Microsoft to allow Windows 7 users to downgrade to Vista or XP
Customers who buy Windows 7 will now have the option to downgrade not only to Windows Vista, but also to Windows XP. The news first came from AppleInsider who reported Microsoft has agreed for HP to extend the option of selling Windows XP on new PCs until April 31, 2010.
ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley contacted Microsoft for more details regarding the downgrade program. Microsoft confirmed that the program will be in effect and stated that this isn’t the first time they’ve allowed users to downgrade even further than its immediate predecessor. However, they refused to discuss the reasons for the April 31, 2010 due date. Despite AppleInsider claiming that downgrade rights will expire for other OEMs on July 31, 2009, HP said that Microsoft’s terms and conditions will remain the same across OEMs.
Currently, Microsoft only allows downgrades on Vista Business and Ultimate SKUs, which suggests that not every SKU will be available for a downgrade on Windows 7 as well.
This is a strange move by Microsoft since Windows 7 is being highly praised for doing so well even in its beta stages.
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Tags: windows 7, windows 7 downgrade
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7 Responses to “Microsoft to allow Windows 7 users to downgrade to Vista or XP”
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Oh lovely. Microsoft isn’t ready to let XP die… Why not allow a downgrade option to 3.11 For Workgroups for all the AOL using, AMD K6-2 toting abacus lovers who still believe that 32MB of RAM is sufficient?
Windows XP has been pretty much perfected, in a way no other Windows really ever has.
It’s also the most used operating system. Period.
Of coarse they don’t want to get rid of it!
“This is a strange move by Microsoft since Windows 7 is being highly praised for doing so well even in its beta stages.”
Actually, this isn’t a strange move. This is what Microsoft has always done for volume license users. I suppose the reason is that some businesses need XP for compatibility reasons.
A quote from MJ Foley’s article you linked to:
“The spokesperson clarified later that downgrade rights allow users to install previous versions of Windows, not just the most recent predecessor. In other words, a volume-license user who wanted to downgrade from Vista could, technically, go back to Windows 2000 or even Windows 95, not just XP. Who knew?”
this is weird i thought they’d be trying to get as many people on to 7 as possible. i doubt many people will go from 7 to vista. i personally liked vista but i’m using 7 and there’s nothing that makes me want to go back to vista.
All Hail…Saint Xp
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ahahaahahahaha
i used to agree with you other people about xp. But now i have a nice new quad core , 4gb ram computer which came with vista and its FAST!!!!
So vista wins if you buy a new computer with it , xp wins if you already have a computer