installing XP after Vista

[eggman]

Hi guys

I brought a Dell Inspiron 6400 laptop which came preloaded with Windows Vista Home Premium.
Now i want it to install Windows XP. But when put the (original) windows, the Setup Windows Option comes disabled.
Its a bootable disk, when I restart the computer with the cd, no option comes to boot computer with the disk.

What should I do to install Windows XP,without unloading Vista first.

[s18000rpm]

does your Dell have a Recovery Partition???

If yes, forget 'bout installing XP, if you install it, it'll return this NTLDR Missing error.

I have a first hand experience with that error on my HP Pavilion Desktop

& do you have the Vista Installation DVD (Recovery Disks), if not then make one using the Dell's inbuilt feature.

[Third Eye]

Go to bios and set the cd-rom priority first and then save the settings.Now you can boot the WinXP CD.

[s18000rpm]

eggman i'll again WARN you about this error, coz repairing the XP Installation wont help you out of that error untill unless you delete/format that recovery Partition

[eggman]

does your Dell have a Recovery Partition???

If yes, forget 'bout installing XP, if you install it, it'll return this NTLDR Missing error.

I have a first hand experience with that error on my HP Pavilion Desktop

& do you have the Vista Installation DVD (Recovery Disks), if not then make one using the Dell's inbuilt feature.

yes i do have.

So you mean, I can't install XP???

[s18000rpm]

you can install it but as i said you will NEVER be able to Boot into XP.

read my experience with that NTLDR.
here -> Installing XP NTLDR error

so if you really want XP, then you have two options,
1- get rid of the Recovery Partition. - it'll be a big pain in the back side, if something goes wrong in Vista.

2- Ask the Registry guru's here for hiding that Partition from "XP Setup". - doin this very thing is a big pain in the back side

btw why do you wanna De-Grade your system to XP now.???

[anandk]

as a thumb rule its best to install the older os first.

btw i am contemplating buying the same lappy too ! howz it ?

[fun2sh]

that not a problem i will help u how to install it but u dont let me do it on ur laptop.tell me wen i should cum. after gettin ntldr error it can be corrected & i hav done it millions of times.

[s18000rpm]

^dude did you read the post in the link i gave

here ->Installing XP NTLDR error

As long as the RECOVERY PARTITION stays in the HDD, you CANNOT resolve the NTLDR error.

i tried all the possible methods (copying ntldr frm XP CD, repairing XP...) to resolve it but that error always came.

it vanished as soon as i Deleted the RECOVERY PARTITION.

[eggman]

I can't even go to the BIOS in dell
F12,DEL,ESC.......nothing works

[s18000rpm]

try F1