This is a long one but just need some advice if anyone can possibly help.

Have a Compaq Desktop PC [new] which is running Vista - [not happy with Vista at all as sick of a lot of our favourite programmes not now being compatible with Vista.[160gb hard drive]

Have a custom built desktop PC which has a 250gb Maxtor hard drive running Windows XP. Having problems with this computer and have just had a new psu fitted as it would boot up but then switch itself off just after starting Windows. However there are other problems with this pc as it keeps freezing and turns itself off - when I try to start it up it freezes at the screen showing the make of the motherboard. The only way to start it is to tap F8. So we are thinking of putting this pc to rest.

I have just read that you can run two operating systems on one computer if it has two hard drives - so my question is could we have the Maxtor hard drive [which runs on XP] taken out of the custom built computer and put into the Compaq Desktop.

is is possible to run 2 operating systems on one PC, but i don't see its a good idea to run them from 2 different HD's, and you didn't mention what type of HD u have.is it IDE or SATA.

Anyway my suggestion is that u can partition the 160 gb HD that is on ur compaq and install XP on the new partition so u have Vista and XP on same Hard Drive.And for the 250 gb HD u can format and add it to ur compaq as backup or storage device.

I think we still have to wait few months for everything to become compatible with Vista.
U can also remove Vista from ur Compaq and install XP instead, and still use the 250 Gb drive as storage or backup device on the compaq and in few months u can reinstall Vista.

Also with your custom built one, you might possibly have an error or two on the hard drive itself. If it's freezing before booting into windows. Try running a check disk repair from the recovery console. For a 250g drive it will probably take a few hours to do it so i'd run it overnight. Boot from the XP CD, select "R" from the first screen and it will boot into the recovery console. Then at the command prompt, type "chkdsk /r" without quotations and let it run.

Just an idea as opposed to putting it to rest. If its only a simple problem theres no point in killing it.

Thanks for your advice - I was thinking of removing Vista and installing XP but I don't have a disc with Vista on it - it was installed on the machine ready when we purchased from PC World. So if I unistall it will I have to buy the programme if I decide I want to install it at a later date. I also don't think I have XP on disc anywhere it again just always came ready installed on the pc's and laptops.

Oh and is it easy to uninstall Vista and install XP???

G

It will run windows if I start up and press F8 - it then says to press F2 - then it boots into Windows but at some stage [different time lengths] it freezes or just turns itself off. Then it takes quite a few attempts to restart - even pressing F8 doesn't do it.
I also don't have any discs for this computer so I can't boot from the XP CD as I don't have one. The guy who built this heap of @&*% for us has now gone bust [I wonder why????] and the only contact I have was a guy who worked for him - who was very friendly when I first contacted him about maybe continuing to give us help on this machine and a laptop we bought from him - but once we have had problems he won't answer any emails or return calls so we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. That is why we are thinking of cutting our losses [he charged us £550 for this machine and we have been told by another computer guy [the one who fitted a new psu only last week] that the machine is full of inferior quality gear.

So maybe rather than pour money into this white elephant we would be better popping to pc world and buying new. What do you think? Feeling right royally ripped off this morning!!

Well here where i live i get the Vista or the Xp for approximatly what is equivalent to 1.5 $, u could always download them from rapidshare or any file hosting server. and yes it is easy to unistall and reinstall Vista or XP.

So if I download XP - how do I uninstall Vista and install XP?

Well the best way is to partition ur 160 gb HD (makes it 2 logicaly different drives) ur vista will be on C: and u will have a new partition D:
insert ur XP CD in ur drive and the computer will boot on the CD (it wont go to vista, it will go to the XP installation mode) follow the instruction untill u get to a part where u chose wish partition u want to install XP so u chose :D (ur new partition or whatever the Dive letter of ur new partition is)
and u keep following instructions untill the isntallations is finished.
so now each time u start ur PC it will ask u wish Windows u want to start, u chose the one u want and ur done.
Tell me if u need more details.
cheers.