How do I uninstall Windows XP?

[vida_loca]

My Thinkpad laptop came with XP but I want to uninstall it and install 2000 Professional. Windows XP is not in the Add/Remove Programs list and when I run the osuninst.exe command I get a message saying necessary registration information is missing. Help! Thanks!

[thecoalman]

Put in your 2000 disc and do a complete format and install.... Note you will lose everthing currently installed.

[ChrisX]

Put in your 2000 disc and do a complete format and install.... Note you will lose everything currently installed.

I've done that successfully on a Compaq PC after problems on WinXP Home Edition. This was 2 years ago and much better now.

It is now dual HDD and this helps in re-formatting a drive when trying to save your files.

Another thing and this would depend on your computer.

You may also have to manually install drivers on some devices such as display and modem.

For the drivers, you can either use the WinXP disc to look for them or download from a PC company or Microsoft.

ChrisX

[808smokey]

My Thinkpad laptop came with XP but I want to uninstall it and install 2000 Professional. Windows XP is not in the Add/Remove Programs list and when I run the osuninst.exe command I get a message saying necessary registration information is missing. Help! Thanks!

I would suggest having someone "show" you how to do this the first time around.

[vida_loca]

Luckily in my case losing files is not an issue because of my computer being so new, plus I had the change in OS in mind even before I took it out of the box so I have gone out of my way not to create/save any files.

Doing a complete format and install sounds good to me. And I already saved to DVD-R the files IBM suggests I save prior to installing a new OS (C:\IBMTOOLS\OSFIXES, C:\IBMTOOLS\DRIVERS, C:\IBMTOOLS\APPS, and TI PCI 1520/4520 CardBus Controller Support). Thanks everybody! I'll update after the switch.

[rkr1958]

Be careful now. If you do a reformat/clean install of W2K you're going to lose any applications that came preloaded on your laptop. A lot of times these preloaded applications only exist on system restore discs. Also, make sure you have the necessary W2K drivers (e.g., video, sound, etc.).

But the good news is is if you mess it up, since it's just out of the box, it should be easy using the system restore discs to get it bad to its original configuration.

[stiltman]

To delete XP, delete these files

arcldr.exe
arcsetup.exe
boot.ini
NTDETECT.COM
ntldr

[ChrisX]

Be careful now. If you do a reformat/clean install of W2K you're going to lose any applications that came preloaded on your laptop. A lot of times these preloaded applications only exist on system restore discs. Also, make sure you have the necessary W2K drivers (e.g., video, sound, etc.).

That's right, the sound, video, display and modem drivers you may have to manually install them yourself as W2K won't automatically do it for you.

In some case W2K can't see the devices in the laptop and you have make sure you got the W2k drivers before you do the re-formatting.

The sound didn't work and the display adapter didn't either for me and I have to install them myself.

The PC didn't see the modem too and the same thing again.

The Compaq keyboard functions to never work again and can only do normal keyboard as fine.

On top of that you may have apply "Disk Management" to organise and manage Hard disks for Win2K and this a bit complex there.

ChrisX