Thank you for your quick response.

 

All I want to do is install Windows XP Professional with SP2. I do not require Windows Vista Home Premium atleast for the forseeable future.

 

I will be provided a geniune copy of Win XP Prof by my university.

 

Will there be any problems in doing this, or is it as simple as popping in the installation CD, formatting the existing partition and completing the Win XP Professional installation? What about the hardware devices and drivers (in the context of the Dell XPS M1330)?.

Thanks for your reply and the link. I will be connecting to the internet wirelessly all the time.

 

Considering that, how should I go about removing Windows Vista Home Premium and getting it to work with Windows XP Professional? Is it just a matter of doing the following (in order):

1.) Backing up all my data
2.) Booting from the installation CD provided by my university
3.) Choosing to format the partition on which Windows Vista Home premium resides completely
4.) Completing the Windows XP Professional setup
5.) Installing all the required drivers after downloading them from the website? (I will need to keep their setups burned on a CD/DVD beforehand, right?)

Please do advise me on whether I am right in stating the above, especially no. 5.) . Is it enough if I download all the drivers and keep them ready for installation on a CD/DVD and install all of them AFTER I complete the windows XP professional setup?

 

Also, do I need to download the Windows XP drivers x64, or x32?

 

Thanks for your help once again.

 

 

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&SystemID=XPS_M1330

 

Here is the link for the drivers needed for xp,just fomat and install your copy of xp,just remember to get the p drivers.not knowing how you connect to the internet make sure you install your nic card or modem drivers first,so you can get online in case you need to solve driver or any other problem.

 

 

Xps 410
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows XP Pro SP2
Windows 2008 Longhorn Server Beta 64 Bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 Conroe 2.66GHz
3 Gig of Crucial Ram
400 Gig sata HD
GeForce 8800GTS 640MB
UltraSharp 2407WFP LCD Monitor
Creative ZS Sound Card
Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

Comp-TIA A+Certified.

That is exactly how you do it,and yes gathering all your drivers before hand is the right thing to do,but  like i said before, make sure you install the wireless or wired ethernet controllers first.not having internet can make for a nightmare if you run into issues,and you will use the 32 bit drivers,

 

Good Luck.

 

 

Xps 410
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows XP Pro SP2
Windows 2008 Longhorn Server Beta 64 Bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 Conroe 2.66GHz
3 Gig of Crucial Ram
400 Gig sata HD
GeForce 8800GTS 640MB
UltraSharp 2407WFP LCD Monitor
Creative ZS Sound Card
Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

Comp-TIA A+Certified.

I can only install the drivers for wireless and ethernet once Windows XP Professional is installed right?

 

And, are the drivers in the link provided by you all that I need? Or are there any patches/fixes/utilities required also?

 

Thank you very much for your assistance all this while once again.

 

As for the post above me, it looks dicey...so I suggest you check with Dell technical support before you try and downgrade.

I can't understand how I can install the Ethernet and Wireless drivers without first installing Windows XP Professional. How do I do that, considering I have all the driver setups on burned on a CD/DVD.

 

Also, is there any general order I should follow in installing the drivers?

 

Thanks a ton for your help.

No you can install them all, just install the  ethernet/wireless first,and by doing this you will get the answer to your second question about updates,once the system is up you will need to activate windows,the best way to do this requires an internet connection.after you activate if it is successful visit this site and update xp, windowsupdate.microsoft.com

 

Xps 410
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows XP Pro SP2
Windows 2008 Longhorn Server Beta 64 Bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 Conroe 2.66GHz
3 Gig of Crucial Ram
400 Gig sata HD
GeForce 8800GTS 640MB
UltraSharp 2407WFP LCD Monitor
Creative ZS Sound Card
Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

Comp-TIA A+Certified.

thunderhead1,

 

I think you misunderstood. You will have to install XP first and then the appropriate drivers. Obviously you can't install the drivers first. Here is the recommended order of installation.