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Operating system licenses
Properly-licensed Microsoft operating systems (for example, Windows XP or Windows Vista) have either a full operating system license or an upgrade operating system license ( see comparison below). Microsoft Volume Licensing licenses a school or institution only for an upgrade for Windows, and sometimes for a downgrade to an earlier version of Windows, but not the full operating system license. Full operating system license can be acquired:
- As the Full-Packaged Product version from a retail or online store. (Academic Edition not available)
- With a new computer that has a full Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) version of the operating system pre-installed by your OEM or System Builder. All new and replacement PCs should come with a bootable operating system pre-installed.
For more details on operating system licensing, please download and read  Operating System Licensing Q&A (48 KB Microsoft Word file).
| Full Operating System License |
Upgrade Operating System License |
| May be used for a computer without a previously installed and licensed operating system |
May be used only for a computer that already has a full operating system license (See the product use rights for a list of qualifying operating systems) |
| Licenses the use of the specific version of the operating system purchased |
Licenses the use of a newer version of the operating system than the previously-installed version |
| Does not include the right to downgrade to previous versions of the operating system* |
Includes the right to downgrade to previous versions of the operating system* |
| NOT available through Microsoft Academic Volume Licensing Programs |
Available through Microsoft Academic Volume Licensing Programs |
| NOT available through Academic Edition Full-Packaged Product (retail) |
Available through Academic Edition Full-Packaged Product (retail) |
*These rights vary depending on the operating system version and manner in which it was acquired. Consult your End User License Agreement (EULA) or Volume License Agreement for details.
 Note The information on this page applies to customers in the United States and Canada. Customers in other locations should refer to their regional Microsoft Licensing Web site or contact their local Microsoft representative for more information. |
