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The following provides more details about downgrade rights for Windows 7 Professional; Windows 7 Ultimate; Windows Vista Business; Windows Vista Ultimate; Windows XP Professional; Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter versions; and Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition.
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Also see the Downgrade Rights FAQ.
- End users can use the following media for their downgrades: Retail (full packaged product), or system builder edge-to-edge media (provided the software is acquired in accordance with the Microsoft OEM System Builder License).
- Additionally an end user, who is licensed separately through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs, may provide their Volume Licensing media and key to their system builder to use to facilitate the downgrade on only their systems.
- End users can use the following media for their downgrades: Retail (full packaged product), or system builder edge-to-edge media (provided the software is acquired in accordance with the Microsoft OEM System Builder License). Additionally an end user, who is licensed separately through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs, may provide their Volume Licensing media and key to their System Builder to use to facilitate the downgrade on only their systems. End users can use one legal version of the downgrade media for multiple installations. They don't need to have one set of media for each PC they are downgrading, because they have acquired legitimate full operating system licenses for the most recent version, which gave them the right to downgrade.
- In the event the end user opts to downgrade, neither Microsoft nor the PC manufacturer is obligated to provide customer product support for systems on which such previous versions are installed.
- The software may not be installed on any other computer system than the one which was downgraded under this right.
- If downgrading, the end user cannot use the new operating system (for example, Windows 7 Professional) and the downgrade operating system (for example, Windows Vista Business) at the same time.
- If an end user chooses to downgrade to an approved, prior version of the Windows desktop operating system, the PC manufacturer still must apply the desktop operating system Certificate of Authenticity (COA) to the PC.
- End users may reinstall the software at any time provided the downgrade operating system has been removed from the computer, and that software is reinstalled on the same PC on which it was originally installed, using the original OEM system builder edge-to-edge media distributed with the original PC. The end user will need to use the product key, located in the center of the Certificate of Authenticity (COA), in order to activate the following products:
- Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate
- Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate
- Windows XP Professional
- Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
- Windows XP x64 Edition
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Small Business Server 2008
- For Client Access License (CAL) downgrades, end users may use Windows Device CALs and Windows User CALs with an earlier version of the software in accordance with the terms of the of the Windows Server 2008 End User Software License Terms.
This summary is intended to be a general informational overview of the downgrade rights outlined in the End User Software License Terms for the indicated Microsoft OEM system builder product. Please refer to the actual License Agreement for the precise terms and conditions that govern use of the software.
Q.
Who can install the downgrade software?
A.
A system builder (when authorized by the end user) or the end user can install the software.
A Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate media disk is needed to facilitate the downgrade from Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows Vista Business.
A Windows XP Professional media disk is needed to facilitate the downgrade from Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows XP Professional.
A Windows XP Professional media disk is needed to facilitate the downgrade from Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows XP Professional.
Note that Windows 7 end user downgrade rights will be available for approximately 18 months after the general availability of Windows 7 or the release of a Windows 7 Service Pack, whichever is earlier. Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate products will include end user downgrade rights to the corresponding versions of Windows Vista software, Business or Ultimate, or Window XP Professional, or Tablet PC, or Professional x64 Editions.
Q.
Where does the system builder or end user get the Windows Vista Professional, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Business, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, or Windows XP x64 Edition media disk to perform the downgrade?
A.
The downgrade media can be media associated with any prior legally licensed version from the OEM system builder or retail channels. Additionally, an end user, who is licensed separately through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs, may provide their Volume Licensing media and key to their system builder to use to facilitate the downgrade on only their systems.
Q.
Do I need separate Windows Vista or Windows XP Professional media for each downgrade?
A.
Media associated with one prior legally licensed version of Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, or Windows XP Professional can be used for multiple installations. Multiple sets of media are not necessary for each PC being downgraded. Each PC acquired by the end user includes a legitimate full Windows Vista or Windows 7 license, which confers upon the user the right to downgrade.
Q.
Do I include the Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, or Windows XP Professional media in the box of the end user's system?
A.
No. While system builders may help end users facilitate their downgrade rights, they may not provide Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, or Windows XP Professional media with the system, because this is not the product licensed with the system. They should, however, ensure that the PC includes the Windows 7 or Windows Vista edge-to-edge recovery media, as appropriate. The end user will need this software to upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows Vista when ready.
Q.
Will the Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, or Windows XP Professional software require product activation? If so, what product key should be used to activate the software?
A.
Once Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, or Windows XP Professional is installed, the PC will prompt for a Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, or Windows XP Professional product key in order to activate the software. The product key associated with the original Windows software should be used for activation. If the Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, or Windows XP Professional product key has been previously activated, which is likely if the media came from a prior legally licensed version that has been activated in the past, the software may be unable to activate over the Internet, due to the hardware configuration change when installing this media onto the Windows 7 or Windows Vista system. When this happens, the appropriate local Activation Support phone number will be displayed, and the person performing the downgrade will need to call the Activation Support Line and explain the circumstances to a customer service representative.
Once it is determined that the end user has a valid Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows Vista Business, or Windows Vista Ultimate license, the customer service representative will provide a single-use activation code that can be used to activate the software.
Q.
Clarify again why product activation may fail?
A.
Product activation is an anti-piracy technology that associates the hardware configuration of the PC with the software. If the Windows product key used when downgrading has been activated in the past, it will be associated with a different hardware configuration and may register an activation failure when used on the new PC. When activation fails, call the local Activation Support center for help in activating.
Q.
What are the end-user benefits of downgrade rights?
A.
With downgrade rights end users are allowed to acquire Windows 7 or Windows Vista, but continue to use Windows Vista or Windows XP Professional respectively until they are ready to upgrade. When they are ready for Windows 7 or Windows Vista, they already have the license.
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