As a reminder, make sure if the buyer is giving you media and key to use that it is not an OEM product. You really don't want to push that button with Microsoft even if you did get a rep to tell you that you could do something that is very questionable. I am with you thinking WTF?
Jon On Thu, Aug 5, 2010 at 12:17 AM, Carl Houseman <[email protected]> wrote: > The "free DIY" downgrade rules have always stipulated you must bring an > existing product key and media to the party. Doesn't matter the source of > the key or media – can be OEM, retail, upgrade, or volume. > > > > But when you build to sell to someone else, you are not a "DIY builder". > You are a DIFSE builder. Completely different scenario – and if you need a > unique product key and original media to give to your customer, it's not > free for Microsoft to stamp and distribute such things, so neither should > you expect to be given them for free. > > > > Carl > > > > *From:* Mike Gill [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Thursday, 5 August 2010 11:56 AM > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: Windows Downgrade Circus > > > > I agree with you. I was just surprised I got the advice I did from MS, but > more so that there is no free & legitimate downgrade path for DIY builders. > > > > -- > Mike Gill > > > > *From:* Carl Houseman [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Wednesday, August 04, 2010 7:17 PM > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: Windows Downgrade Circus > > > > I sure wouldn't want to re-use one of *my* XP product keys on a machine > I'm building for a customer. Or the product key that I previously installed > for some other customer. > > > > However, if your customer has an XP product key, re-using that would be > OK. And more than likely, you won't have to call in for approval unless > you're using the same key repeatedly on multiple machines – it will just > activate online automatically. > > > > But if you are building a machine for a client who has no existing product > key to re-use, then I'd say buy the media/key for $30 and pass along the > cost. It is time, I think, that customers are forced to think about the > decision they're making to stay with XP and if it causes them a little pain > to do so, not such a terrible thing. > > > > Carl > > > > *From:* Mike Gill [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Wednesday, August 04, 2010 9:42 PM > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* Windows Downgrade Circus > > > > Has anyone here downgraded their (qualifying) Vista or 7 license to XP? > Meaning, you bought the parts for a new computer, of which consisted of a > Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate license and media, with the purpose of installing > XP. I’ve bought machines from larger OEM’s with downgrade rights whereas the > machine arrived with the media for both, and XP was installed. But for this > machine, I’m the builder. I thought I would use my own media for XP and get > the key from MS to activate it. After talking with three MS people, they > said they would send me XP media with a key for $30. I said that wouldn’t > work, and he suggested I use the XP key from another machine and just call > into the activation center and they would just override it. I said “But the > same product key would be in use on two machines.” He said “yeah.” Wow. > Nobody does this or what? > > > > -- > Mike Gill > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
