Yes, it's called dual booting. Google Dual XP and Vista you will get thousands of tutorials.
Can you still get Laptops with XP?
- Thread starter The Wizard Of OZ
- Start date
Yes, it's called dual booting. Google Dual XP and Vista you will get thousands of tutorials.
Each generation of MS OS was an improvement over the previous. Visually, technologically and in terms of how we used the operating system. 3.1 was great for it's time, windows 95 was a huge leap forward visually and for connectivity, windows 98 was more stable and expanded connectivity even more, NT had better security and stability.
Then came windows XP. The first truly stable and powerful MS OS that didn't crash regularly, that could be installed when the computer was new and might not need to be reinstalled several times over the life of the computer. People got accustomed to NOT having a bunch of problems all the time. XP wasn't perfect, but it was by far the best that had come along in the history of main stream, mass market computing.
Vista may be far superior to XP in many ways that most users don't know or understand, but it looks and works about the same as XP, but requires a much more powerful computer to run it. It may look and be functionally about the same as XP, but then some weird things start popping up. Weird glitches and some bugs and some programs that won't work anymore or that behave in strange ways. SP1 comes out and there are still glitches and bugs and weird things happening.
I can tell Vista that a certain program is the default program for opening MP3 files over and over and guess what program Vista reverts back to? WMP of course. Through the new control panel I can tell Vista that that I want to disable WMP and I want to use another program to open MP3 files. I can reboot and after a while WMP reverts to the default again. I hear weird crackle and pop sounds when I play audio. The mixer program that you use to choose which audio device you want works sometimes. You can tell it to mute windows sounds, but when you reboot you hear the familiar windows boot sound tones. With my first Vista laptop, transferring files between folders didn't work right. I would think this is a big problem. I think this was fixed in SP1. I tried a bunch of different audio programs and players in an attempt to find what programs I wanted to use for Karaoke and DJing and some of them made my system crash. For basic use like internet, email, WP, SS etc. Vista is no doubt fine and will be stable and secure, but for what I want to do, it's buggy. There are too many problems and bugs for me to trust Vista.
Then came windows XP. The first truly stable and powerful MS OS that didn't crash regularly, that could be installed when the computer was new and might not need to be reinstalled several times over the life of the computer. People got accustomed to NOT having a bunch of problems all the time. XP wasn't perfect, but it was by far the best that had come along in the history of main stream, mass market computing.
Vista may be far superior to XP in many ways that most users don't know or understand, but it looks and works about the same as XP, but requires a much more powerful computer to run it. It may look and be functionally about the same as XP, but then some weird things start popping up. Weird glitches and some bugs and some programs that won't work anymore or that behave in strange ways. SP1 comes out and there are still glitches and bugs and weird things happening.
I can tell Vista that a certain program is the default program for opening MP3 files over and over and guess what program Vista reverts back to? WMP of course. Through the new control panel I can tell Vista that that I want to disable WMP and I want to use another program to open MP3 files. I can reboot and after a while WMP reverts to the default again. I hear weird crackle and pop sounds when I play audio. The mixer program that you use to choose which audio device you want works sometimes. You can tell it to mute windows sounds, but when you reboot you hear the familiar windows boot sound tones. With my first Vista laptop, transferring files between folders didn't work right. I would think this is a big problem. I think this was fixed in SP1. I tried a bunch of different audio programs and players in an attempt to find what programs I wanted to use for Karaoke and DJing and some of them made my system crash. For basic use like internet, email, WP, SS etc. Vista is no doubt fine and will be stable and secure, but for what I want to do, it's buggy. There are too many problems and bugs for me to trust Vista.
Just got an email from Dell today saying that this is THE LAST time they will be offering XP laptops on any kind of deal.
Until something requires replacing on the computer, such as a mobo, etc., and then the OEM version of XP they installed, will no longer be valid...
In the OEM scheme of things, each part of the computer is assigned a certain number of points (Mobo, HDD, Memory, etc.). When you exceed changing XX number of points (which only Redmond knows the values), the OEM copy will no longer be able to activate, and you need to purchase a new OS.
Just something to be aware of -- and we'll see you on Vista just a short ways down the road...
Mr. Wizard...
There was 98, then.... MS Me... Remember that debacle?
Is history repeating itself with Vista? I don't know just yet. However, IMO, everyone that uses an Microsoft product is a beta tester.
XP was the first OS that performed well when it was released.
G-Lou
P.S. Rick, cant you just contact the hot line and get the re-activation code with an OEM XP copy? I have a Vostro 200 desktop with XP home. I have upgraded the memory and added a SATA HHD no problems yet...
There was 98, then.... MS Me... Remember that debacle?
Is history repeating itself with Vista? I don't know just yet. However, IMO, everyone that uses an Microsoft product is a beta tester.
XP was the first OS that performed well when it was released.
G-Lou
P.S. Rick, cant you just contact the hot line and get the re-activation code with an OEM XP copy? I have a Vostro 200 desktop with XP home. I have upgraded the memory and added a SATA HHD no problems yet...
Rick, the XP box I get right now is a bridge to the future. If it last lets say 2 years, I'll be happy. I can put it on ebay at that point and get back 1/2 to 2/3 of what I paid originally. The prices on ebay for used laptops is crazy. I can donate it to a local school. I can give it to a family member. I can donate it to a charity. It's no big deal.
Anyways, if all the problems I'm having with Vista are fixed I'll gladly buy a Vista computer or I'll wait and get the next operating system after Vista.
I don't have a problem with Vista per se, I just want to be able to do my thing without problems. When Vista can do that I'm there.
Anyways, if all the problems I'm having with Vista are fixed I'll gladly buy a Vista computer or I'll wait and get the next operating system after Vista.
I don't have a problem with Vista per se, I just want to be able to do my thing without problems. When Vista can do that I'm there.
I don't know what you guys do to your PC's...nary a problem with XP...and Vista has worked flawless since I bought the lappy 6 months ago...
Me thinks you is blaming the wrong people....
Me thinks you is blaming the wrong people....
Lou,
If you reach some lady in India, and promise to marry her sister and bring her over (or just lie), she will probably give you it, but it is illegal, and against the MS EULA for OEM copies of the software.
Adding stuff will not change your point value -- replacing stuff that existed when it was activated will.
And yes, I agree -- 98 and ME, were the two biggest pieces of trash MS ever released. They were the betas for XP, but using a 16 bit kernel.
Wiz,
I have to agree with Steve...
Check your Task Manager -- if you have more than 35-40 processes in total running -- you have junk running, that is probably hosing yer machine. Retail copies (and my corporate edition copies), perform flawlessly. OEM copies, have all the junk whatever OEM decides to put on them. You have to remove all that crap, one by one, or get a clean retail version.
You get what you pay for in this case -- not MS's fault...
Maybe it's the Dell internal sound card hardware that's causing the crackle and pop sounds when I play music? I don't know. Maybe I am blaming Vista when it's the laptop. Although I'm still having some crackle even with the Behringer if I think about it, so what's causing it? This is the worst symptom and one I can't allow.
It's complicated, I know that I didn't have problems with XP. . .
It's complicated, I know that I didn't have problems with XP. . .
As I said repeatedly on other threads, I have cleaned all the crapola off. I don't have near 35 processes running. I got rid of a bunch of junk when I first started the computer up and I've updated every single MS update as they come available. I appreciate that y'all are trying to help me. My current 17" laptop will be a nice home system for me and the wife for every day use and can even be considered a back up for my main XP laptop when I get it. Never thought about that, that's a positive thing to come out of this. I'll have a back up.
I went and scanned the Dell web site again today and they have some XP home systems in the dell outlet. I can get one for just over $600. It's basic, but it should do the job.
I went and scanned the Dell web site again today and they have some XP home systems in the dell outlet. I can get one for just over $600. It's basic, but it should do the job.
Vista's audio stack is different than XPs.
Ok, lets try to diagnose it...
How many pieces of audio software do you have on the machine, and what are they (and I mean anything, from iTunes, to Winamp, to WMP, to anything that plays videos, etc.)? Not just stuff you use, but stuff that may have a helper process running in the background, etc.
Missed this one:
Then part of your OS is missing
Perhaps you removed something you shouldn't have...
Then part of your OS is missing
Perhaps you removed something you shouldn't have...
Check your Task Manager -- if you have more than 35-40 processes in total running -- you have junk running, that is probably hosing yer machine. Retail copies (and my corporate edition copies), perform flawlessly. OEM copies, have all the junk whatever OEM decides to put on them. You have to remove all that crap, one by one, or get a clean retail version.
You get what you pay for in this case -- not MS's fault...
Rick,
I counted 48 processes running but only one application, IE. How do you figure out what is needed and what isn't so that you can remove some stuff?
You go to Google, and search for the name of every process, one by one, and their are sites which will tell you what they are, and if you can safely remove them, and if you also need to change the startup config, so they don't run again the next time you reboot (which is probably Wiz's problem).
It's very time consuming to do it right.
It's cheaper IMHO, to buy a retail version, and reload the OS -- depends on how much your time is worth (uh-oh, I said a bad word -- worth) :sqerr:
Rick, I checked and msmsgs.exe for example is crap, so how do I remove it? Or should I just right click and set the affinity to no processors?
Don't know -- it's not on mine.
Try Control Panel -> Programs and Features, and see if it's in there, and you can uninstall it. I know it's MS Messenger (or a virus, depending).
A lot of viruses mimic common process names...
I have 42 total running (64 bit OS -- processes for all users). 5 are related to my anti-virus (ESET), and my super-duper-video-card-that-eats-too-much-power-thing
Yep... Install XP First then Vista... It will show a dual booting screen... I think you need Ultimate though... I have 3 os though...