 from Vista 64

Dappy

Dappy

Dappy

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Downgrading to Windows XP Pro from Vista 64

I'm currently using Windows Vista 64bit Ultimate Retail edition and I'm wanting to downgrade to XP 64bit.

I'm hoping to download the 120 day trial of XP 64 and then activate it over the telephone with my Vista Retail key under the downgrade rights. Is this possible to do with the trial edition or do I need to obtain a full copy of the CD with a key?

Also I'm trying to locate the trial download, but it appears Microsoft may have pulled the XP 64 trial from their website as I can't find it? Does anyone have any direct URLs to the download or can I obtain a copy of the full XP64 cd from elsewhere and use that?
 
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You really should rethink this decision.
WinXP 64bit really is a badly supported OS.
You need to remember that the only reason it ever saw the light of day was because AMD had a 64bit CPU and no Windows OS to show off.
Microsoft at the time were willing to sleep with anybody (rather than the historical "Wintel") so recompiled WinXP to 64bit.
The industry didn't take to it and driver support is poor to say the least.

If you don't want to stay with Vista then I'd recommend dropping to 32bit XP - at least you'll get better support.
 
Sorry I forgot to mention that I have SP1 installed.

My main reason for downgrading is the poor Creative XFi drivers, every week or so the drivers will cause my machine to freeze then on reboot Vista re-detects the card but can't find a driver for it so I have to uninstall the XFi drivers then re-install. It's only been happening since SP1 so I think that may have broke something. This issue has happened 3 times since I did a clean install with SP1 with zero problems before SP1.

I know it's not entirely Vista's fault but if only Creative would start to release updated drivers more quickly.

Thanks for the info about XP 64, I'll stick with the 32bit version should I downgrade, I had assumed XP64 had better driver support these days.

I'm still in two minds whether to downgrade to XP or do another clean install.
 
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Could try the on-board sound chip as a crash free tempory measure. Probably hate it, but it's an option to consider.
 
I was thinking about that but I'd rather downgrade to XP then suffer with standard sound. I've started the process, i'm backing up my data then doing a clean install of XP Pro SP2 later this afternoon. I'll keep an eye on Creative's drivers to see if they release another good set around the time SP1 is made available to the general public at large.

I'm actually looking forward to 'upgrading' to XP at the moment. :)
 
You have answered your own question tbh, Install vista without SP1 and wait until creative get a good set of drivers on the go, you know SP1 hasn’t being released officially by Microsoft? Give creative a chance and more so Vista IMO changing to XP64 is criminal :D
 
fothsn said:
You have answered your own question tbh, Install vista without SP1 and wait until creative get a good set of drivers on the go, you know SP1 hasn’t being released officially by Microsoft? Give creative a chance and more so Vista IMO changing to XP64 is criminal :D
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I've got a gigabit network and had problems with that running at 100mbps speeds as well as hibernation & slow start time issues pre-SP1 so I can't win.

I'm going back to XP Pro (32bit) for the time being and not bothering with the 64bit edition.
 
Dappy said:
I've got a gigabit network and had problems with that running at 100mbps speeds as well as hibernation & slow start time issues pre-SP1 so I can't win.

I'm going back to XP Pro (32bit) for the time being and not bothering with the 64bit edition.
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Ah :(

Still I would personally stick it out with Vista and try to find a cure for the driver issues, have you posted on the creative forum or the like? They should be able to point you in the right direction :)


http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board?board.id=Vista
 
fothsn said:
Ah :(

Still I would personally stick it out with Vista and try to find a cure for the driver issues, have you posted on the creative forum or the like? They should be able to point you in the right direction :)


http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board?board.id=Vista
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I've given it 3 chances :p no more :) Thanks for the tip on Creative's forums, I have already looked on there and seen similar issues but it just appears that Vista & X-Fi don't mix as the general feeling I get whilst browsing through their forums is that each person has a different problem than someone else but all with one thing in common, Vista.

I'll leave Vista on the shelf for now, if only I could ditch Creative and go with another manufacturer but it's EAX holding me back.
 
Dappy said:
I've given it 3 chances :p no more :) Thanks for the tip on Creative's forums, I have already looked on there and seen similar issues but it just appears that Vista & X-Fi don't mix as the general feeling I get whilst browsing through their forums is that each person has a different problem than someone else but all with one thing in common, Vista.

I'll leave Vista on the shelf for now, if only I could ditch Creative and go with another manufacturer but it's EAX holding me back.
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No problem :)

Just a shame creative are ruining your Vista experience :( Looking on that site as you say SP1 seems to cause issues, hopefully they will get it all sorted. I have an SB Audio card in my main PC which is running Ultimate X64 & SP1 I don’t see any problems at all guess its luck of the draw mate.
 
Dappy said:
Sorry I forgot to mention that I have SP1 installed.

My main reason for downgrading is the poor Creative XFi drivers, every week or so the drivers will cause my machine to freeze then on reboot Vista re-detects the card but can't find a driver for it so I have to uninstall the XFi drivers then re-install. It's only been happening since SP1 so I think that may have broke something. This issue has happened 3 times since I did a clean install with SP1 with zero problems before SP1.

I know it's not entirely Vista's fault but if only Creative would start to release updated drivers more quickly.

Thanks for the info about XP 64, I'll stick with the 32bit version should I downgrade, I had assumed XP64 had better driver support these days.

I'm still in two minds whether to downgrade to XP or do another clean install.
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I have been running X64 Vista Ultimate with X-Fi since Pre-SP1 and have had no problems whatsoever, even messed about with all sort of modified drivers then put back the official one :D Will never go back to XP again.
 
I'm currently running XP Pro after downgrading from Vista and all was well until the last reboot, Windows booted up ok but this time it had lost the audio drivers just like it did on Vista. So it looks like I may have a fault with my XtremeMusic which is still under warranty with another supplier.

I did a image of Vista before I downgraded so I'm going back to Vista and RMA'ing my sound card. I Will use the onboard sound for now.
 
Same card I have got the Music one but on XP just now...Hope you get this fixed. It's the oly part of my current pc I'm moving to the new build.

So Vista 64 should have no problems with X-Fi XtremeMusic?
and games like Bf2 etc do they play ok on it?
 
One agaisnt the grain, but Im currently on Vista64ULT and I went from XP64 and any day now Im going back ( For the 4th time since I got Vista )

Driver support for XP64 is bad?

Absolute crap.

older hardware sure, USB Modems and some TV Cards, but almost all newer stuff has 64Bit drivers.

I have not come across anything in the last year or so, that I have not had running just fine on XP64... Well, there has bveen a few things but they are crappy bits that I have no intention of wanting to use, so they dont count.

Driver support for XP64 is every bit as good as it is on Vista.

Go to XP64 mate... In my opinion, its too quickly slated by people who have not truly tested it out.
 
FatRakoon said:
One agaisnt the grain, but Im currently on Vista64ULT and I went from XP64 and any day now Im going back ( For the 4th time since I got Vista )

Driver support for XP64 is bad?

Absolute crap.

older hardware sure, USB Modems and some TV Cards, but almost all newer stuff has 64Bit drivers.

I have not come across anything in the last year or so, that I have not had running just fine on XP64... Well, there has bveen a few things but they are crappy bits that I have no intention of wanting to use, so they dont count.

Driver support for XP64 is every bit as good as it is on Vista.

Go to XP64 mate... In my opinion, its too quickly slated by people who have not truly tested it out.
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Why you moving back?
 
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