Are OEMs Obligated to Provide XP Pro Product Keys for Vista Downgr

G

Guest

Are OEMs obligated to provide XP Pro product keys for Vista Ultimate
downgrades?

Where can I legally get a product key to activate, validate, and pass
genuine Windows tests for my license to Windows XP Professional that comes
with Windows Vista Ultimate?

I bought a Gateway computer from a retailer. After about five Gateway tech
report emails, they have not given me a product key.


Vista Validation Support - MS wrote:
You'll need to contact your OEM to figure out how to do this since they're
managing your licensing rights at this point.

-http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1258121&SiteID=25



Thank you.
 
R

Rick Rogers

Hi,

To my knowledge, downgrade rights are only included under Microsoft's volume
and software assurance programs. This would not apply to retail and OEM
licenses from system builders. Oh, and the message you got was correct, as
support for an OEM license falls exclusively on the vendor.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
R

recurr

Where can I legally obtain a product key for the purpose of
downgrading?

Can someone post one here?
 
K

Kerry Brown

I don't think anyone will post a key for you. You would have to use a key
from a copy you already own. It does seem a little silly that you are
allowed to downgrade but then have to find your own key but that's the way
it's set up.
 
J

Jupiter Jones [MVP]

No, the OEMs are not obligated unless you also purchase Windows XP
from the OEM.

Under certain situations. there are downgrade rights but if you
qualify, you need to furnish your own media and key.
IIRC, only Volume License qualify for the downgrade rights.
Read your Microsoft Software License Terms for details.
 
C

Carey Frisch [MVP]

Q. "Are OEMs obligated to provide XP Pro product keys for Vista Ultimate
downgrades?"

A. No.

Q. "Where can I legally get a product key to activate, validate, and pass
genuine Windows tests for my license to Windows XP Professional that comes
with Windows Vista Ultimate?"

A. Visit your favorite store that sells computer software and purchase
genuine Windows XP Professional (Full Version).


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­-----


:

Are OEMs obligated to provide XP Pro product keys for Vista Ultimate
downgrades?

Where can I legally get a product key to activate, validate, and pass
genuine Windows tests for my license to Windows XP Professional that comes
with Windows Vista Ultimate?

I bought a Gateway computer from a retailer. After about five Gateway tech
report emails, they have not given me a product key.


Vista Validation Support - MS wrote:
You'll need to contact your OEM to figure out how to do this since they're
managing your licensing rights at this point.

-http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1258121&SiteID=25



Thank you.
 
D

DevilsPGD

In message <[email protected]> "Carey
Frisch said:
Q. "Are OEMs obligated to provide XP Pro product keys for Vista Ultimate
downgrades?"

A. No.

Q. "Where can I legally get a product key to activate, validate, and pass
genuine Windows tests for my license to Windows XP Professional that comes
with Windows Vista Ultimate?"

A. Visit your favorite store that sells computer software and purchase
genuine Windows XP Professional (Full Version).

Which pretty much negates the download rights included with Ultimate,
since even without said download rights, I could do the same thing, no?
 
S

S Wayne

Cool, so after buying a copy of Vista, all you have to do to downgrade to XP
is to purchase a full copy of XP. That's a great deal... for Microsoft.

And awfully generous of Microsoft to let you buy two copies of Windows for
one machine.
 
J

Jupiter Jones [MVP]

For large organizations, who downgrade rights are intended, older
media and keys is not normally an issue since they normally have
multiple copies of an older operating system.
 
C

cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:30:34 -0500, "Carey Frisch [MVP]"
Q. "Are OEMs obligated to provide XP Pro product keys for Vista Ultimate
downgrades?"
A. No.
Agreed.

Q. "Where can I legally get a product key to activate, validate, and pass
genuine Windows tests for my license to Windows XP Professional that comes
with Windows Vista Ultimate?"
A. Visit your favorite store that sells computer software and purchase
genuine Windows XP Professional (Full Version).

That doesn't make sense... IF Vista Ultimate comes with a genuine XP
Pro license, then all he'd have to buy is a media disk, which should
cost a fraction of the cost of any XP license, let alone "full".

If he has to buy an XP license, it would be because Vista Ultimate
does NOT come with an XP Pro license.

I don't know whether it does or not, or whether the answer varies on
"full" vs. "OEM" vs. "upgrade" etc.


--------------- ---- --- -- - - - -
Saws are too hard to use.
Be easier to use!
 
G

Gary VanderMolen

Carey Frisch said:
Q. "Are OEMs obligated to provide XP Pro product keys for Vista Ultimate
downgrades?"

A. No.

Q. "Where can I legally get a product key to activate, validate, and pass
genuine Windows tests for my license to Windows XP Professional that comes
with Windows Vista Ultimate?"

A. Visit your favorite store that sells computer software and purchase
genuine Windows XP Professional (Full Version).

So then what is the point of having this "downgrade" right?
Essentially it entitles you to nothing.
 
J

Jupiter Jones [MVP]

Those who qualify for the downgrade rights have them but they need to
furnish their own media and Product Key.
The downgrade rights are intended for larger organizations and they
probably have the media and keys.
And even if they do not, buying one to install on many of their
computers as a downgrade is not as significant as a user needing the
same for a single computer.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org
 
G

Guest

Retail ultimate has downgrade rights (as does business (doesn't say which
business)) to XP. XP has downgrade rights (except Media and Home) to 2000
Pro.

OEM/Retail etc doesn't matter (although academic isn't listed).

It doesn't escape me that the downgrade rights will often be using a legal
version. So it seems pretty worthless. Being entitled to use - oh yeah -
what you already own

1. You must use non piriated source media, but noone who sells computers is
allowed to supply the media or key.

2 You can't downgrade untill the EULA is accepted. If buying OEM, you have
to accept the EULA on an installed copy of Vista, supply disc and key to
OEMm to have XP preinstalled on a Vista license (and Vista has to be
installed first so you can click I accept then removed and XP put on).

Can you imagine the intellectual firepower of lawyers that went into this
decision.
 
J

Jupiter Jones [MVP]

The downgrade rights are intended for larger organizations and they
probably have the media and keys.
And even if they do not, buying one to install on many of their
computers as a downgrade is not as significant as a user needing the
same for a single computer.
Most of those already have Volume license media so that is not an
issue for them.
The users of a few computers are not the intended user of the
downgrade option.
 

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