Member Avatar for Violet_82

Hi peeps, I wonder if you can help me. My sis's got an asus notebook F50SL Series which is now unusable, very sluggish and she can't run anything on it anymore. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to format it and install xp on it. At the moment they have vista on it, but I don't trust vista, and I think xp might be better.
ANybody's done this? I know it has a recovery partition, but I am thinking to wipe off everything including that partition
any advice welcome
thanks

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Short answer up front: downgrading to XP is possible on the F50SL but not generally recommended unless you need XP-only software and accept the security risk (Windows XP reached end of support on April 8, 2014). (learn.microsoft.com)

Practical plan that builds on , and :

  • Do not wipe anything yet. Make a full image of the current disk (including the hidden recovery image) so you can restore the factory state if needed. Use an imaging tool (for example Macrium Reflect) and verify the rescue media boots. (knowledgebase.macrium.com)
  • Confirm what drivers Asus provides for the F50SL and download the XP sets now (chipset, LAN, WLAN, audio, video, SATA/chipset). Asus keeps model pages with OS selectors where you can pick Windows XP for F50SL. Save these to USB. (asus.com)
  • Preserve the recovery partition, or create recovery media first. On Asus machines you normally access the recovery environment with F9 (or via MyASUS in WinRE on newer models) — use that to back up or make Recovery USBs before you wipe. (asus.com)

If you still want to install XP:

  • Expect to need storage drivers. If the BIOS SATA mode is AHCI you may get STOP 0x7B unless you supply the mass‑storage driver during setup (F6 floppy method) or slipstream drivers into the XP install ISO with a tool like nLite — most laptops lack a floppy, so slipstreaming is common. Test by switching SATA mode to IDE/Compatibility first if the BIOS allows, but remember that may break other OS installs later. (learn.microsoft.com)
  • Install the LAN driver first so you can get updates and antivirus, then chipset, video, audio, WLAN, hotkey utilities, etc.

Before any reinstall: run hardware checks — MemTest86 for RAM and a SMART/HDD test (CrystalDiskInfo or the drive vendor’s SeaTools) to rule out failing RAM or a dying disk, which often causes the “sluggish/unusable” behavior. If the drive or RAM is the bottleneck, an SSD and a RAM upgrade usually give a far better, safer speed boost than downgrading the OS. (memtest86.net)

If you want, the next post can give an exact checklist for imaging, collecting the F50SL XP driver packages, creating a slipstreamed XP ISO, and the step sequence to avoid common pitfalls.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

the choice is yours in this case ,as for not trusting Vista ,whats not to trust ,we have it here on a laptop ,running fine almost 3 1/2 years now , orignal install never a glitch .
if i were you i would check to make sure that the Asus site has all the drivers you will nedd for winxp ,also i would leave the Vista partition just in case you need to go back to it

Member Avatar for tigerbright

Hi , downgrading to XP Windows will be a cost penalty and as such and taking into account you seeming to be unfamiliar with the subject laptop i would suggest first reinstalling the native os version , update to latest driver versions, and then upgrade to the latest service pack, install security suite and desired application programs and carefully evaluate performance and resouce usage like ram memory usage
Check also any BIOS updates and update if relevant as these fixes can be critical to performance
You might find that the subject computer processes satisfactorily - if not wait until later this year and install Windows 8 upgrade (which i am confident will solve any os related issues)

Member Avatar for Violet_82

right so I will leave vista on then, is formatting a laptop with vista as easy as xp? I seem to understand that I need to leave the vista partition on (where is it?) and then format the other one. SO I take I don't need the vista cd?

Member Avatar for caperjack

the vista partition,would be the recovery partition .vist recover will pretty much install itself once you start it

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