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Moving from Windows XP to Windows Vista

Windows XP End-Of-Sales... (January 31, 2009)
Microsoft will soon discontinue selling Windows XP through its sales channels. In industry terms this is called "End-Of-Sales" (EOS). The last day Microsoft Authorised OEM Distributors can purchase Windows XP from Microsoft will be January 31, 2009. [For major PC manufacturers, this EOS date was June 30, 2008]. OEM Distributors can continue to sell Windows XP to their system builder customers subsequent to January 31, 2009, while they work through their existing inventory.

Making the Move to Windows Vista... With Windows XP “going away,” be ready to talk to your customers about Windows Vista's features and benefits. Download a flyer for resellers: Transitioning to Windows Vista from Windows XP (998k PDF)...

Downgrade Rights

Certain customer groups are eligible to downgrade. If your customer is eligible, downgrade rights allow them to acquire Windows Vista, but continue to run Windows XP until they are ready to upgrade. Note that only certain versions of Windows Vista are eligible for end user downgrade rights.

When and Why Would Customers Use Downgrade Rights?

• Your customer needs a new system running on the same platform as their existing systems – Windows XP Professional.

• Purchase a PC with Windows Vista Business preinstalled
• Downgrade – at no additional cost – to Windows XP Professional
• When the time is right to move to Windows Vista Business, they are ready and licensed

Downgrade Rights for Windows Desktop Software

Downgrade rights are an end user right, documented in the License Terms that customers accept upon first running Windows software.

• Purchase a PC preinstalled with Windows Vista
• Accept the Windows Vista License Terms
• Perform the downgrade or authorize an OEM to perform the downgrade

The Downgrade Process

Follow these steps to downgrade to a previous version of Windows:

• Obtain genuine Windows XP Professional or Tablet PC Edition media and a corresponding product key.
  • The media should come from a prior legally licensed version from the OEM, Retail, or Volume Licensing channels.
• Insert Windows XP Professional media in the CD drive and follow the installation instructions.
• Enter the product key
  • If previously activated, the software will be unable to activate online. In this case, the appropriate local Activation Support phone number will be displayed. Call the Activation Support Line and explain the circumstances. Once it is determined that the end user has a valid Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate license, the Customer Service Representative will help them activate their software.
• Activate Windows XP software

OEM Versions of Windows Eligible for Downgrade Only certain OEM versions of Windows Vista include downgrade rights. Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate include downgrade rights to: Windows XP Professional, or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, or Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

Other OEM Windows Vista versions (for instance, Windows Vista Home versions) do not include downgrade rights.

What to Know About Downgrade Rights

This summary is intended to be a general informational overview of the downgrade rights outlined in the End User License Terms for the indicated Microsoft OEM System Builder product. Please refer to the actual License Terms for the precise terms and conditions which govern use of the software:

• End users can use the following media for their downgrade: Volume Licensing media (provided end user has a Volume Licensing agreement), Retail (Full Package Product), or a System Builder edge-to-edge media (provided software is acquired in accordance with the Microsoft OEM System Builder License). End users can use one legal version of the downgrade media for multiple installations. The end customer does not 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 Customer 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 downgrade operating system (for example Windows XP Professional) and the most recent version which they downgraded from (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 is still required to apply the desktop operating system Certificate of Authenticity (COA) to the PC.
• End users may reinstall Windows Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Tablet PC edition at any time, provided the downgrade operating system has been removed from the computer, and that software is reinstalled on the PC it was originally installed on with 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 product.

Download a Downgrade Rights Step-by-Step Guide and FAQ for your customers (930k PDF)...