Did you buy the laptop with Vista preinstalled? Is it media center? If it is, the startups are burned into the prom and I don't think you'll be able to downgrade it, unless you go to xp media center.


>Thanks for the tips. I downloaded DBAN and was able to create a bootable flash drive. Unfortunately it boots to a Linux command prompt, about which I know squat, so I was at sea again. I spent a couple of hours messing around with it and "progressed" to the point that the flash drive is no longer bootable <g>. Oh well. The laptop running Vista is usable, just not as well integrated with the two XP boxes as I would like. We'll get by.
>
>
>>Hi Mike,
>>
>>See http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12546_102-0.html?forumID=133&threadID=238817&messageID=2487295#2487295
>>
>>>
>>>I tried that but Vista wouldn't let me format the system drive. Is there a switch or something I can use? I looked at the FORMAT options and didn't see what I was looking for.
>>>
>>>Maybe FREEMAN C: would do it <g>.
>>>
>>>(Speaking of whom, I guess Dan was serious about skipping the UT for a while).