remove vista; restore xp...but have no partition or disks

[nctalkinghead]

I purchased a T43 that the owner had wiped hard drive clean and installed a bootleg copy of Vista. The TP has an XP COA sticker, but I have no disks, no "restore to factory settings" option - nothing!

Vista and I do not get along too well and I want to go back to XP. I have a legit XP upgrade CD, but of course it won't work on the Vista machine.

Any thoughts from you guys? Thanks in advance.

[jdhurst]

Since you have a T43 with a COA sticker, the best thing to do would be to obtain a set of recovery CD's - eBay or appeal to users here. That should work.

Another way, less obvious, is to obtain a Windows NT4 CD (buy one from eBay with a bona-fide license key). Start up the Windows XP upgrade (for which I assume you have a bona-fide license key), and when it says it needs a qualifying product, insert the NT4 CD.

I kept NT4 license and sold the computer with no OS because these old licenses are generally more valuable than the computers they came on. Same with my full Office 97 CD. Keep these old licenses! (legitimate, of course, as are mine all legitmate).
... JDH

[carbon_unit]

An old windows 98 disc will work too.

[nctalkinghead]

I have successfully returned to the world of XP, so mods you may lock this one! Thanks for the help!