How to Make XP Drivers Work on Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system that Microsoft released as a successor to the Windows XP operating system platform. Although Windows Vista has many new features, it can be difficult to get it to work with certain types of hardware, such as printers, scanners or cameras. This is because not all companies have released Vista-compatible drivers for the hardware they produce. In some situations, you can get around this issue by attempting to force Vista to use Windows XP drivers for your hardware. Although this process isn't guaranteed, it's certainly worth a try.
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Instructions
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Start your computer and log in to Windows Vista once the login screen appears.
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Download the XP driver that you want to try to make work on Vista. If there are multiple drivers that will need to be installed, download them all and check to see if there is a guide for which order you should install them in.
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Right-click on the driver file that you want to install and select the Properties button. Inside the Properties window, select the "Compatibility: tab. Under the Compatibility Mode section, check the box next to the words "Run this program in compatibility mode for," then choose the version of Windows XP from the drop-down box that the driver is meant for. If you are unsure which version of Windows to use, start from XP SP3 (which stands for Service Pack 3, an upgrade package).
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Click the OK button on the Properties window, then double click on the driver file to attempt to install it. If it does not install correctly, change the XP compatibility version from XP SP3 to XP SP2 and try again. You can also try version XP SP1 if neither SP3 nor SP2 work.
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Perform this process for each driver file you want to install, but be careful to monitor the entire process and verify that it actually works before proceeding with the use of your hardware.
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Tips & Warnings
By installing Windows XP drivers onto your Windows Vista computer, you do so at your own risk. This process is in no way guaranteed, and can result in destabilizing your computer, damaging your operating system and even possible data loss. Before attempting to make your Windows XP drivers work on Vista, you should back up all of your important data to an external hard drive or flash drive.
