Downgrade to XP

[Andreas]

I have an HP PC with pre-installed Windows Vista. I want to downgrade to XP
but I can't find where to call MS for my region ( I am not in the US). Where
can I find a list of phone numbers for EU region?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Please repost your inquiry in the appropriate HP Support Forum:
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/

 

[Eric]

I have an HP PC with pre-installed Windows Vista. I want to downgrade to XP
but I can't find where to call MS for my region ( I am not in the US). Where
can I find a list of phone numbers for EU region?

Scroll down to it and read this relevant story: Downgrading Vista to
XP is possible ... maybe -

http://www.windowssecrets.com/comp/090115

Eric,
PC Buyer Beware!
http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/

 

[John]

We did it. Our IBM Thinkcentre comes preloaded with Vista Business. We
purchased XP Pro setup CDs from IBM website for a few bucks (less than $20
IIRC). That machine now runs XP Pro.

You might want to contact HP.

Why MS advertise that buying Vista license you are entitled to downgrade
to XP?
I have heard of people who have done it:
Installed XP with other key, called MS and requested new key for XP and
then activated.

 

[Someone]

see this pamphlet

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...7-3927aacd189a/downgradeOEMversion-020707.pdf

You need to have ultimate or business versions first of all...

 

[Andreas]

So, I have Vista business OEM, I have OEM CD & key from other PCs.

My original answer remains unanswered: Where should I call? How do I find a
phone number or email for my region and call to explain why I need to
downgrade? There must be a map which lists regional offices for each
country. I know that MS office for my country is very small and they don't
handle such cases so it must be from some other country.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I have an HP PC with pre-installed Windows Vista. I want to downgrade to XP
but I can't find where to call MS for my region ( I am not in the US).
Where can I find a list of phone numbers for EU region?

Downgrade rights only apply to Vista Business and Ultimate. If your version
has Home in the name, you can't downgrade. You can only do a clean install
from a newly purchased XP license, and you have to check, first, that XP
drivers for your system are available and on hand.

HTH
-pk

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Why MS advertise that buying Vista license you are entitled to downgrade
to XP?

Because it does apply to some versions, Business and Ultimate. It does not
apply to all versions.

I have heard of people who have done it:

And they have one of the qualifying versions.

-pk

Installed XP with other key, called MS and requested new key for XP and
then activated.

 

[Someone]

I understand from what county you are from

normally its up to the OEM to decide if you are entitled to downgrading!

in your case its HP

You see microsoft allows the downgrade only if the OEM company supports
this..

you have to call HP, microsoft wont help you

where did you get this machine from?

 

[Someone]

further information:

"What's changing is Microsoft is giving six more months where it will
provide downgrade media for XP Professional for OEMs and system builders to
provide to their customers who purchase Windows Vista Ultimate and Business
editions - (which the company figures will be) largely going to be small
businesses since that's the audience that would want/use XP Pro. So it's the
same old downgrade right thing that was in the EULA (End User License
Agreement) before; it's just Microsoft is providing the media to partners a
few months more."

"The same caveat with providing the downgrade media as before applies,
which is OEMs and system builders don't have to do so if they don't want -
it's their business decision to make."
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1619


so you can see its not up to microsoft... it's the OEM or system builders
responsibility to provide you with this option

and if they don't care, they are not forced to do this!

 

[Andreas]

Still not answering my question. Everyone gives the same answers. I said
that the PC came with freedos so the OEM won?t help since the customer has
purchased Vista externally. It?s Business edition so it is entitled to
downgrade as you say, drivers are available, so, the only thing remaining is
to call MS to request this. That?s my initial question. Where should I call?

 

[Chuck]

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=search&ln=en-us

Is a start. from there you should be able to get to country specific
information.

 

[Andrew Murray]

I have an HP PC with pre-installed Windows Vista. I want to downgrade to
XP but I can't find where to call MS for my region ( I am not in the US).
Where can I find a list of phone numbers for EU region?

Here's the page with the "Map" thing you mentioned:

http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx

I don't see phone numbers there, but at least it will get you to the "local"
Microsoft page.

But, I'd have thought that if you install XP in your country the system will
somehow recognise where you are in the world, and when you do the activate
routine, it may very well activate over the internet, which means you don't
have to call anyone. If the net activation doesn't work the activation
procedure will then prompt for phone activation and should give you the
country's phone number list. Just choose the one most applicable to you -
it should be a toll-free call (long distance at cost of local (untimed)
call, or free of charge completely. Depends on your phone company and
whether you have timed local calls or not.....

 

[Andreas]

Guess what? I used the OEM cd from other PC together with its key. I
installed and activated normally althouh that key was previously used to
activate the other PC. Why this happened? Maybe the PC's id is stored on MS
server and it sees that it was previously activated with Vista Business so
it does this automatically ?

 

[P.V.]

Guess what? I used the OEM cd from other PC together with its key. I
installed and activated normally althouh that key was previously used to
activate the other PC. Why this happened? Maybe the PC's id is stored on
MS server and it sees that it was previously activated with Vista Business
so it does this automatically ?

So you installed XP using media and key from another computer? I don't think
it made any difference what OS's had been installed previously on the
computer.

My guess is that it just had been so long time since the copy of XP you used
had been last used to install XP that Microsoft's activation server had
'forgot' it ever been used. Hence it would have got treated like a brand new
copy of XP being now installed for the first time.

P.V.

 

[Andreas]

Why? since bothe are activated then they are legal. Do you think that this
will happen?