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Downgrade to XP List

Downgrading Hewlett Packard dv6000 series Notebook from Vista to XP
HP dv6710ea Notebook with AMD Turion 64 CPU and Nvidia Chipset.

Hewlett Packard are not supporting Windows XP any longer, if you buy a new Hewlett Packard pre-installed with Vista Home Premium and you want XP back you cannot get the XP drivers from HP Support, however there are workarounds. I have just downgraded a DV6710 notebook by following these instructions I found on the HP forums (re-edited a bit for clarity). This should work for any dv6000 series notebook with an AMD / Nvidia chipset but I cannot guarantee it so make a drive image of your Vista installation first with Acronis preferably.

According to HP guru Cheryl G, the dv6000 and dv9000 series are basically the same hardware, and all AMD models in the x7xx range should be fine with the XP drivers from those machines which are available on HP support; with that in mind I used the following method.

NB 32bit XP only if you want 64 bit good luck with that!

Re-Install XP this starts from a new XP installation.

1. Chipset Drivers

First install Nvidia Chipset Drivers, install first and reboot. If offered, choose the option to install ONLY the drivers. Drivers from - http://tinyurl.com/3ajgxy

2. Nvidia Video Drivers

Next install Video Drivers from here - http://tinyurl.com/2q6ss4

If that link above does not work the Video Drivers are on Rapidshare
here - http://rapidshare.com/files/

Reboot

3. Wireless Drivers

Next install the Wireless drivers, select DRIVERS ONLY when installing.
Drivers from here - http://www.mediafire.com/?cfdzj3eaizt

If the above link does not work then - http://rapidshare.com/files/155349338/AR5007_XP.zip

4. Windows Updates.

Next go to Windows Updates and install all the main updates only (87) when I did it last, Do not install "optional software" or "hardware" drivers yet.
Windows Updates tutorial here (if you require it).

Reboot

5. Audio Drivers

This one is tricky its a 2 stage process. First you need Microsoft UAA (Universal Audio Architecture) drivers from here - http://tinyurl.com/yk2ete

Download and Install

Next you need Conextant Audio Drivers from here - http://www.mediafire.com/?dg0cmmkm4y4
You cannot install this the normal way you have to use Device Manager as follows:-

Unzip to a folder of your choice - remember where - then go to Start > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager.
Look down the list for "Audio Device on HD Bus", right click on it and select "update driver"
When it asks to go on line to find a driver - NO
Select "Install from a list or specific location"
and
"Don't search I will choose the driver to install"
In the list of common hardware types, scroll down and select Sound, Video, and Game controllers.
Remove the check from "Show Compatible Hardware" and click on "Have Disk".
Next...browse to the Driver Folder you unzipped and click on "WiSVHe5.inf" file. Ignore XPs complaint and select "Install Anyway"

Reboot.

You should now have sound.

6. Modem Drivers

I used Windows Updates > Hardware tab to install these, just select and install the Conextant HD Soft Fax Modem drivers. There are Synaptics Touch Pad and AMD CPU updated drivers here as well, ignore them you get them from HP its safer.

7. Everything Else

Drivers for the HP DV9000Z can be used for other drivers Ricoh Card Reader, AMD Update ,Webcam, Synaptics Touchpad, download from here - http://tinyurl.com/yk2ete

Quicklaunch Drivers can also be found on the DV9000Z page (see link above) but you need to have .NET Framework installed first from here - http://tinyurl.com/758p8. Download and install .NET then install the Quicklaunch Drivers.

NOTE

The wireless switch will always appear to be off ie Amber, wireless will work regardless and there is a hack if you want it to turn blue in the HP forums. This set up is not going to be perfect but it does get rid of Vista and allows you to run XP just without some of the trick hardware on the DV 6000 series machines.

All the above found on HP Business Forums and re-written in a way that I found worked for me, special thanks to Cheryl G and David Kliener from who's posts I lifted the info from.

Forums here

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