How do I change my Operating System safely?

I got a computer with Vista on it and would like to put XP on it instead. I have my XP install disc, I'm just not sure what to do from there.



A friend said that if I try to install it without first getting rid of Vista, my OS can crash whenever I introduce new hardware. How do I avoid that; how can I change my OS safely?How do I change my Operating System safely?
Keep in mind that this can be a complex process. XP is 8 years old and doesn't support a lot of modern hardware. Before you start, download XP drivers for every piece of hardware in your system. This includes motherboard and controller drivers - XP doesn't have built in support for SATA drives because XP predates SATA. If you don't find XP drivers for the SATA controller, XP won't be able to install because it will insist you don't have a hard drive. There are other similar potential bombs waiting for you along the way.



Once you have the drivers, you'll need to format your hard drive. You will lose everything on there, including files and applications. Any application that came with the PC probably won't transfer to XP, since it's designed for Vista. Just boot off the XP CD, tell it to delete the Vista partition, create a new partition and format it as NTFS and follow the instructions.How do I change my Operating System safely?
your friend is wrong, when you boot off the xp disc, the first option is to format the current drive so that it can install. when you do that, vista is gone forever.