changing windows vista to xp

Welcome to the forums :emotion-21:

It's likely you need to change a particular hard drive setting in the BIOS?

Go into the BIOS, and change the SATA operation mode from AHCI to ATA.

Remember to 'Save' the change, put the XP disc in the optical drive, and reboot the system.

Hopefully that'll get you going?

Since Dell is supporting XP on that system see HERE

You need to do as previously posted check the SATA settings in the bios and make sure they are set to ATA.

Since you are not using a Dell XP disk you will need to download the SATA driver for XP listed. Then you will need to slipstream that into the OS install disk as you do not have a floppy drive.

Once you have the OS installed you need to follow the instruction HERE on the proper order to reload drivers. 

SATA Driver for XP

Notebook system softwarethe

Chipset install this one first

Chipset 2

Bluetooth driver  This is the only one listed so it must be the one for your system

Now for your wireless you need to see what model you currently have.

The same for your video as there are two listed an Intel driver for Intel graphics and Nvidia drive.

I have a 4-year old Inspiron 9200 with xp pro, and i bought a powerful Studio 1537 with Vista premium.  I am technically advanced on the very low side.  Before my purchase, I spent a great deal of time researching the feasibility of replacing Vista with xp.

I would not recommend you do so unless you are MS certified.  You will develop more problematic issues than you can imagine.

Having said that, I absolutely hate Vista and wish I would've gone with any with xp (I think Dell has xp only with Lattitude; not sure).  They took xp, added about 15 sub-menus to the exisiting menus, and added 60 menus with several sub-menus, and voila, we have vista.  It's all a scam between the computer makers and MS, with MS setting the rules for the world.

To further add insult to injury, this is my 4th laptop, 3 Desktops, 2 22' monitors and a fortune in accesories - all in the last 4 years from Dell.  This is not the same Dell.  It was the worst buying experience in my 50 years of breathing air.  I will never ever again consider Dell.  It's unfortunate because I love all my Dell PC's (except this studio which was defective and waiting for a replacement).  I'm quite sad over it.

Welcome to the forums bucksalum :emotion-21:

I am technically advanced on the very low side.

I'm not quite following what you mean by that?  You can't be both "technically advanced", and "on the very low side"?

Experience is normally classed as 'beginner', 'intermediate', or 'advanced'?

Before my purchase, I spent a great deal of time researching the feasibility of replacing Vista with xp. I would not recommend you do so unless you are MS certified.  You will develop more problematic issues than you can imagine.

Why do you suggest someone needs to be "MS certified", just to move from Vista to XP? 

There's nothing at all difficult about wiping Vista, and installing XP instead?

The only possible problem someone might have, is getting hold of all the XP drivers required.

But you certainly don't need to be MS certified to find drivers?