MICROSOFT EXTENDS
DOWNGRADE RIGHTS TO WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL FOR BUYERS OF
WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL AND WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE OEM LICENSES
Microsoft recently announced that
end-user downgrade rights
in the OEM license for Windows
7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate
will now continue for the life
of Windows 7. These
rights permit buyers of PCs pre-installed with the said
editions of Windows 7 to downgrade to Windows XP
Professional (32-bit or 64-bit) or the equivalent edition
of Windows Vista. These rights were previously set to
expire 18-months after the release of Windows 7, or upon
the availability of Windows 7 Service Pack 1, whichever
came sooner.
How Does This Change Affect Support for Windows XP
Professional?
There are no changes to Microsoft’s support policy for
Windows XP Professional with the extension of the
downgrade rights. Support has expired for the
original release of Windows XP Professional, Windows XP
Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 2 (32-bit).
Only Windows XP Service Pack 3 (32-bit) and Windows XP
Service Pack 2 (64-bit) continue to be supported by
Microsoft. All support for Windows XP, as previously
communicated by Microsoft, will end on 14 April 2014.
At that time, you need to purchase custom support or
migrate your PCs to either Windows 7 or Windows Vista.
What Should I Do?
1.
I’m already on Windows 7
or Windows Vista.
This announcement has no impact on you. Continue
enjoying the benefits of your PC running a modern OS.
2.
I’m in the process of
migrating to Windows 7.
Continue with your migration plans. Use the
downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional or Windows
Vista selectively and only as needed on new PCs purchased
with Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate.
3.
I have a mainly Windows
XP Professional environment.
The extension of the downgrade rights allow you to
continue downgrading new PCs purchased with Windows 7
Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows XP
Professional without the need for a Microsoft Volume
License.
Unrelated to Microsoft’s announcement
around the extension of downgrade rights but useful for
you to know, the OEM from whom you purchase a new PC with
Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate may
facilitate your end-user downgrade rights by
pre-installing Windows XP Professional for you on this new
PC. These facilitation rights expire on
22 October 2010.
Post 22 October 2010:
·
If you purchase at least 25-systems annually with a custom
downgrade image directly from an OEM, the OEM is permitted
to continue facilitating your end-user downgrade rights by
pre-installing this custom Windows XP Professional image
on new PCs which you purchase with Windows 7 Professional
or Windows 7 Ultimate.
·
If you purchase fewer than 25-systems
annually, the OEM vendor is not permitted to pre-install
the Windows XP Professional image. You will be
required to do the downgrade to Windows XP Professional on
your own.
While you may continue exercising
your end-user rights to downgrade new PCs to Windows XP
Professional, it’s critical that you migrate your
environment to Windows 7 as soon as possible. This
extension of the downgrade rights does not reflect a
change of Microsoft’s policy around Windows XP but a means
to ease the transition of its organizational customers who
are running Windows XP to Windows 7. You should
begin your migration to Windows 7 as quickly as possible.
Who Can I Speak With
About Exercising My Downgrade Rights on New PCs?
Support for the OEM Windows license
is provided by the OEM. Your OEM vendor will be able
to assist with additional questions you may have about
downgrade rights, downgrade facilitation and custom
imaging.
