Not exactly. You won't be able to buy media kits past October, theoretically. However, you can downgrade as long as you have media. M$ would have provide with a license key, or you'd have have OEM media kit that has a license key built into the install.
>From the Microsoft site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-xp/end-of-sale.aspx “Top questions we hear about Windows XP Can I downgrade my OEM version of Windows 7 Professional to Windows XP Professional? Yes. The OEM versions of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate will continue to include downgrade rights to the similar versions of Windows Vista or Windows XP Professional. Going forward, businesses can continue to purchase new PCs and utilize end user downgrade rights to Windows XP or Windows Vista until they are ready to use Windows 7.” http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3223 XP will be supported (free security updates and security related hotfixes, but paid incident support) until April of 2014, according to the officially published Microsoft Lifecycle for Windows XP. Jonathan L. Raper, MCSE Thumb-typed from my HTC Incredible (and yes, it really is) Droid. Please excuse brevity & any misspellings. ----- Reply message ----- From: "Alan Davies" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Aug 5, 2010 4:35 am Subject: Windows Downgrade Circus To: "NT System Admin Issues" <[email protected]> I may be wrong, but isn't the ability to "downgrade" Win7 to XP ending this autumn so that it's no longer legal at all under the Win7 license agreement (ie. effectively banning XP from new machines)? a 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 ************************************************************************************ WARNING: The information in this email and any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the named addressee, you must not use, copy or disclose this email (including any attachments) or the information in it save to the named addressee nor take any action in reliance on it. If you receive this email or any attachments in error, please notify the sender immediately and then delete the same and any copies. "CLS Services Ltd × Registered in England No 4132704 × Registered Office: Exchange Tower × One Harbour Exchange Square × London E14 9GE" ________________________________ Any medical information contained in this electronic message is CONFIDENTIAL and privileged. It is unlawful for unauthorized persons to view, copy, disclose, or disseminate CONFIDENTIAL information. This electronic message may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and/or entity named as recipients in the message. If you are not an intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately and delete this material from your computer. Do not deliver, distribute or copy this message, and do not disclose its contents or take any action in reliance on the information that it contains. Any medical information contained in this electronic message is CONFIDENTIAL and privileged. It is unlawful for unauthorized persons to view, copy, disclose, or disseminate CONFIDENTIAL information. This electronic message may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and/or entity named as recipients in the message. If you are not an intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately and delete this material from your computer. Do not deliver, distribute or copy this message, and do not disclose its contents or take any action in reliance on the information that it contains. ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
