The problem is, there IS NO KEY. If I build a computer to get the key I must buy XP along with Win7/Vista whether it's the $30 discounted version of full price. It must be bought. I typically think of rights as "free". Some scenarios such as VL and large OEM's that provide the media and keys etc. at purchase make it a non-issue if you go that route. There is no additional cost. The MS page only say you need to use legitimately obtained media. You don't need a unique disc for this. Really they could provide an ISO and email a key like they already do on other products.
I know XP is long in the tooth. I want everyone running Win7 too. But when I have to go back working in the real world, I still have some customers who require XP. The $30 isn't a cost issue. It's a "why" issue. Also, it's another order that you can't do until you have your Win7 key to give them. I hope they ship those discs out faster than some of their other offers that take weeks. I just think it's a broken system and for silly reasons that could be avoided. -- Mike Gill From: Carl Houseman [mailto:c.house...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 10:23 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Windows Downgrade Circus What is wrong with "pushing that button" with Microsoft? Microsoft states clearly in their downgrade rights that the key/media can be OEM. I don't get the fear factor here. Q. Where do customers get the CD to install the downgrade software? A. End users must use a legally licensed version of the specified previous version of the Windows desktop operating system to install the downgrade software. The downgrade software may be from the retail, OEM/System Builder, or volume licensing channels. Carl From: Jon Harris [mailto:jk.har...@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 12:35 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: Windows Downgrade Circus As a reminder, make sure if the buyer is giving you media and key to use that it is not an OEM product. You really don't want to push that button with Microsoft even if you did get a rep to tell you that you could do something that is very questionable. I am with you thinking WTF? Jon On Thu, Aug 5, 2010 at 12:17 AM, Carl Houseman <c.house...@gmail.com> wrote: The "free DIY" downgrade rules have always stipulated you must bring an existing product key and media to the party. Doesn't matter the source of the key or media - can be OEM, retail, upgrade, or volume. But when you build to sell to someone else, you are not a "DIY builder". You are a DIFSE builder. Completely different scenario - and if you need a unique product key and original media to give to your customer, it's not free for Microsoft to stamp and distribute such things, so neither should you expect to be given them for free. Carl From: Mike Gill [mailto:lis...@canbyfoursquare.com] Sent: Thursday, 5 August 2010 11:56 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Windows Downgrade Circus I agree with you. I was just surprised I got the advice I did from MS, but more so that there is no free & legitimate downgrade path for DIY builders. -- Mike Gill From: Carl Houseman [mailto:c.house...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 7:17 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Windows Downgrade Circus I sure wouldn't want to re-use one of my XP product keys on a machine I'm building for a customer. Or the product key that I previously installed for some other customer. However, if your customer has an XP product key, re-using that would be OK. And more than likely, you won't have to call in for approval unless you're using the same key repeatedly on multiple machines - it will just activate online automatically. But if you are building a machine for a client who has no existing product key to re-use, then I'd say buy the media/key for $30 and pass along the cost. It is time, I think, that customers are forced to think about the decision they're making to stay with XP and if it causes them a little pain to do so, not such a terrible thing. Carl From: Mike Gill [mailto:lis...@canbyfoursquare.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 9:42 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Windows Downgrade Circus Has anyone here downgraded their (qualifying) Vista or 7 license to XP? Meaning, you bought the parts for a new computer, of which consisted of a Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate license and media, with the purpose of installing XP. I've bought machines from larger OEM's with downgrade rights whereas the machine arrived with the media for both, and XP was installed. But for this machine, I'm the builder. I thought I would use my own media for XP and get the key from MS to activate it. After talking with three MS people, they said they would send me XP media with a key for $30. I said that wouldn't work, and he suggested I use the XP key from another machine and just call into the activation center and they would just override it. I said "But the same product key would be in use on two machines." He said "yeah." Wow. Nobody does this or what? -- Mike Gill ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
