Windows 7 will allow downgrades too

With Windows 7, Microsoft is hoping to have an operating system that people won't want to downgrade from. That said, it does plan on offering users that option.

Downgrade rights have long been a part of the Windows license for certain versions, particularly for businesses. That said, the option gained notoriety with Windows Vista. With Vista, the downgrade right was not only marketed by computer makers, but, once Microsoft stopped selling XP, some PC makers sold Vista machines that were "pre-downgraded" to Windows XP.

Microsoft is actually expanding that Vista downgrade rights program slightly, the company confirmed on Monday. Under the new program, PC makers will be able to ship pre-downgraded machines based on anticipated demand for those systems. Until now, computers makers could only ship XP-downgraded machines if a particular customer had specified that is what he or she had wanted.

Also, as noted earlier Monday by ZDNet blogger Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft plans a similar program for Windows 7, allowing users to go back not only to Vista, should they choose, but also to Windows XP.

Microsoft hasn't detailed exactly how downgrade rights will work with Windows 7--beyond confirming that users will be able to go back to XP--but presumably the rights will be attached to the Ultimate and Professional .

Businesses with volume-licensing deals covering Windows have long had the right to use any earlier version of Windows with their PCs.

[shootthecops]

translation: pay extra to get a product that works

For a moment there I thought this was actually a blog, you know something that may contain opinion, boy was I mistaken!

[iPhoneUser]

MS still doesn't get it - who cares what you're selling as long as you create the hype and buzz the boys in Cupertino seem to be able to cue on demand.

Nothing says our new OS is the best like offering a downgrade option with it - "we know this is our best OS to date, but in case it goes Vista on us, we built in a trap-door, err, window."

Way to live up to your names...Micro and Soft.

[inverse137]

Who would want to "downgrade" to Vista? Vista will be remembered as the ME of the NT line.

While I am not naive enough to think Windows 7 is anything more than Vista v2.0, I do think they will finally have the bugs worked out and it will finally be a viable product.

With that said, i do question the reasoning behind offering Windows 7 downgrade to XP...??

[dadsgravy]

After 8 years, doesn't anyone want more out of their computer then windows xp? [CNET editors' note: Prohibited content deleted.]

[gerrrg]

I think it's a smart move on Microsoft's capitulation to the demands of the market place. The only problems though, are that you're essentially paying for a higher-priced XP, and it's not clear that Windows 7 will support upgrades from XP without losing all your data from the boot drive...anyone?

[diggyzazz]

Vista was an abortion. I mean, in many cases it just literally did not work. The overall, Mac-like approach was fine, if it had been implemented correctly. I've been running the Windows 7 beta for a month now and love it. Never thought I'd say it, but I'm ready to say 'goodbye' to XP. At some point, you have to move on.

[slickuser]

or Upgrade to Snow Leopard!

[Vindicator_6]

There is no upgrade path from XP to Windows 7. This has been stated in several articles.

But I ALWAYS suggest loading an OS from scratch. Each & every time I have done the upgrade path, something comes back to bite you. So , in my opinion, it's best to back up your data & start fresh.

From all the beta testers (IT pros) & reviews I have read, everyone is pleased with Windows 7 (Vista 2.0). So I will hold off any upgrade until W7 gets released.

[mattumanu]

Alright, listen. I recently purchased a brand new laptop that has vista on it. The price was too good to pass up, it's powerful and easily outpaces my desktop. I figured I'd get the laptop now and upgrade to windows 7 when it comes out. But having used vista I find that it's nowhere near as bad people claim it is. In fact, it's handled all the software I was afraid it would choke, in fact I moved my entire studio production suite onto this laptop, audio production software and video production with no problems. I've had it in the studio on the air using audacity to make a backup copy of the show while I used it to surf and make show notes, never once getting even a hickup. In field tests it's worked just as it should and more.

That said, this laptop will not get upgraded, but rather my desktop will get an upgrade to windows 7 instead. I'm just sayin', I don't get the complaining about Vista.

[chrisfrary]

It depends what your target audience, As an IT manager I could easily give out a xp computer to current employees that are retiring in 5 years or so without additional training and guaranteed software support. We have several legacy systems (gas pressuring devices etc) that barely work on xp. I do not want to have to test all this software especially when that person is very hesitant to learn anything. This attitude pretty much goes all the way to the top. I am trying to best plan and warn everyone that the times are changing and i will make it easy as possible, but this is taking time as it should. I also plan on skipping Vista entirely as soon as xp is not an option.

[warped_factor_ten]

What I want to know is if something's been done about all the times one has to reset whenever a patch or latest virus definitions etc have been applied. What's the point in having a sturdy O.S. if you have to take it down just in case maybe some conniving evil crackpot out there might expose the latest security flaws?

[Angmarr]

I think windows 7 is solid enough that there will not be a mass downgrading, through businesses migh have a hard time. But for personal users i think 7 will be a hit.

personally Vista works great - if you have a new laptop (pros outweigh the cons)

[roger_m]

Windows 7 has a major limitation, which is carried over from Vista - you can't do a repair install from booting from the DVD - it can only be down once Windows is loaded.

This a serious issue - with XP you can boot with you install CD and do a repair install - often this will fix many Windows problems as it resotores corrupt or missing files and fixes damge to the registry. Becuase it can be run without loading Windows first, it can be used to fix systems on which Windows is badly corrupted and won't even start.

A secondary benefit of being able to do this, is that if you get a new computer you can use or old harddrive or make an image of your old PC and put that harddirve or image onto the new PC, and then do a reapir install - and it will get your old copy of Windows with all your programs and files working on the new PC. (Without doing a repair install, more than likely Windows will not be bootable).


While Vista and Windows 7 do have "startup repair" this is quite different to doing a repair install.


I was unaware of this upgrading from XP to Vista, however I think that I will ditch Vista and go back to using an image of XP from an old laptop.

[technewsjunkie]

Because Downgrades of Windows are in such great demand!

[ewelch]

At work we have to keep a couple PCs running Windows 2000 for compatibility reasons. What does that say about the future of Windows here?

We were 22 PCs and one Mac not allowed on the network. Now we're 14 Macs and five PCs with three PC users mostly on Macs. (We had layoffs, or it would be more Mac users.)

Well, for all those cheap PCs that can't really run Vista and 7 well that Microsoft seems to be advertising as better than Macs, I guess you have to allow an escape plan to Vista and XP if they want to keep the FTC off their case.

[Maccess]

Downgrade Rights for Vista Home Basic and Home Premium to XP Home = Make more money for Microsoft. I can't believe they haven't seen this. Right now, the only way to get an XP home license would be to get it on a netbook, where MS sells a deeply discounted license to fend off free Linux. By including downgrade rights xo XP Home with Vista Home versions, MS will be able to tell OEMs to use the more expensive Vista OEM license instead of low revenue NetBook XP.

[natdog1984]

First of all: Windows Vista is the first os in a brand new line (Technically it isnt NT) it is more like NT2 as it shares less that 25% of the code that is in Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003 set of OS and thus the 6.0 name.

Secondly Microsoft has to give users downgrade rights in order to keep selling because Windows 2000 and XP will soon be mandated as opensource...

Remember the patent law now applies to software pretty much the same way it does to consumer drugs. 7 years exclusive, 2 years transition, 9 years opensource, then public domain. For 2000 that means already in open source, and for XP it will become opensource in less than 2 years.

Most people do not know that Windows 95, 98, and ME are now opensource and will soon be public domain.

[slickuser]

michael_x: You must be a ignorant fool!

Importing stuff from another machine into new machine or hard drive is just one click away on MAC.

Just google it on the topic and you will learn...

[slickuser]

disk utility - save the hard drive to img and later restore it
import data from another mac option during install etc

I'm not sure how those options are not straightforward?

[roger_m]

slickuser - straightforward to you as you know what you are doing. But not straightforward to someone who know's nothing about Macs...