Is there a way to move Microsoft Office 2007 to another hardisk for XP Downgrade

[patteo]

I just bought a Lenovo T61 Thinkpad (they were having one of those crazy sales) that came with Windows Vista Home Edition with the intention of downgrading it to Windows XP Professional.

But I just runned into a problem.

The unit came with a Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 but it was pre-installed as a trial version (without an installation disk (but with a Product Key in a shrinkwrap package - without the CD and they tell you that the key WILL NOT activate volume license or other boxed copies of 2007 Microsoft Office)

So the intention is that you just activate Microsoft Office 2007 and you are done.

Of course, they think that only clowns like me want to downgrade to Windows XP Pro.

So the problem is that while working out how to get this done properly, I just realized that if I use another clean harddisk from scratch, I will be able to install Windows XP Pro, but I will end up having to sacrifice the pre-installed Microsoft Office 2007 since there is no installation disc.

Is there a way to uninstall Windows Vista Home and install Windows XP Professional so it becomes like a clean install of Windows XP Pro but with the Microsoft Office 2007 intact.

Or maybe the Microsoft Office 2007 installation files residing in a hidden folder somewhere in the harddisk.

Anyone has any ideas ?

Thanks

[Carol Haynes]

Check your hard disk for folders with MSO in the name (or possibly even the complete name). That is usually where MS keeps Office installers.

Did you have to enter the key and activate the software on Vista? If it is locked to the computer you may find you can install it in XP without activating because it is locked to the BIOS which isn't changing. (That's how OEM supplied Windows disks install without activation).

Failing that when you activate just tell them you had to downgrade to windows XP and reinstall because you have too many software titles that are not Vista compatible. OEM licenses are linked to a computer - not to an OS.

You could try contacting MS before you do this and see if they will send you an Office Small Business CD. They have unlicensed CDs which they sell to people who have trial Office preinstalled on new computers.

[patteo]

Thanks Carol

I just stumbled onto another possible solution : But the order button goes to an error message. I'll just have to wait till Monday to call their local office and see how many arms and legs the Backup Di$c co$t.

"2007 Microsoft Office Suite Backup Media
Congratulations-you've acquired one of the 2007 Microsoft Office suites or programs with your new computer. Your new software includes a Medialess License Kit for a Microsoft Office suite or program, which means:

   1. You are eligible for OEM pricing and products
   2. The computer manufacturer preinstalled and configured the Microsoft Office suite or program for the license you acquired.
   3. You are eligible for program installation discs. Shipping and handling costs may apply.

Because your computer manufacturer or reseller has preinstalled a 2007 Microsoft Office suite or program, you do not need the installation discs unless you have to reinstall the suite or program. You can order backup installation discs on this site. If you are running Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows Vista Ultimate, you can create your own backup discs using the Complete PC Backup feature found in those editions. (Instructions are below.) "
http://www.microsoft.com/office/backup/en-us/default.mspx

I have not activated it as yet in Vista because I did not intend to use Vista at all. Besides, if the MSO files are not on the harddisk, activating it in Vista and then installing Windows XP does not help unless I can safely install Windows XP Pro safely over Windows Vista Basic.

I had a quick look for the MSO files but they don't appear to be in the harddisk. I would probably have to set the Vista to show hidden files and have another look.

Has anyone tried installing Windows XP Pro over Windows Vista Basic successfully.

[Carol Haynes]

I wouldn't consider installing XP over Vista. It is possible the other way round because Vista 'knows' how to deal with upgrading XP but XP is not even aware of the existence of Vista. Chances are you will end up with a mishmash system that causes problems down the line.

What would be worth doing now though is to try installing XP from your disc (but don't actually go as far as the installation step). You may find it says "can't find a hard disc installed'. Lots of new SATA hard discs are not supported by the XP installer and are simply not recognised. If you laptop has a floppy you can add the drivers by pressing F6 during the startup of Setup and inserting afloppy with the correct drivers. If you haven't got a floppy disc you will have to use nLite and build a new XP installation disc that includes the drivers for the hard disk in your laptop.

Exactly this happened to me - I asked the manufacturer of my Notebook could they let me have an XP disc and they said yes as compensation as they supplied the wrong wireless adapter. When I tried to install the manufacturer's OEM own branded XP disc it would not install on their own notepads!!.

[Darwin]

FWIW, I did the same thing (bought a new notebook with Vista pre-installed with the intention of installing XP Pro). That was a month and a half ago and I haven't bothered with the downgrade. Unless you're in dire need of software that won't run under Vista, why downgrade? I ask somewhat rhetorically as I was on the same path myself... The answer that I now would give is: "Why indeed?" I have my perfectly functional XP Pro notebook at my disposal for the software that falls into that category.

I really, really like Vista... the magic ingredient seems to be RAM and Graphics card. I've got 3GB RAM and 512MB dedicated video memory. It's very, very quick and stable.

[patteo]

I wouldn't consider installing XP over Vista. It is possible the other way round because Vista 'knows' how to deal with upgrading XP but XP is not even aware of the existence of Vista. Chances are you will end up with a mishmash system that causes problems down the line.

You are right Carol.

You may find it says "can't find a hard disc installed'. Lots of new SATA hard discs are not supported by the XP installer and are simply not recognised.

I had this problem earlier this year when I had to help someone downgrade a T61 Thinkpad this year.

After a lot of fiddling around a lot, I discovered the problem is that you have to get into the Bios setting to set the compatibility mode. I forget the name of the particular field. Once that is done, the T61 recognized the Windows XP Pro disc and the installation went along fine except you have to go around hunting for the drivers.

So it's wise before you part with you cash when buying the laptop to have them state clearly on the invoice that the unit is downgradeable to XP if that is what you want.

Besides, I suspect many mother boards would have this compatibility mode; the problem is that the guys in the shop don't tell you.

[patteo]

FWIW, I did the same thing (bought a new notebook with Vista pre-installed with the intention of installing XP Pro). That was a month and a half ago and I haven't bothered with the downgrade. Unless you're in dire need of software that won't run under Vista, why downgrade? I ask somewhat rhetorically as I was on the same path myself... The answer that I now would give is: "Why indeed?" I have my perfectly functional XP Pro notebook at my disposal for the software that falls into that category.

I really, really like Vista... the magic ingredient seems to be RAM and Graphics card. I've got 3GB RAM and 512MB dedicated video memory. It's very, very quick and stable.

For me, it's the logical thing to do after my earlier experience with Vista. Not that it is bad, it is just the incompatibility of certain utilities that I use daily.

The other is that I hate to along the find that I need another software that does not work with Vista.

The other reason is I believe that many of us have gotten used to Windows XP Pro for some years now and it works well enough and will last me quite a few more years till Windows 7 appears. So why go through the "trouble" of using Vista.

So in a nutshell, I'm willing to go through the trouble of downgrading to Windows XP Pro, even if I have to "pay" to do this to avoid what I think is the "higher price" to pay for incompatibilities, time etc.

[Carol Haynes]

After a lot of fiddling around a lot, I discovered the problem is that you have to get into the Bios setting to set the compatibility mode. I forget the name of the particular field. Once that is done, the T61 recognized the Windows XP Pro disc and the installation went along fine except you have to go around hunting for the drivers.

That's assuming the BIOS has any worthwhile settings. I am a bit frustrated that my notepad has a BIOS with virtually nothing user definable.

[Darwin]

So in a nutshell, I'm willing to go through the trouble of downgrading to Windows XP Pro, even if I have to "pay" to do this to avoid what I think is the "higher price" to pay for incompatibilities, time etc.

Fair enough, fair enough... I hear you about XP Pro, too. Considering that I upgraded to it kicking and screaming (loved and still love 2k), it's turned out to be a wonderful OS.

[patteo]

After a lot of fiddling around a lot, I discovered the problem is that you have to get into the Bios setting to set the compatibility mode. I forget the name of the particular field. Once that is done, the T61 recognized the Windows XP Pro disc and the installation went along fine except you have to go around hunting for the drivers.

That's assuming the BIOS has any worthwhile settings. I am a bit frustrated that my notepad has a BIOS with virtually nothing user definable.

Carol, when you access the Bios, get into Config (in the T61 it was the first item). And somewhere in that Sub menu, I find Serial ATA (SATA)

When I selected it, it says SATA Controller Mode Option [AHCI]

Change AHCI to Compatibility.

After that change, you should find that the SATA Controller should be able to find the SATA harddisk when you boot from the Windows XP Pro setup disk.

In any case, this is quite logical since Windows XP Pro probably did not recognize SATA since SATA was not available then. Not sure if Windows XP Pro SP3 takes care of that.

But in any case, if my memory did not fail me, that was how I solved the problem of the Windows SP Pro SP2 setup disk not recognizing the SATA hard disk initially.