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@liam Provem

> Wow... that is quite a saga.

>> And it isn't over yet! Bashing one's own head against a brick wall: it's nice when it stops.

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> For XP, I suggest TinyXP from the Internet Archive.

>> Tried: I should have used Easy2Boot to insall that, but it failed because of a driver/first post-install-boot CD seek issue, which Easy2Boot has a two stage XP installation mitigation for - I cannot believe how fast Windows XP Pro boots and flies! It now only takes 28 seconds to get from the BIOS password screen to Windows 7 Professional's (see install method below) chirp upon full successful boot, and it's snappy in use. Quite honestly I'm delighted. XP Pro will be my go to quick access OS, because it supports my ancient but good software for getting on with writing my memoirs about my oh so very interesting life, and making horrible noises.

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> There is a higher-end Vaio P with a trackpad next to the screen. I think it came with an SSD. Maybe I'll try to find one of them if I find a modernish OS that's usable on it.

I had no problems booting Win7 on mine, but I did need to update its BIOS. That is worth checking. I put Windows Thin PC on it, but it's sluggish.

>> A small update... circumvented the mysterious Windows 7 Professional driver issue which prevented installation, by starting the install on a desktop PC, then putting the mSATA back into the Sony VAIO P to finish the installation (The same install method should shoehorn in Windows 10, but judgingby what I've seen on Youtube, it isn't worth it). Now that I have Gparted resized (tried some windows based tool call Partition Wizard minitool - it corrupted the disk) and installed a dual booting XP + Win7Pro, I'm auditioning for a decent but light 32 bit Linux (already had a tri boot XP + Vista + Mint working), for the latest Firefox releases going forward, which will come in handy for those occasional websites (and routers) I encounter on the road, which are not usable because the developers haven't programmed a decent desktop mode for Android. AntiX seems a tad time consuming to harden... trying 32-Bit Zorin Lite right now. Most Linuxii seem easy to remove from dual or multi-boots.

Also my previous post should read Easy2Boot, not Easy2USB - it's XML file for Window Vista Business should be bypassed.

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> I think I will leave mine's hard disk in place for now, then!

You too should experience the seemingly unending hell of SSD upgrade of VAIO P via mSATA to ZIF converter! It's almost over now, thank fsck! And it seems well worth the effort. I've just finished scrubbing off the cheap and nasty Poundland sticky pad I used to secure the ZIF converter, ready for the heat resistant version which arrived today, to secure it properly. Just need to be certain of a perfect setup with a usable and useful 32-bit Linux first. I hope the isopropyl hasn't dissolved/weakened the rubber covering one of the hard drive shock sensors (small bubble, looks like alcohol may have deflated it, as it does most things lol), which one of the cheap and nasty pads had stuck to (!). Full fat Linux Mint did run, sluggshly - best to install Linux after singular or dual Windows, otherwise Windows 7 replaces the boot loader (but there's EasyBCD to correct that).

There's a video on YT which goes through the whole SSD upgrade (hardware) process, but leaves out the necessity of having heat-resistant Kapton tape at hand.

Zorin was glacial too, it has to be AntiX - it even plays the video on YT detailing how a badger broke my wrist cycling (the badger wasn't cycling, and my wrist wasn't cycling alone), which is the main benchmark I'm judging Linuxii by. Stuttery playback, but sound is continuous in Firefox ESR - it all goes t*tsup with the latest version: zero sonicry, barely 1 or 2 fps. AntiX takes about 49 seconds to fully boot, and it's comparatively snappy in operation, much more responsive than Mint and Zorin - in fact if I didn't need certain Windows apps, it'd do. I'll have to read up on hardening AntiX... but currently it's dual booting with Windows 7 Pro, and I'm about to wipe the disk and start again for the final time, for the tri-boot with XP. Then I can still work on holiday, after I tape the SSD secure and screw it all back together again, if I can find homes for all of them. I knew upgrading that cr*p hard drive would be a freaking nightmare...

Well worth upgrading IMHO. The SSD might even make a VAIO P Hackintosh viable? I'm going to buy another Sony VAIO P, plus the VAIO UX.