Windows XP + Vista HP Desktop Computer Options

[dugganrouthorn5]

Hello HP Community,

I hope you are all doing well today. I need help finding a replacement for my failing Dell OptiPlex 755 which has a bad power supply, and I've determined to not be worth repairing and not worth the health risk. Anyway, I'm looking for a HP Desktop Computer which will allow me to still use my DVDs and 3.5-inch Floppy Disks. Most importantly, it needs to be able to run and have official driver support from HP for Windows XP and Windows Vista as I plan to use the machine for retro software and hardware. OS Edition needs to be Professional, Vista Business or Vista Ultimate.

I have found the HP Compaq DC7800 and DC7900 Minitower PCs, but I've only found one of each on eBay. If there are any other models that I should take into consideration that would be appreciated, thank you. 😊

[NonSequitur777]

@dugganrouthorn5,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

You're definitely on the right track with the HP Compaq DC7800 and DC7900, as they originally supported Windows XP and Vista. However, please be aware that HP hasn’t provided official support or drivers for these OS versions in a long time, so finding drivers may require some extra effort.

If you’re looking for other models to consider, here are some that were designed with XP/Vista in mind:

1. HP Compaq DC7600, DC7700 (Minitower) – Slightly older but may come with a floppy drive and DVD drive.
2. HP Compaq Elite 8000, 8100 (Minitower) – These were some of the last models to have XP downgrade rights.
3. HP Compaq 6000 Pro, 6200 Pro (Minitower) – Slightly newer but often still compatible with XP Mode.

While official HP support for XP/Vista is long gone, driver archives may still be available on third-party websites or through community efforts. If you can’t find a PC with a built-in floppy drive, you can always use an external USB floppy drive.

Here are two well-known sources where users can often find archived drivers for older operating systems like Windows XP and Vista:

1. DriverGuide (https://www.driverguide.com/) – A long-standing repository of old drivers contributed by users and manufacturers. Searching by hardware ID can help locate the correct drivers.

2. Archive.org (https://archive.org/) – The Wayback Machine has preserved older HP support pages, and some users have uploaded driver packs for legacy hardware. Searching for the model name along with "drivers" can yield useful results.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[dugganrouthorn5]

Thank you for your reply and your XP + Vista Desktop Computer Suggestions, I really appreciate it. 😊

About the XP Downgrade Rights you mentioned, how does that work and how do I know if my PC has those rights?

[NonSequitur777]

@dugganrouthorn5,

Yes, the XP Downgrade Rights you’re referring to were part of Microsoft's licensing policy, which allowed users who purchased a PC with a Windows 7 Professional (or higher) OEM license to legally downgrade to Windows XP Professional under certain conditions.

How Did XP Downgrade Rights Work?

1. Preinstalled by the Manufacturer: Some business-class PCs (like the HP Compaq Elite series) were shipped with Windows 7 Professional but came with Windows XP Professional preinstalled by the manufacturer under the downgrade rights policy.
2. User-Initiated Downgrade: If a PC came with Windows 7 Professional but not preinstalled with XP, the user had the right to install Windows XP Professional using installation media and a valid key from Microsoft or the manufacturer.
3. Activation Process:
   • Some OEMs (including HP) provided a recovery disc or XP installation media that could be used for the downgrade.
   • In some cases, Microsoft allowed activation using a Windows 7 key, or the user had to contact Microsoft support to verify the downgrade eligibility.

 

How to Know If Your PC Had Downgrade Rights?

1. Check the Original COA (Certificate of Authenticity) Sticker:

   • If your PC originally shipped with Windows 7 Professional or Windows Vista Business, it might have included XP downgrade rights.
   • If the COA sticker says Windows XP, then the PC likely came with XP as the primary OS, not as a downgrade.

2. Check HP's Original Product Specifications:

   • If your HP Compaq Elite 8000 or 8100 was marketed with Windows XP preinstalled but with a Windows 7 Professional license, then it had downgrade rights.
   • You can search for your PC’s product number on HP’s official support site to see its factory-installed OS.

3. BIOS Information:

   • Some HP business desktops contained a Windows 7 SLIC 2.1 activation key in BIOS, which was used for XP downgrade activation.

4. Recovery Media:

   • If your PC originally came with an HP recovery disc set that included both Windows XP and Windows 7, then it was eligible.

 

Is This Still Relevant Today?

Since Microsoft ended support for Windows XP in April 2014 and for Windows 7 in January 2020, these downgrade rights are no longer active. However, if you’re restoring an old system, knowing this helps with historical licensing compliance and determining if an XP install was ever officially licensed.

Would you like help finding the original OS for your specific HP Compaq model?

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[dugganrouthorn5]

Yes please, I'd love your help on finding the original OS for the following HP Compaq Models:

HP Compaq DC7800

HP Compaq DC7900

[NonSequitur777]

@dugganrouthorn5,

The HP Compaq dc7800 and HP Compaq dc7900 were both business-class desktop PCs released around the mid-to-late 2000s. Here’s what I found about their original operating systems:

HP Compaq dc7800 (2007-2008)

• Originally shipped with:
  • Windows XP Professional (32-bit or 64-bit)
  • Windows Vista Business (32-bit or 64-bit)
  • Some models may have had Windows XP downgrade rights if purchased with Windows Vista Business.

 

HP Compaq dc7900 (2008-2009)

• Originally shipped with:
  • Windows XP Professional (32-bit or 64-bit)
  • Windows Vista Business (32-bit or 64-bit)
  • Some models included Windows XP downgrade rights from Vista Business.
  • Some later models supported an upgrade to Windows 7 Professional.

 

How to Confirm Your PC's Original OS?

1. Check the COA Sticker:

   • If the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker is still on the PC, it will show whether it originally came with Windows XP, Vista, or 7.

2. Check HP's Product Specifications:

   • You can find the original OS based on your exact product number by searching on the HP Support website, using the: "Identify your product for manuals and specific product information". The HP product number format consists of a combination of letters and numbers, followed by a # symbol and a country-specific code: #ABU for the UK.

3. Check the BIOS for SLIC Version:

   • If the BIOS contains SLIC 2.0, it was meant for Windows Vista activation.
   • If it has SLIC 2.1, it could support Windows 7 activation.

To assist you in locating drivers and recovery media for the HP Compaq dc7800 and HP Compaq dc7900 desktops, please follow the steps below:

HP Compaq dc7800:

Drivers:

1. Official HP Support:
   • Visit the HP Compaq dc7800 Ultra-slim Desktop PC Software and Driver Downloads page.
   • Select your operating system to view available drivers.

Recovery Media:

1. HP Restore Plus! Disk:

   • An ISO image of the HP Restore Plus! disk for the dc7800 is available on the Internet Archive: HP Restore Plus HP Dc 7800.
   • This disk can restore your system to its original factory settings.

2. Third-Party Purchase:

   • Recovery disks may also be available for purchase on platforms like eBay. For example, a listing for the HP Restore Plus! disk for the dc7800 can be found here.

 

HP Compaq dc7900:

Drivers:

1. Official HP Support:
   • Visit the HP Compaq dc7900 Small Form Factor PC Software and Driver Downloads page.
   • Select your operating system to view available drivers.

Recovery Media:

1. Third-Party Purchase:
   • Recovery disks for the dc7900 may be available on platforms like eBay. For instance, an Agilent recovery DVD for the dc7900 is listed here.

Important Considerations:

• Operating System Compatibility: Ensure that the drivers and recovery media you obtain are compatible with your specific operating system version.

• Data Backup: Before performing any system recovery, back up important data to prevent loss.

• BIOS Settings: If you encounter issues booting from USB devices during recovery, you may need to adjust BIOS settings. For guidance, refer to this HP Support Community thread.

If you need further assistance with the recovery process or have additional questions, feel free to ask!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[dugganrouthorn5]

Thank you for the info regarding the HP Compaq DC7800 and DC7900 systems. Unfortunately, I can't find the Microtower Versions of them on eBay or locally on Facebook Marketplace. I, however, did find the HP Compaq DC5800 Microtower on eBay and I’ve reached out to the seller and it has a Vista License on it and has the HP Label with the model name and OS saying that it has “Vista downgraded to XP Pro” My only question now is how do I get XP installed and activated if I only have a Vista Business COA Product Key?

HP Compaq DC5800, Intel Core 2 Duo 4GB RAM 120GB SSD Windows 10 | eBay

[NonSequitur777 · Accepted solution]

@dugganrouthorn5,

I believe you're on the right track with the HP Compaq DC5800 Microtower! Since it has a Vista Business COA with a label indicating “Vista downgraded to XP Pro”, this means that the system originally came with Vista Business but was eligible for a downgrade to Windows XP Professional under Microsoft's downgrade rights policy.

How to Install and Activate Windows XP Pro:

1. Installing Windows XP Pro:

Since the PC originally had XP through downgrade rights, you’ll need an XP Professional installation source:

• If you have an HP OEM Windows XP Professional installation disc, that would be ideal, as it would automatically recognize the system’s HP SLIC BIOS and activate without needing a product key.
• If you don’t have an HP XP disc, you can try using a standard Windows XP Professional SP3 ISO* and install it manually.

 

2. Activation Options:

Since your COA is for Vista Business, the product key on the sticker won’t work for XP activation, because XP uses a different licensing system. Here’s what you can do:

• If the system still has its original HP OEM XP installation, it should activate automatically if you perform a factory recovery (if available).
• If installing fresh, an HP OEM XP disc (or an image with pre-activated HP OEM files) will bypass activation.
• If using a retail XP Pro disc, activation will likely fail since the COA is for Vista.

 

3. Alternative Approaches:

• Check if the seller can provide a recovery disc or an image of the original installation.
• If XP is required for legacy software, consider using a virtual machine or an XP Mode alternative on a modern system.

Let me know if you need help finding an installation source or have any issues with activation!

* Windows XP Professional SP3 ISO:

Since Windows XP is long past its end of life, Microsoft no longer provides official downloads. However, here are some legitimate ways to obtain a Windows XP Professional SP3 ISO:

1. Internet Archive (Legitimate OEM ISOs):

The Internet Archive hosts untouched Windows XP ISOs, including HP OEM versions. You can search for:

• "Windows XP Professional SP3 OEM ISO"
• "HP Windows XP Professional SP3 OEM ISO"

 

2. WinWorldPC (Legacy Software Archive):

WinWorldPC has various versions of Windows XP, including OEM and retail ISOs.

 

3. If You Have an HP OEM System:

If your HP Compaq DC5800 originally came with XP via downgrade rights, an HP XP restore disc would be the best option. You can:

• Search eBay for "HP Compaq DC5800 XP recovery disc."
• Check HP forums—sometimes users share recovery images.

 

4. MDL Forums (My Digital Life):

MDL has discussions on OEM recovery ISOs, including XP. If you have the HP SLIC BIOS, you can install XP and use the OEM activation method.

Once you have the ISO, you can create a bootable USB using Rufus or burn it to a CD. Let me know if you need guidance on installation!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[dugganrouthorn5]

I don’t have an HP Windows XP Professional Installation Disc. I found this HP Disc on eBay, is it any good?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286159710616

I couldn’t find a HP Windows XP Installation Disc on the Internet Archive with the search term you suggested.

[NonSequitur777]

@dugganrouthorn5,

Here you go: https://web.archive.org/web/20150213193534/http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/e/9/ee9d0116-c9f....

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777