Windows Vista & Windows XP

[x7shadesofblack]

I just bought a Satellite P505-S8940. Sadly, it comes with 64bit Vista. I'd rather gouge my eyes out with rusty teaspoons than continue using Vista, so I'm looking to downgrade to XP SP2. Vista is just way too resource-intensive and I can't run some of my audio recording software on it without wanting to break something.

I searched for the drivers under Toshiba downloads, and only found a handful, which I suspect aren't all I'm gonna need... Any know where I can find these drivers so I can finally end my misery?

[Hfreeman]

This is an incredibly bad idea...

Windows 7 is coming real soon.. Vista 64 works perfectly on my E105-S1402 as it should on your system... Your system was not configured by a bunch of county bumpkin barn cleaners.  Toshiba is delivering good support and excellent products.

Please read my blog on Window 7 and related blogs on trying to find driver and 32 bit version of your software.  Please note the at I got back over 500 mb of memory when I upgrade to Window 7 Ultimate from Vista 64-Home Premium.  Here is the link

E105-S1402 ( Windows 7) upgrade Q & A ( Started:7-August-2009)

Hank Freeman

Senior Systems, Database/Data Warehouse Architect

[Darkstriker]

@x7shadesofblack: You might want to try a dual-boot install of windows xp to see if it works and all drivers are available. If not you can always still revert back to windows vista. You might also want to try a fresh install of windows vista since a lot of the sluggishness can be caused by a mass of preinstalled software that you don't need and which still slows down your system (vista 64bit with sp2 is not as bad of a resource hog as the vista rtm used to be and should run fine on a system with your specs.)

To try a windows xp dual boot all you really need to do is make an e partition with a program like acronis disk director. If you don't have a second partition to take space from, you will need to take it from the windows vista partition which vista cannot do itself. (as far as i know)

Afterwards just install windows xp on that partition. Windows xp should work fine with a partition anywhere above 5GB but i would personally recommend at least 20gb!

If XP doesn't work out you can just clear the partition and rejoin it to the original or keep it seperate for later tries.

[cee_64]

First things first.  Manufacturers of systems shipped nearly two years after the release of Vista are by no means obligated to provide drivers for an older OS such as XP, although it would be a good idea if they did.  If you believe otherwise then why stop at XP.  Why shouldn't they be required to provide Windows 2000 drivers as well and XP 64?  Sorry, but that just isn't realistic or practical.  I'm actually surprised at how many systems Toshiba has provided XP driver support for.  If you think you might want to run XP on a laptop then one needs to do their homework and pick a laptop that has the necessary XP drivers. 

Next, How to dual boot Vista and XP (with Vista installed first) -- the step-by-step guide with screenshot...  This takes the hassle out of installing XP to an existing Vista system. 

[KayakJim]

@cee_64, I have to disagree. If Microsoft is providing support for XP until 2014 then system manufacturers should also do the same since it is still considered an active and current product. Brand new netbooks are being shipped with XP further proving that XP is not a dead OS.

If XP were no longer supported by Microsoft then I could agree that manufacturers should not provide drivers.

[kernel_sanders]

Shades:  I have a similiar laptop (P505-S8945).  I'm multi-booting between Vista64, XP64, three Linux 64-bit distros, and FreeBSD 64.  Regarding XP64, I'm now in the process of trying to get the main hardware working with drivers.  The only Toshiba supplied "WinXP64" driver in the Toshiba downloads that successfully worked for me was the Atheros Ethernet driver.  Everything else failed.  I'm now hunting down the drivers from the hardware manufacturers.  I'm not ready to throw in the towel quite yet, but it is looking like I may have to ditch my attempt with XP64 and give XP32 (taking the memory penalty) a shot.  Just throwing this out so you may know what you are up against.  I'm not happy at all with Toshiba labeling some of these drivers as compatible with WinXP32/64 for the P505-S8945 when they clearly are not.

I agree with the others in that your best bet is to dual boot Vista and WinXP if you are wanting to try to bring WinXP fully up.  If you don't already have a Windows partitioner, take a look at "Partition Wizard Home Edition".  It is free and the UI will be familiar if you have used "Partition Magic" in the past.  As for the bootloader for multiple Windows, the "common way" seems to be to use EasyBCD, which is just a front-end for Windows' bootloader.  I may be wrong, but the problem I have with this method is that you end up with one Windows that is "dependent" on the other.  Using Boot-US (also free for private use) and juggling "true hiding", you are able to end up with multiple Windows that are completetly independent and hidden from one another.  I consider this the "right way" as it is the safest environment afterwards (both Windows on a "C" drive and hidden from one another).

As for multiple Linuxes, they are much easier to get multi-booting than multiple Windows.  Simply Install lilo or Grub to their root partitions and call them up with the MBR bootloader.  Only obstacle I ran into with them was no matter how good you plan out your installations, device numbers will change, so plan on remote mounting, changing lilo/grub, changing the /etc/fstab's, etc.  Use UUID's, they will make life simpler.

[kernel_sanders]

Everything now (mostly) working in WinXP64.  I can't remember all the details, but basically:

- Do all the Microsoft updates first. (A couple drivers will be installed during updates).

- Start trying to install the XP64 Toshiba drivers again, if they fail try Vista64 drivers on XP64.

- Search this forum extensively, there are some good links in here.

- Google.  Google.  Google.  Use exact device names, device ID's, etc.

- None of the Toshiba ATI Display Drivers worked in WinXP64.

- To get ATI drivers working in XP64, follow these (genius) instructions:

http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool.php

I have 8-12_xp64_dd_ccc_enu_72273 modded, installed, and running.  Works fine.  Probably will install newer 9.x ATI drivers using the above process now that I know it works.

As far as installing SATA-AHCI after installing WinXP using IDE compatibility, see:

http://www.theacerguy.com/2008/06/how-to-install-the-ahci-drivers-after-installing-xp-in-ide-mode/

Instructions are a little skittish and for different hardware, so don't use them as 1-2-3 instructions but rather as a guide to feel your way through.  Don't use the floppy installer and drivers mentioned, but the ICH9M-E/M floppy installer and drivers found on the Intel site.

[Hfreeman]

KayakJim...

10-01-2009 07:20 PM

@cee_64, I have to disagree. If Microsoft is providing support for XP until 2014 then system manufacturers should also do the same since it is still considered an active and current product. Brand new netbooks are being shipped with XP further proving that XP is not a dead OS.

If XP were no longer supported by Microsoft then I could agree that manufacturers should not provide drivers.

I belive Cee-64 is correct in advising you to use  Vista and I am pushing Window 7... I do not believe your above statement is correct considering FTC (Federal Trade Comm) .

It if your choice to have multiple environments, but I believe it is mis-placed logic to suggest going back to XP which is over 10 years old and never really was realiable until SP2 and SP3. I fully understand that your needs at just that and I am ok with that and the process you may have figured out.

However, I do not believe it is in the best interest of genral users for you to continue to promote a Downgrade to Windows XP. You have clearly demonstrated that you are to some extent competent to do so but with over 100 Million Vista users who have marginal technical skills, you are also in the minority and they should not be encouraged to do what you have done. 

Please consider reading these link.  http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=551  and OS Support Microsoft has a well-documented support lifecycle for its software products.

end.

[Hfreeman]

@cee_64, I have to disagree. If Microsoft is providing support for XP until 2014 then system manufacturers should also do the same since it is still considered an active and current product. Brand new netbooks are being shipped with XP further proving that XP is not a dead OS.

If XP were no longer supported by Microsoft then I could agree that manufacturers should not provide drivers.

I belive Cee-64 is correct in advising you to use  Vista and I am pushing Window 7... I do not believe your above statement is correct considering FTC (Federal Trade Comm) .

It if your choice to have multiple environments, but I believe it is mis-placed logic to suggest going back to XP which is over 10 years old and never really was realiable until SP2 and SP3. I fully understand that your needs at just that and I am ok with that and the process you may have figured out.

However, I do not believe it is in the best interest of genral users for you to continue to promote a Downgrade to Windows XP. You have clearly demonstrated that you are to some extent competent to do so but with over 100 Million Vista users who have marginal technical skills, you are also in the minority and they should not be encouraged to do what you have done. 

Please consider reading these link.  http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=551  and OS Support Microsoft has a well-documented support lifecycle for its software products.

end.

[cee_64]

@KayakJim, you miss some important points.  First, netbooks (for the most part) can't run Vista anyway so the only viable Windows option is XP. 

Second, just because it's still supported by Microsoft doesn't mean squat.  Microsoft only allowed BUSINESS systems to be shipped with XP Downgrade  Rights since Vista has been released.  SInce this system was never shipped with XP in the first place Toshiba is under no obligation to support it with drivers for an OS that it never shipped with.  You can argure that point all you want but it doesn't change the facts.

Third, it is MICROSOFT, not Toshiba that decides what systems can and can not be shipped with XP and this system did NOT fit into that catagory.

@Hfreeman, I didn't advise running Vista, and in fact rarely do (I would advise running Linux before I would recommend Vista) and not really that big on WIndows 7 either (at least until SP1 is released).  All I stated was my view on Toshiba's providing XP drivers for their systems that didn't ship with it. I still believe that XP is a far superior OS than Vista and W7 and if one has the ability to do so and can find the drivers they will have a MUCH better system overall. 

[Hfreeman]

@Hfreeman, I didn't advise running Vista, and in fact rarely do (I would advise running Linux before I would recommend Vista) and not really that big on WIndows 7 either (at least until SP1 is released).  All I stated was my view on Toshiba's providing XP drivers for their systems that didn't ship with it. I still believe that XP is a far superior OS than Vista and W7 and if one has the ability to do so and can find the drivers they will have a MUCH better system overall. 

@cee64

We clearly have a difference of opinion based on experiences.  I am so over XP !!! 

I do understand your liking Linux and I do as well for an Oracle Server.  Otherwise it will not do enough for me to make a living ... YET ...   In time that will change.

I am surprised at your comment on Windows 7... I hope you have a better experience when the time comes.  For now there is plenty of Linux post that need your expertise.

end.