Trying to escape Windows 8.1!?

Hardly "madness". Sounds like a VERY sensible thing to do.

Window 8.1 is much smoother, safer, more resilient, more secure and can run more apps...

Some of the interfaces are slightly different, so learn the differences and the rest is great.

Set the "boot to desktop" option.

Set a photo or background screen in the desktop of your choice.

Ensure the same screen is used as the background to the Start Screen / tiled interface.

From the Start Screen, remove icons / tiles that you don't use regularly. They are all easily available with a right click (upward swipe) or by using the search (swipe in from the right or just start typing with the Start Screen present).

xp and 8.1 have completely different disk structure.

Blank the hard drive completely using Killdisk or Dban

this will erase absolutely EVERYTHING

you might be able to leave that step out if XP thinks the disk is already blank(cos it dont understand the **** thats on it)

then enter the BIOS

set the SATA operation mode to IDE(not ACHI), save/exit

which may actually be the problem

** turn off your broadband until finished (this is very good advice)**

insert a Windows XP cd

install XP.

after install XP rarely works

download ALL the drivers for your PC and i do mean all of them.

install the CHIPSET drivers First.

then all the others

then install all the Service packs(they can be obtained as separate installs to speed up this process)

only then turn on your broadband.

XP is no longer supported by Microsoft. NO more Up Dates which means the security of XP will fail.

There is NOTHING wrong with 8.1 You just need to learn the new features.

If you have the XP installation disk, you can erase the hard drive and then reinstall XP. Otherwise, it ain't gonna happen. Once you install 8 or 8.1, Windows or Microsoft won't let you go back.

You're going to have to get your XP software disk and reinstall it over Win 8.

system restore maybe