Installing Windows XP on a computer with Windows Vista

[FONT= "Arial"]I installed a full version of Windows Vista on a refurbished Compaq computer that had Windows XP installed and I now wish to remove the Vista and install Windows XP.

First off let me explain, I have both Microsoft installation CD's with Vista and XP along with their respective Product Keys. I purchased the refurbished computer back when the Vista was first released just to see how the Vista operating system worked. The first thing I did was to install the Windows Vista from the CD as a full clean installation, not an upgrade. I formated the hard drive and installed it clean and it has been working fine ever since. Since this was a second computer for me I just kept it running but now I wish to use it exclusively to run my Apache server and I prefer to use the Windows XP operating system which is what I have on my main computer.

The first thing I did was to go into the Bios and make sure that the boot order was CD and then Hard Drive. I then inserted my Windows XP disk and rebooted however, even though it went to the CD and showed that it was reading it, it did not boot from the CD but from the hard drive.

Am I doing something wrong or am I missing a step?

Thanks[/FONT]

 

"Press any key to boot from cd "
If you let it just go, it will boot with the hard drive.

However, you say its set as CD first, someone else may have a suggestion, if mine is invalid.

http://rcc.bgsu.edu/info/Image:Press-any-key.gif

 

On some computers when you see the "Press any key to boot from cd" message you have to be really quick or it will carry on and boot from the hard drive. My computer is like that. If you wait even 1 or 2 seconds it will be too late. I start pressing "any" key even before that message comes up.

 

I am sorry I guess I didn't make it too clear, I never get to the "Press any key" option. I get the indicator that the CD drive is being accessed both first and then after to start up screen but I never get the option to boot from CD.

 

http://www.technologyquestions.com/...-no-press-any-key-boot-cd-option-install.html
http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-62914-not-showing-press-key-to-boot-from-cd
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090426001542AAPNWyO
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261883-30-press-boot-screen
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090724042718AASCoVW
http://www.computerforum.com/140313-reformat-windows-xp-press-any-key-boot-cd-doesnt-come-up.html
http://www.fixya.com/support/t1606009-no_press_any_key_boot_from_cd_message

Try out some of these links. I believe the main difficulty your having is "press any key to boot thingy. That is my diagnosis.
To the moderator - I am NOT trying to spam by entering 7 links. I added them to maybe help the poster.

 

check your BIOS again if it is set to First Boot Device CD it may have changed back somehow.