Why don't Microsoft allow us to downgrade our OS?

[NotHappy_MSarePOO]

Well its all in the title really. Why on earth do MS insist upon gining us
the message telling us that we have a newer version of windows installed and
then wont let us downgrage?
I'm not a muppet, i know that XP is older than Vista, however it is better
than vista. All i want to do is downgrade and it appears that you have to be
a grade A boffin to get around this.
Also to get real support from the money grabbing empire you have to pay £56,
WHY?
We had to pay lots for this OS, or pay hundreds more than a new PC is worth.
Maybe Apple are better, I am thinking of getting a Mac, even though the very
thought makes me want to cry.
Why do Microsoft have to ruin everything, and not seem to care about all of
the people they have antagonized?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Well its all in the title really. Why on earth do MS insist upon gining us
the message telling us that we have a newer version of windows installed
and
then wont let us downgrage?
I'm not a muppet, i know that XP is older than Vista, however it is better
than vista. All i want to do is downgrade and it appears that you have to
be
a grade A boffin to get around this.
Also to get real support from the money grabbing empire you have to pay
£56,
WHY?
We had to pay lots for this OS, or pay hundreds more than a new PC is
worth.
Maybe Apple are better, I am thinking of getting a Mac, even though the
very
thought makes me want to cry.
Why do Microsoft have to ruin everything, and not seem to care about all
of
the people they have antagonized?

You need to be realistic. Microsoft is under constant pressure from its
shareholders to maximise its profit. Creating an upgrade path from an old OS
to an new one will generate sales, hence it makes economic sense to do it.
Creating an downgrade path from a new OS to an old one will not create any
sales, so why invest time and effort in such an exercise?

I don't know much about Macs but I was always under the impression that they
are substantially more expensive than Windows machines. And I'm sure you
can't downgrade them either . . .

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Well its all in the title really. Why on earth do MS insist upon gining us
the message telling us that we have a newer version of windows installed
and
then wont let us downgrage?

I'm not a muppet, i know that XP is older than Vista, however it is better
than vista. All i want to do is downgrade and it appears that you have to
be
a grade A boffin to get around this.

No, it's very simple. You wipe the disk and reinstall.

Downgrade rights are limited to Vista versions Business and Ultimate.

Also to get real support from the money grabbing empire you have to pay
£56,
WHY?

Because support is *expensive*.

Hope this helps.

-pk

 

[VanguardLH]

Well its all in the title really. Why on earth do MS insist upon
gining us
the message telling us that we have a newer version of windows
installed and
then wont let us downgrage?
I'm not a muppet, i know that XP is older than Vista, however it is
better
than vista. All i want to do is downgrade and it appears that you have
to be
a grade A boffin to get around this.
Also to get real support from the money grabbing empire you have to
pay £56,
WHY?
We had to pay lots for this OS, or pay hundreds more than a new PC is
worth.
Maybe Apple are better, I am thinking of getting a Mac, even though
the very
thought makes me want to cry.
Why do Microsoft have to ruin everything, and not seem to care about
all of
the people they have antagonized?

You get downgrade *rights*, not another copy of a Microsoft product.
You paid for Vista. You didn't pay for XP. Microsoft is being generous
in letting you downgrade at all and at no cost despite your claim.
Microsoft is, again, giving you downgrade rights (but only from Vista
Ultimate and Vista Business). It is up to YOU to provide the
installation media for Windows XP. It is perfectly legal to use a
Windows XP install CD that you used on another of your hosts, even if an
OEM version, or from a friend, or from work, or you can choose to buy
one from the vendor of your prebuilt computer (Microsoft doesn't get
that money, it goes to the jobber that is providing the media for the
downgrade install). Why is it legal to use any Windows XP install CD?
Because you won't be using the license for it for the install. You will
wipe your drive using the setup program from the Windows XP install CD
to install a fresh copy of that OS. You then call MS to activate that
install of Windows XP. You give the MS rep your *Vista* product key
(not the one for the Windows XP install CD). The rep gives you back an
activation code. During that entire phase, you are using your *Vista*
license to activate the Windows XP install. You still have just ONE
license: the one that came with Vista.

All Microsoft gave you were RIGHTS to downgrade. These rights afford
you a new activation code from Microsoft to activate the Windows XP
installation regardless of how you obtained the installation media for
Windows XP. That you chose to pay your prebuild vendor some money for
their work in compiling an install CD that is geared towards the
particular model of their product that they have is their choice for
making you pay for their work. Microsoft isn't involved with the money
to get that install media. Microsoft just have you RIGHTS to do the
downgrade so the license that came with Vista can be transferred to the
installation of Windows XP.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Why did you purchase a Vista machine if you wanted XP?

Why didn't you purchase a Vista machine with Downgrade Rights?

Why do computer buyers who don't do their homework blame their poor
decisions on Microsoft?

 

[Trevor Lawrence]

Why did you purchase a Vista machine if you wanted XP?

Can one be purchased?
(I purchased a machine with Windows XP Pro 18 months ago, but I was told it
was a floor model and was not generally available.)

Why didn't you purchase a Vista machine with Downgrade Rights?

Can one be purchased?

Why do computer buyers who don't do their homework blame their poor
decisions on Microsoft?

If the answer to the first two is NO - as it appears to be in Australia -
then it is quite reasonable to blame MS.

 

[Anteaus]

The situation with regard to XP is worse than it seems, many OEMs are now
supplying 'XP Preloaded' computers which have Vista COA stickers, and
therefore NO XP serial. Plus, as you might guess, they come with stuff like
NIS preinstalled, so reloading is necessary right out of box. But, you aint'
got a COA... so what do you do?

This is surely very close to fraud. If the COA doesn't cover the installed
product then you are not getting what you paid for.

:

 

[Mick Murphy]

You could buy XP machines up to 30th june, 2008; this year, in Australia.
If you care to look around, most computer shops, not Harvey Norman, still
have XP disks available.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Well its all in the title really. Why on earth do MS insist upon gining us
the message telling us that we have a newer version of windows installed and
then wont let us downgrage?

Actually, if you'd paid attention and purchased the correct license
types initially, you find that downgrade rights are included.

I'm not a muppet, i know that XP is older than Vista, however it is better
than vista. All i want to do is downgrade and it appears that you have to be
a grade A boffin to get around this.

If you wanted WinXP, why did you buy Vista? How many other merchants
let you exchange a non-defective product, just because you deliberately
bought something you didn't want, the first time? You'd be laughed out
of any retail outlet I know of.

Also to get real support from the money grabbing empire you have to pay £56,
WHY?

You don't, if, once again, you'd been paying attention and purchased
the type of license that includes support.

We had to pay lots for this OS, or pay hundreds more than a new PC is worth.
Maybe Apple are better, I am thinking of getting a Mac, even though the very
thought makes me want to cry.
Why do Microsoft have to ruin everything, and not seem to care about all of
the people they have antagonized?

Why do you blame Microsoft for your own lack of thought and foresight
in buying a product you didn't want, to start with?


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[AlmostBob]

The very epitome, of a muppet

 

[HeyBub]

Well its all in the title really. Why on earth do MS insist upon
gining us the message telling us that we have a newer version of
windows installed and then wont let us downgrage?
I'm not a muppet, i know that XP is older than Vista, however it is
better than vista. All i want to do is downgrade and it appears that
you have to be a grade A boffin to get around this.
Also to get real support from the money grabbing empire you have to
pay £56, WHY?
We had to pay lots for this OS, or pay hundreds more than a new PC is
worth. Maybe Apple are better, I am thinking of getting a Mac, even
though the very thought makes me want to cry.
Why do Microsoft have to ruin everything, and not seem to care about
all of the people they have antagonized?

Huh?

You can downgrade to DOS3.1 if you want.

 

[Andrew]

this COULD possibly ruin your computer, so take caution. change the version
number in Windows to majorbuild 5 minor build 0 build number 2195, so itll be
like windows 2000. then try "Upgrading"