step 1Step one - Back-up
You will have to remove your Vista partition to install XP. Any data on it will be removed permanently! You can perform a dual boot. However if you do, I assume you know what your doing and don't need this guide. Before starting anything, back-up your data! I know you haven't done this, so now is a good time to do so. This means any files you have created. Word docs…

step 2Step Two DRIVERS.
The main hurdle in installing XP on a Vista ready system are the system drivers. Drivers tell the operating system how to use the hardware in your system. If your are not familiar with drivers, you may want to get a computer savvy friend to help with this install. There are drivers on the internet for almost all hardware for Windows XP, its just a matter of finding …

step 3More Drivers and the SATA hurdle
Now that you have your list of hardware, you will need to go online and see what issues other people are facing when installing XP on your system. You will want to Google your PC model number ( Do A Google Search: Gateway ML3109 XP Drivers) This is only an example. It may take some time, but you will find people talking about your system and the solutions they have foun…

step 4Leave yourself an out.
This is a very important step. Make sure you have an original copy of Vista, recovery disks or a recovery partition. If XP fails to install and there is no good solution, you can always reinstall Vista. I DO NOT trust recovery partitions. Hard drives can fail, or it may be difficult to start the recovery process. If you do not have a Vista recovery CD/DV