Using Vista drivers for Windows 10 possible?

[NDDU Julius BSIT]

My old laptop is a Sony VAIO VGN CR-354R with a Intel Core2Duo T8100 and an ATI Radeon X2300 GPU. Currently its running Windows 7 Professional and I want to upgrade it to Windows 10 since my experience using Windows 10 OS on my other devices proved to be faster and lighter to use but the ATI GPU isn't support by Windows 10. I've been reading a lot on forums saying that the Vista driver of the device will work with Windows 10... Is it possible?

 

[Ralston18]

Yes that is possible.

Those sort of things are discovered by accident (incorrect download) or some intrepid techy type gives it a go out of either curiousity or desperation.

If you have not already done so check ATI's website, FAQs, and Forums. You may find some related postings and maybe some details with respect to using the older Vista driver(s).

Driver installation may simply stop with a "not supported" error message.

And consider the Windows 7 drivers. They may be a workable option.

 

[NDDU Julius BSIT]

Yes that is possible.

Those sort of things are discovered by accident (incorrect download) or some intrepid techy type gives it a go out of either curiousity or desperation.

If you have not already done so check ATI's website, FAQs, and Forums. You may find some related postings and maybe some details with respect to using the older Vista driver(s).

Driver installation may simply stop with a "not supported" error message.

And consider the Windows 7 drivers. They may be a workable option.

How does that work anyways? When I install the wrong Windows device driver version on any of my systems, it says an error haha how does that happen to Vista drivers?

 

[Ralston18]

Having a driver from another OS version work is not at all uncommon. Even between 32 and 64 bit systems.

The error message may occur because the driver code is looking for some particular parameter or setting that is not available or perhaps just not recognized on the host computer. Driver looks in Folder X for something that is now in Folder Y.

Not necessarily fatal. There may be some workaround or tweak to satisfy the driver code that all is well.

E.g., place a copy of that something in Folder Y and away things go....

Developing drivers costs money. Manufacturer's want to make any given driver work with as many Operating Systems as possible And of course they want to make that same driver work with as many of their own products as possible.

But they also want you to keep purchasing new products and no longer be able to use older products - dropping or ending any sort of support is one way of doing that. (It is a balancing act - most manufacturers do not wish to alienate customers although it often seems otherwise.)

New drivers are often backwards compatible but only to the point of being practical and maintainable. Especially if there has been a lot of product churn. E.g. old graphics drivers may work for a newer OS but not support all available resolutions.

Will an older driver work? Depends on a combination of intent, planning, design, and possibly just some happy circumstances.

The latter being applicable to at least some lucky end users.