Back to XP from Vista

A few weeks ago I upgraded my laptop from XP home premium to vista home
premium. After the thrity days trial period the OS locked and it only gives
me access to Explorer to validate my copy of Vista. However i am getting it
pretty difficult to validate it through my dial up connection. As i live in
Ethiopia validating it by phone is also not an option as I get disconnected
from the service and the telephone charge I am paying is becoming
unaccepatable. so instead of all this hustle i am thinking of going back to
my old beautiful XP. Could someone please tell whether I could do this
(preferably stillre retaining my Office 2003 and other applications) but if
not even without it .
--
Mesfin Getahun

Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b/933168/en-us

You have to have the windows.old folder to do it.
It is suposed to be a toll-free number!
Check further for the phone option, and hang on in Microsoft's time, not
yours.

"Mesfin Getahun" wrote:

> A few weeks ago I upgraded my laptop from XP home premium to vista home
> premium. After the thrity days trial period the OS locked and it only gives
> me access to Explorer to validate my copy of Vista. However i am getting it
> pretty difficult to validate it through my dial up connection. As i live in
> Ethiopia validating it by phone is also not an option as I get disconnected
> from the service and the telephone charge I am paying is becoming
> unaccepatable. so instead of all this hustle i am thinking of going back to
> my old beautiful XP. Could someone please tell whether I could do this
> (preferably stillre retaining my Office 2003 and other applications) but if
> not even without it .
> --
> Mesfin Getahun
>
> Addis Ababa
> Ethiopia

Hi,

If the applications were installed previously under XP and you upgraded the
system and did not do a clean install, then you may be able to recover the
old OS using the procedure here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b/933168/en-us

Otherwise, it'd be a clean install of XP after backing up all data to
removable media, and then removing and rebuilding the system volume. All
programs would have to be reinstalled from their original installation
media. Why didn't you activate in the required time period? It would've been
far easier to than doing this.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Mesfin Getahun" <mesfinkuchu@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:F7D09659-592E-461B-8B1A-7B1B9A3D1A67@microsoft.com...
>A few weeks ago I upgraded my laptop from XP home premium to vista home
> premium. After the thrity days trial period the OS locked and it only
> gives
> me access to Explorer to validate my copy of Vista. However i am getting
> it
> pretty difficult to validate it through my dial up connection. As i live
> in
> Ethiopia validating it by phone is also not an option as I get
> disconnected
> from the service and the telephone charge I am paying is becoming
> unaccepatable. so instead of all this hustle i am thinking of going back
> to
> my old beautiful XP. Could someone please tell whether I could do this
> (preferably stillre retaining my Office 2003 and other applications) but
> if
> not even without it .
> --
> Mesfin Getahun
>
> Addis Ababa
> Ethiopia

i have the old files copied to a CD using file transfer if that is what u
are refering to. as to toll free telephone, that service is not available
from Ethiopia. thanks anyway

--
Mesfin Getahun

Addis Ababa
Ethiopia


"Mick Murphy" wrote:

> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b/933168/en-us
>
> You have to have the windows.old folder to do it.
> It is suposed to be a toll-free number!
> Check further for the phone option, and hang on in Microsoft's time, not
> yours.
>
> "Mesfin Getahun" wrote:
>
> > A few weeks ago I upgraded my laptop from XP home premium to vista home
> > premium. After the thrity days trial period the OS locked and it only gives
> > me access to Explorer to validate my copy of Vista. However i am getting it
> > pretty difficult to validate it through my dial up connection. As i live in
> > Ethiopia validating it by phone is also not an option as I get disconnected
> > from the service and the telephone charge I am paying is becoming
> > unaccepatable. so instead of all this hustle i am thinking of going back to
> > my old beautiful XP. Could someone please tell whether I could do this
> > (preferably stillre retaining my Office 2003 and other applications) but if
> > not even without it .
> > --
> > Mesfin Getahun
> >
> > Addis Ababa
> > Ethiopia

I am not referring to "old" files on your CD.

Read the link at the top of my 1st post.
The "windows.old" folder is neeed to restore back to XP.
The link will tell you where to find it on your C Drive.

"Mesfin Getahun" wrote:

>
> i have the old files copied to a CD using file transfer if that is what u
> are refering to. as to toll free telephone, that service is not available
> from Ethiopia. thanks anyway
>
> --
> Mesfin Getahun
>
> Addis Ababa
> Ethiopia
>
>
> "Mick Murphy" wrote:
>
> > http://support.microsoft.com/default...b/933168/en-us
> >
> > You have to have the windows.old folder to do it.
> > It is suposed to be a toll-free number!
> > Check further for the phone option, and hang on in Microsoft's time, not
> > yours.
> >
> > "Mesfin Getahun" wrote:
> >
> > > A few weeks ago I upgraded my laptop from XP home premium to vista home
> > > premium. After the thrity days trial period the OS locked and it only gives
> > > me access to Explorer to validate my copy of Vista. However i am getting it
> > > pretty difficult to validate it through my dial up connection. As i live in
> > > Ethiopia validating it by phone is also not an option as I get disconnected
> > > from the service and the telephone charge I am paying is becoming
> > > unaccepatable. so instead of all this hustle i am thinking of going back to
> > > my old beautiful XP. Could someone please tell whether I could do this
> > > (preferably stillre retaining my Office 2003 and other applications) but if
> > > not even without it .
> > > --
> > > Mesfin Getahun
> > >
> > > Addis Ababa
> > > Ethiopia