Windows 7 Professional XP Downgrade - How?

A

Adam

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So I'm a systems buildiner. We build DVR's and computers for clients. So i usually buy OEM software and have for many years. Wellll heres my question.... with the recent news of MS allowing even longer "downgrade to XP" options, how do i do this exactly?

Meaning... what do i buy? Do I just buy my regular Windows 7 Pro OEM license and during installation is there an option to downgrade to XP?? Or do i use a Windows XP Pro OEM cd and put in my windows 7 pro code... hows this work exactly, how do i basically install XP pro onto a customers computer?
 
Downgrade rights for volume licensing. Say you buy a computer from HP that comes with Windows 7 Professional OEM, this extension allows you to buy another license for Windows XP (yes you are technically buying 2 OSes). With volume licensing you just have 1 key that you use and you just pay for as many computers as you run the OS on.
 
Yeah I do it with Dell, i pay like $99 extra for an XP Pro Downgrade... but what about people like me, who build computers and resell them. Im not dell or hp so how do i go about doing this? Should I contact CDW for volume pricing or what? I know on newegg i can buy a w7 pro OEM license, but no more xp OEM licenses
 
you build computers and resell them to who, home users? and you're giving these home users brand new machiens in this day and age with XP on them? :confused:

If you are buying Dells and want to get the XP downgrade, then you have to buy Dell machines that are still offering the downgrade.

That, or find somewhere that still sells XP OEM licenses.
 
Sell them with windows 7. If they want to downgrade to XP they can call MS. There is nothing stopping you from calling MS and asking them if your customers will be able to downgrade for free. According to MS, they can. There should be no issue.

Beside Win7 is better. Different, but better.
 
You're doing a disservice to anyone buying a new PC by putting XP on it. Windows 7 is vastly superior to XP in pretty much every way.
 
What is it with people and their need to say "Windows 7".
Did everyone fail English class? Can't read?
Adam works at a place that makes DVRs, special equipment.

Anyone with even a hint of experience with computers in the business world will have a partial grasp of the concept that some special equipment will run on computers that use an older OS for many..many...many reasons, and none of those reasons are wrong. There's nothing wrong with Windows XP as a host for a DVR box.

And the brilliant suggestion to sell them a box with Windows 7 (OK...good one...what if the DVR hardware that they sell will not work on Windows 7? Sell them a broken box? Yeah..good one)...and then have the customer perform the downgrade to Windows XP? OK..another good suggestion...let them go on a driver hunt for the specific hardware installed on this special purpose DVR box...that'll be fun for the typical home user. :rolleyes: You do know that you can't actually do an in place "downgrade" from 7 to XP, right? It's actually a full clean install. So the idea of a typical home users knowing how to format, install XP, lay all the drivers down, and then setup the DVR equipment and software...wow, good one.

Again folks...read....grasp....comprehend...use your head....this isn't about the Win7 vs XP debate, this is about special purpose equipment that will continue to have XP on it, and he wants to find the proper way to continue to legally install XP for their clients.

Adam...where do you currentl get your Windows licensing? Do you have a direct rep at MS? Or are you purchasing through wholesale channels like Ingram? Or do you just purchase through public vendors like the Egg or CDW?
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
What is it with people and their need to say "Windows 7".
Did everyone fail English class? Can't read?
Adam works at a place that makes DVRs, special equipment.

Anyone with even a hint of experience with computers in the business world will have a partial grasp of the concept that some special equipment will run on computers that use an older OS for many..many...many reasons, and none of those reasons are wrong. There's nothing wrong with Windows XP as a host for a DVR box.

And the brilliant suggestion to sell them a box with Windows 7 (OK...good one...what if the DVR hardware that they sell will not work on Windows 7? Sell them a broken box? Yeah..good one)...and then have the customer perform the downgrade to Windows XP? OK..another good suggestion...let them go on a driver hunt for the specific hardware installed on this special purpose DVR box...that'll be fun for the typical home user. :rolleyes: You do know that you can't actually do an in place "downgrade" from 7 to XP, right? It's actually a full clean install. So the idea of a typical home users knowing how to format, install XP, lay all the drivers down, and then setup the DVR equipment and software...wow, good one.

Again folks...read....grasp....comprehend...use your head....this isn't about the Win7 vs XP debate, this is about special purpose equipment that will continue to have XP on it, and he wants to find the proper way to continue to legally install XP for their clients.

Adam...where do you currentl get your Windows licensing? Do you have a direct rep at MS? Or are you purchasing through wholesale channels like Ingram? Or do you just purchase through public vendors like the Egg or CDW?
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Then the question would be, does it work with win7? If it does then by all means go with 7.
 
Thank you... and the answer is SORT OF. Only over the past few months did the DVR hardware get support for Windows 7... so THATS why we still use windows xp... because if i sell a client a system and put windows 7 on it, and down the road their DVR card fails and i have to give them one of my loaner cards (which are pretty new but not windows 7 compatible) they are kinda screwed. By using windows xp still i ensure my clients that i have hardware in stock that will be compatible.

Also, i used windows 7 on one DVR so far (i needed a drive larger to 2TB, its a raid array) and it is kinda quirky still, even though its supported its still new for the dvr hardware.

And also, no i don't sell to home users, i sell to business users. Some businesses use software thats not yet compatible with vista/7... proprietary software basically thats not made the jump yet. Also some of my clients i have ghost images setup for easy deployment and we put the cd keys in later.

When I buy a client a dell machine, i usually go for the XP downgrade, but when i build a computer from scratch i now become an OEM because im building the pc and reselling it, so i need an xp downgrade.

If i install Windows 7, great, i call MS and get a downgrade key or something, how do i then install XP... i have OEM copies of Windows XP laying around, but what key do i use? The w7 key i get with a new OEM purchase?? Or is there a different key i have to call MS to get? Thats really my question.

The latest OEM of WinXP Pro i have is SP3.
 
Stoly said:
Then the question would be, does it work with win7? If it does then by all means go with 7.
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That's up to their developers and their roadmap. A lot of people that only have home computer experience...lol...well, nuff said, tired of beating a dead horse. Those who DO have business IT experience know what I'm talking about.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
That's up to their developers and their roadmap. A lot of people that only have home computer experience...lol...well, nuff said, tired of beating a dead horse. Those who DO have business IT experience know what I'm talking about.
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Well, since OP didn't specify if he tested the DVR in windows 7 I didn't know if it worked or not.

Too many times I've seen people complaining something doesn't work in Win7 and haven't even tried it.
 
Shouldnt matter... i stated:

"So I'm a systems buildiner. We build DVR's and computers for clients."

I didnt ask "so what do you think about windows 7, should i use it for my business" - most people never bother to read what OP's write... my question was HOW do i go about downgrading, not "is it a good idea" "should i just install windows 7"
 
Here is some information for OEMs in regards to downgrade rights.

Adam, since you are an OEM and building machines, you should sign up at the Microsoft OEM system builder website (if you haven't already). Somewhere in there is contact information that you can use to get the answers you seek.
 
SJConsultant said:
Here is some information for OEMs in regards to downgrade rights.

Adam, since you are an OEM and building machines, you should sign up at the Microsoft OEM system builder website (if you haven't already). Somewhere in there is contact information that you can use to get the answers you seek.
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Aside from the information SJConsultant's post, currently the only way to get an XP downgrade on a Dell system is to buy a model that still offers it as an option.
If you are building these machines from scratch then your best bet is to find somewhere that still sells OEM copies of XP. Doing this there is NO need for Windows 7 because an "XP Downgrade" is just a term Dell and other OEM's use. You only need an XP license to install XP if you are building the machine yourself.
 
Makes sense to me, but even MS calls it a downgrade on their new "terms" page about the whole xp rights thing and what not. I liked buying from newegg, because we have a 20k terms account with them. But i also have terms with CDW so i'll see if they still sell xp
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
What is it with people and their need to say "Windows 7".
Did everyone fail English class? Can't read?
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Oh, I dunno. Maybe because it's name IS Windows 7. It's a proper noun, and MS added the 7 moniker. Doesn't matter if you're supposed to say "nine" instead of 9.
 
lots of dvr stuff is not written to work well in 7, errr seven oh sorry MS employees Microsoft WINDOWS 7(seven)

give us all a break and quit pushing this bloat os as some gift from God.

Basically you have to buy 2 licenses. Can't you just buy XP and be done with it? I know that you could get oem multi from MS for business use but when they cancelled sp2 support (IF) I understand this correctly they said they would not sell xp any more.
 
Adam said:
Shouldnt matter... i stated:

"So I'm a systems buildiner. We build DVR's and computers for clients."

I didnt ask "so what do you think about windows 7, should i use it for my business" - most people never bother to read what OP's write... my question was HOW do i go about downgrading, not "is it a good idea" "should i just install windows 7"
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And why should you buy windows 7 in the first place??? There a tons of options to get XP directly from MS some of them targeted at OEM/VAR/builders. Be it technet, MSDNA, MAPs just to name a few, there's probably one that fits your needs.

And YES you should test your solution with Windows 7, and if it works by all means go with it. If you don't your COMPETITORS WILL.
 
CDW and NewEgg have both pulled XP OEM from their stores... so give me some places that sell them and offer term accounts
 
We've had to do this a few times at the place I work. What we have had to do is call Microsoft and ask for downgrade rights. They ask for the win7 key, and then either provide a new XP key to us to use to install or have us go through the XP activation post install w/ the win7 key inserted. This will not activate, but via phone activation, you ask for downgrade rights, and they will manually activate XP w/ the win7 key inserted in the OS. It always seems like a pain in the ass to do, not a big fan of MS for extending this downgrade program until hell freezes over.
 
Adam said:
CDW and NewEgg have both pulled XP OEM from their stores... so give me some places that sell them and offer term accounts
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Contact MS directly, they will offer you an option that suit your needs.
 
Soooo I should install Windows XP from an OEM cd i have, but use the Windows 7 pro key??? It'll accept that during the install but not activate, at which time i have to call and ask for downgrade? Is that right? If so i can do that, thats easy, i have a few OEM cd's left i kept as spares in case i ever needed the media. And that would allow me to just buy windows 7 pro from newegg as OEM for the key
 
I believe that what I posted was how we did it at our shop. Best bet is to call your Microsoft rep and have them give you the procedure.
 
Adam said:
Soooo I should install Windows XP from an OEM cd i have, but use the Windows 7 pro key??? It'll accept that during the install but not activate, at which time i have to call and ask for downgrade? Is that right? If so i can do that, thats easy, i have a few OEM cd's left i kept as spares in case i ever needed the media. And that would allow me to just buy windows 7 pro from newegg as OEM for the key
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You use the XP key. When you call to activate you explain you are doing a downgrade and they will ask for the windows 7 key. They will then give you the activation code.

Best way is to buy a volume license. You can get away with buying 1 volume license copy of windows 7 and 4 copies of something cheaper like ms math or streets and trips. You create an account on the microsoft licensing site and register the volume license. From there you can download the xp iso through downgrade rights and they will have a volume license key for xp on the site that is yours. When you build a system you put a windows 7 pro oem sticker on it and install your volume licence for xp. MS has said in the past that as long as you support the system you can do this.

With dells just get them with windows 7 pro and use a dell xp pro sp3 disk on them. Uses a bios check to verify that it is legit.
 
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