Windows Secrets Newsletter • Issue 143 • 2008-03-06 • Circulation: over 400,000

By Scott Dunn With Windows XP scheduled to disappear from store shelves on June 30, time is running out to buy a computer with that venerable OS preinstalled. As manufacturers stop producing XP drivers, finding hardware that still supports XP is becoming a challenge, but I’ve produced one last shopping guide for you before the clock runs out.

An approach to tackling the XP shopping dilemma

Microsoft’s widely used Windows XP operating system had a stay of execution a few months ago, when the Redmond company announced that it would continue sales of that OS through June 30, 2008. Sales had previously been scheduled to end in January 2008. But the new, June deadline doesn’t leave much time for those who don’t like Vista, but need to buy new hardware and want XP as their operating system.

To be sure, your license to use XP does allow you to remove the OS from an old machine and install it on a new one. But, as hardware manufacturers direct more resources to Windows Vista, it may be harder to find drivers for video, audio, and other computer components that support the older OS.

In addition to extending the XP sales deadline, Microsoft has also stated that buyers of Vista Business and Vista Ultimate can “downgrade” to Windows XP Professional, XP Professional x64 Edition, and Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, as reported in a Computerworld article and elsewhere.

When you buy a new computer, participating companies may (a) include a copy of XP in the box, (b) include a special “downgrade disk,” which I’ll describe below, or (c) make you buy XP through a completely separate ordering process. It’s the manufacturer’s choice, not yours.

For the moment, however, you do still have some options if you want XP instead of Vista. You can buy a computer with XP preinstalled or make sure that a Vista computer you buy comes with an XP downgrade disk.

How to buy a system with XP preinstalled

Believe it or not, most major computer manufacturers still offer systems with XP preinstalled. (The only exception, as seen in Table 1, is Gateway.) If XP comes standard on a new machine, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a system with all the necessary XP drivers up and running.

If you choose this option, here are some tips I uncovered during my research:

• Online shopping offers you a better chance of finding an XP system (or a system that comes with an XP downgrade disk) than going to your local superstore.

• It’s getting harder to find desktop computers that come with XP preinstalled. You’ll have a greater variety of choices if you shop for an XP notebook instead.

• In general, a Web site’s home-user or small-office computers will not offer the best selection of XP machines, if the site shows any models at all in this market segment. It’s very likely that you’ll want to shop in the business division of a manufacturer’s site.

UPDATE 2008-03-20: Microsoft channel policy proliferates another pipeline for obtaining systems bundled with XP, at least through January, 2009. Redmond allows organizations to apply for a “system builder” classification, a category that covers operations that range in size from substantial box builders to two-gearheads-in-a-garage shops. System builders can purchase OEM versions of Windows XP all through 2008 for bundling with PCs they sell. See our Mar. 20, 2008, article.

How to use the ‘downgrade disc’ option

For the best of both worlds, consider buying a system that has Vista preinstalled but comes with a downgrade disc, often called an XP recovery disc. Using a recovery disc wipes out a PC’s existing operating system and everything else that was on the boot partition, but that’s exactly what many people with Vista aversion want.

This is not the same as a manufacturer simply tossing a copy of Windows XP into the box a PC comes in. A truly useful XP downgrade disc is a recovery disc of XP, complete with all the necessary drivers. (Such a recovery disc will probably include some crapware programs, too, which is par for the course.)

In many cases, a PC with an XP downgrade disc will also include another disc with an image of the Vista operating system, in case you want to switch from XP back to Vista. If a Vista disc isn’t included, make an image backup or a Vista recovery disc before downgrading, as described in a recent TechRepublic article.

I recommend avoiding Vista systems that merely come with a vanilla XP install disc (or the option to order one). This is the most you can expect from Dell systems, for instance.

Simply having an XP license does not guarantee that drivers are available for all the devices in your new computer. Even if working drivers can be found online, you’ll have to go looking for them, as Dell notes on its instruction page for its manual downgrade process. Fortunately for Dell fans, the company still sells a wide variety of machines with XP preinstalled.

Some systems — like those from Acer, Fujitsu, HP, and Sony — include a downgrade disc in the box for some qualifying systems. Others, like Lenovo, expect you to order the disc separately for an additional charge.

Because downgrade discs that include drivers are specific to a computer system or model series, these discs are generally available only for specific models. Don’t expect a company that has downgrade discs to supply them for just any system they sell.

Finding out which systems come with a downgrade disc isn’t always easy. A few sites, such as Fujitsu’s, have a page listing the model numbers that come with upgrade discs. In the case of Acer, you’ll have to make an educated guess. You then contact either Acer or an Acer reseller, state the model number you’re interested in, and inquire whether a downgrade disc is included.

The following table shows the availability of XP on various machines:

Table 1. Most manufacturers still have XP options, at least for now. (• = Yes)

Manufacturer	Sells XP systems	Downgrade disc	How to find
Acer	•	•	XP is an option on most Veriton and AcerPower desktops and Travelmate and Extensa notebooks. A downgrade disc comes with most Travelmate and some Extensa series; call Acer or reseller with model number to be sure.
Fujitsu	•	•	On Fujitsu’s Notebook Overview page, use your browser to search for XP. See question 2 of the FAQ to find systems that include a downgrade disc.
HP/Compaq	•	•	Shop in the small and medium business site for systems with XP preinstalled. For a downgrade disc, look for Vista systems labeled “Smart buy.”
Lenovo	•	•	XP is an option on several models in the 3000 family of notebooks and desktops, in addition to the ThinkPad family. Downgrade discs are available for Vista Business and Ultimate systems; see the Lenovo downgrade page.
Sony	•	•	Avoid looking in SonyStyle.com. Instead, shop in the Sony.com business section. Some systems in the subseries SZ645, BX740, and BX76 have XP preinstalled. Models beginning with TX2xx and SZ7xx come with downgrade discs in the box.
Alienware	•	—	XP is offered on all systems except the M15X and the Area-51 ALX Crossfire.
Dell	•	—	Enter windows xp in the Keyword Search box to find systems with XP. To downgrade manually, see Dell’s instruction page.
Toshiba	•	—	Go to the All Notebooks page and enter xp in the Search for laptops box.
Gateway	—	—	Your only option is to buy a Vista computer and, separately, a copy of XP (which is still available from Gateway). You must then manually reformat the hard disk and reinstall the OS.

Be aware that the information in this article is subject to change by the computer manufacturers at any time. Confirm your desired options before making a purchase, and remember: the clock is ticking.

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Scott Dunn is associate editor of the Windows Secrets Newsletter. He has been a contributing editor of PC World since 1992 and currently writes for the Here’s How section of that magazine.