Member Avatar for r_chris

I upgraded windows XP home ed to professional and want to uninstall it and return back to the regular home edition. I've tried by going to control panel and uninstalling the program, but it's not there. I've tried to restore the system with the disks that came with my notebook and thats not working either. I have an HP notebook and I just want to reinstall windows home edition. I don't know why it's not letting me romove xp professional. Can some one help?

  • 2 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 138 Views
  • 6 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Catweazle

Dani AI

Generated

Brief expert summary for (building on 's points): Windows XP does not include an “uninstall edition” feature. Reverting an upgrade back to the factory XP Home image requires either the OEM recovery process or a full clean install from XP Home media. System Restore is not a reliable way to roll back an edition upgrade once the installer replaces system files.

Suggested troubleshooting steps before a reinstall:

  • Check real-time resource use with Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and identify any process with sustained high CPU, memory, or disk I/O.
  • Use msconfig to disable nonessential startup items and non-Microsoft services temporarily to see if startup load is the cause.
  • Inspect Device Manager for driver problems and install HP-specific chipset, graphics and NIC drivers for the Pavilion ZE5000 (OEM drivers often fix severe slowdowns).
  • Review Event Viewer (eventvwr) for repeated errors, confirm virtual memory settings (System Properties -> Advanced -> Performance -> Advanced -> Virtual Memory), and verify the power scheme is appropriate for AC operation.
  • Rule out overheating or battery/AC power issues (thermal throttling or missing AC power can reduce CPU speed).

If reverting to XP Home is chosen:

  • Backup all personal data first.
  • Use the HP factory recovery method (follow the model-specific instructions in the HP recovery documentation or on the recovery media that shipped with the notebook). If the supplied recovery discs fail, confirm they are the correct OEM recovery set and that the laptop is set to boot from CD/DVD.
  • A clean install from an XP Home retail or OEM CD is an alternative; after installation, immediately install Service Pack 3 and the full set of HP drivers for the ZE5000.

Final notes: Driver mismatch or a missing vendor driver is a far more common cause of post-upgrade slowness than the edition differences themselves. Restoring factory Home should be a last resort after the above checks.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for Catweazle

Has something gone wrong with the upgrade? Are there 'features' missing which you wish to use? Why, specifically, do you wish to uninstall Pro if it's actually working?

Everything available in XP Home is also available in XP Pro!

If you did not retain the files for the previous Windows version when asked to during the upgrade installation, you will not be able to revert, and will need to format and start over again. If the Restore disks for the notebook are not bringing you success, then perhaps you are not following the correct procedures?

Some more specific information would be helpful. What is the problem with the upgrade? What specific HP notebook do you have?

Member Avatar for r_chris

Thanks for responding. I have an HP Pavilian ZE 5000 notebook. The reason I want to go back to the original version is because after installing xp pro, everything loads slow. I tried to convert it back to a later date, but it will not let me go anytime before i did the upgrade. I have scanned for viruses and spywear and have none. So I don't know what the problem is. It is just running very very slow. What shall I do next?

Member Avatar for Catweazle

All previous restore points are lost after you perform an upgrade install, I'm afraid.

Depending on your particular configuration, you could have Wireless, Firewire AND Ethernet networking available on that laptop, and the slowness might relate to the differences in the way Pro handles networking as compared to Home Edition. If no-one else comes up with a worthwhile suggestion, I'll do a little research for you later on. Wiping the system and starting over should be your last resort. I'm sure it'll be easily fixable :)

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.