Microsoft Offering Downgrade Options From Vista To XP
Microsoft has a program assisting businesses who buy PCs with Windows Vista Business (or Ultimate), but want to run XP on them until their software is fully compatible with Vista. Businesses now have downgrade rights, which allow owners of fully licensed Vista PCs to install Windows XP over Vista completely for free, without having to own an unused copy of Windows XP.
According to the program PDF, computers with licensed OEM (comes with a new PC) copies of business editions of Vista can install a copy of XP, one that they must provide themselves. Once XP is installed, the operating system will fail product activation, as it should, since it is a previously used unlicensed copy of XP. Call the Activation Support Line, explain you are downgrading, and they will give you instructions on how to activate it, apparently completely for free.
This doesn’t just work for Vista, it also works for downgrading XP to Windows 2000. In all cases, the business must provide the operating system install disks themselves, but they can be previously used versions without product keys, and only business-class versions may downgrade to other business class versions.
The downgrade paths allowed:

According to Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft is working on simplifying the process further, so businesses can submit batches of keys, instead of calling for each one.





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micorsoft and all the computer manifactures must make a DOWN GRADE ADVISOR .
dont tell us the end user ,that there computer was made for vista only !!!.
I have heard this too often ..
Get with it and make a *** down grade advisor that will convert /work with all drivers .
I have a hp pavillion 6345 note pad and have been told this unit will not work with xp..
Remenber you have to invest and perchas the xp in order to try the down grade .. If you fail 200 $$ and much time is lost ..
Comment by joey | October 18, 2007
post script *** MICROSOFT **vista **DOWN GRADE .
all of the above ranting is directed at VISTA and my difficulty down grading.
FUTHERMORE what about the **compatibility mode **..This is
worhtless rhetoric and marketing ..
very little of my old software works with vista..
Comment by joey | October 18, 2007
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What about the other versions of Vista.
Only owners of Vista business and Ultimate can downgrade (to be more exact, uppgrade) to XP.
So that causes problems to Vista home premium users.
Comment by Tom Ingvall | December 29, 2007
I RESIDE IN LOS ANGLES CALIFORNIA U.S.A..
FRY`S,,CIRCUIT CITY ,,BEST BUYS ARE THE BIG COMPUTER ELECTRONICS STORES ..
LETS TALK COSTMER SERVICE PARTICULARLY COMPUTER ISSUES AND THE ABOVE NAMED THREE..
THESE STORE SALES PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS PUSHING EXTENDED GAURENTEES/HARDWARE ON YOUR UNIT.. HOWEVER THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PROBLEMS ARE SOFTWARE..
THE TECHNACAL STAFF AT THESE SAID STORES WEATHER A+++ CERTIFIED OR NOT ARE LACKING ON MOST BASIC LEVELS AND CERTANLY ABOVE BASIC..
THE SO CALLED TECH`S ARE NOT EVEN JUNIOR POWER USERS .
THESE LOCAL BOYS ARE ONLY ONE STEP ABOVE THE SEVEN ELEVEN
PHONE SERVICE AVALIABLE BY THE MANIFICTURES.
YES YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN !!. SHAIB .SABOO..AND MEM-SAB.
LETS NOT FOR GET RHAMA AND GUNGA DIN ..
NOW BACK DOWN TO THE VISTA DOWNGRADING!
THERE SHOULD BE A WORLD WIDE STRIKE AGAINST VISTA .
PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST VISTA .
WHAT ABOUT A RAP SONG DISSING VISTA ..
LETS HAVE A RALLY AGAINST VISTA??
EVERY ONE SHOUT OUT LOUD VISTA N F G = NO FKING GOOD!
PUBLIC APATHY HAS ALLOWED MICROSOFT TO GET AWAY WITH FOISTING THIS UGLY VISTA MONSTER ON THE HAPPLESS NEW COMPUTER BUYER.
I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST TO ANY WOULD BE COMPUTER BUYER TO GO TO SCHOOL AND TAKE MANY CLASSES ON THE APPLICATIONS/SOFTWARE YOU INTEND TO UTILIZE..
**DONT BE IN A HURRY TAKE CLASSES ..MOST SCHOOLS HAVE COMPUTER LABS SET WITH EVERY THING ..WHY BUY WHEN YOU CAN TRY FOR A LOW PRICE AND THEN LATTER DECIDE WHICH MAY BE THE BEST CHOICE..
THOSE CLASS MATES AND TEACHERS COULD GIVE YOU GOOD TIPS AND INSIGHTS TO THE BEST POSSIABLE CHOICE IN WHAT YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTER SHOULD BE ..THATS CALLED GETTING THE FACTS AND NETWORKING VS MEARLY LOOKING AT THE ADVERTIZEMENTS IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR THE JUNK VENDED..
COULD YOU IMAGIN A DOZEN COMPUTER CLASS SCHOOL MATES GOING TO THE LOCAL COMPUTER STORE AND HAZING AND HARASSING THE SALES REP..I WOULD CALL THAT SMART TEAM WORK!!.
Comment by SPANKER | January 3, 2008
JUST SAY NO TO UGLY VISTA
Comment by SPANKER | January 3, 2008