Hi everyone, im a newby with a old question. I have tried nearly everything to remove what i think is an embedded Vista from my PC. As you may have guessed and laughed at, i failed miserably. Whenever i use another O.S install disc, it starts well by loading the rquired files, then it blue screens me and says that it has stopped the install to protect my system. As a final shot, i have bought a brand new SATA hard drive and attempted to load XP pro on it, No chance, the same message still pops up. Can i get round this problem or am i wasting my time and money. Please Please make a old man happy and help me. Cheers all. Leodesian

How can it be a Vista problem, when you have a clean new hard drive??

Hi itguru, Well this is what im trying to find out, if anyone has come across the same problem whereby the PC will not let go of Vista whatever i do and is there a fix. I may have posted in the wrong forum but please dont forget i am brand new to this or any other forum, Not being funny but replies with help only would be appreciated. Thanks anyway. Leodesian

In the bios, what mode is the hd listed under? You should try IDE mode if it's not already listed that way.

I suspect you have a sata drive. The xp disk you have doesn't support the sata in the mode you have. I suggest that you consider a different solution. Use a Virtual machine such as Virtualbox or Virtual PC to run XP within vista. You will be able to have both running at the same time. The only other way is to use a different bios mode for the sata and maybe xp will load. Also you might be able to slipstream a CD with the new driver for xp and your sata adapter. It is really too easy to run a VM. "Best Practices", Event viewer, host file, perfmon, antivirus, anti-spyware, Live CD's, backups, are in my top 10

@kx5m2q Hi, yeh it is usually set at AHC1, i tried to use IDE but then the system wouldn't boot. thanks anyway mate, The makers of this PC have made absolutely sure that no one can down grade the O.S. Dont know how or where they have put the protection, probably in the BIOS or embedded in the memory,they have made set only limited functions in the BIOS so that i can only set the date & time and first boot option, everything else is hidden. To everyone, please forget this post as i am giving in on the matter, the only way out is to buy another new machine with XP installed (or nothing installed). I know most of u r aware but please do not buy a new PC with OEM Vista Embedded, ask if the O.S can be changed in the usuall manner, if not, leave well alone. That is unless you like Vista and want to stay with it 4ever. P.S, it can be upgraded to Vista Ultimate only. On that note i will love u and leave u, thanks to those who tried to help. Leodesian

I believe an embedded version is partly in ROM. Changing the hard drive doesn't work because the system doesn't boot from the hard drive. You need a different method of removing it. The easiest method is probably some form of multi-boot software. Or virtual software.