Downgrade rights to XP

[A Lake]

I've got lots of OEM XP Pro machines, and some with XP Pro installed from a
Select agreement. When I next buy a batch of PCs they will, alas, be
pre-installed with Vista - does the convoluted license agreement allow me to
downgrade these new PCs to XP Pro (using my Select agreement media and
license key) until such time as I want put revert them back to Vista?

 

[Mike Brannigan]

I've got lots of OEM XP Pro machines, and some with XP Pro installed from
a Select agreement. When I next buy a batch of PCs they will, alas, be
pre-installed with Vista - does the convoluted license agreement allow me
to downgrade these new PCs to XP Pro (using my Select agreement media and
license key) until such time as I want put revert them back to Vista?

The license agreement is simple and no different to the previous downgrade
rights you have.

The OEM End User License Agreement for Windows Vista Business
(EULAID:VISTA_RM.0_BUS_OEM_en-US) contains the following section:

14. DOWNGRADE. Instead of using the software, you may use one of the
following earlier versions:
. Microsoft Windows XP Professional,
. Microsoft Windows Professional x64 Edition, or
. Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.
This agreement applies to your use of the earlier versions. If the earlier
version includes different components, any terms for those components in the
agreement that comes with the earlier version apply to your use of them.
Neither the manufacturer or installer, nor Microsoft is obligated to supply
earlier versions to you. You must obtain the earlier version separately.
At any time, you may replace an earlier version with this version of the
software.


So the short answer is yes you have downgrade rights on the OEM supplied
Vista machines.
You may reimage them if you have a Volume License Agreement as that contain
re-image rights.
So you could use your Select media to re-image (as long as you qualify for
re-image rights).
[/QUOTE]

 

[Plato]

I've got lots of OEM XP Pro machines, and some with XP Pro installed from a
Select agreement. When I next buy a batch of PCs they will, alas, be
pre-installed with Vista - does the convoluted license agreement allow me to
downgrade these new PCs to XP Pro (using my Select agreement media and
license key) until such time as I want put revert them back to Vista?

You can use whatever OS you want on your PCs.

 

[Mike Brannigan]

You can use whatever OS you want on your PCs.

You appear to have missed the point of the question
It is not about using any OS on a PC it is, specifically about if you own a
license for one version of a product may you use an older version of that
product in place of the one you were originally licensed for - but do so
under that license, so you do not have to buy a license for the earlier
version.
Hence the term down grade RIGHTS

 

[Guest]

You appear to have missed the point of the question
It is not about using any OS on a PC it is, specifically about if you own a
license for one version of a product may you use an older version of that
product in place of the one you were originally licensed for - but do so
under that license, so you do not have to buy a license for the earlier
version.
Hence the term down grade RIGHTS

 

[Guest]

I have a recently purchased Thinkpad Tablet that I want to downgrade from
Vista Business OEM to Windows XP Tablet. If I purchase Windows XP Tablet, I
will have a license, so the downgrade seems to be meaningless. How do I
execise my downgrade right?