Microsoft will allow downgrades from Windows 8 to Windows 7, Vista

By ThePitt
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Grand Master

ThePitt

Posted
Posted

Microsoft will allow users of Windows 8 Pro to downgrade their new PCs to Windows 7 or even Vista, according to the operating system's licensing agreement.

Not surprisingly, users may not downgrade to the still-used-but-slated-for-retirement Windows XP.

Downgrade rights -- which let customers replace a newer version of Windows with an older edition without paying for two copies -- are available only in Windows 8 Pro. That fits with previous practice: Only Windows 7 Professional, for instance, was allocated downgrade rights.

"Instead of using the Windows 8 Pro software, you may use one of the following earlier versions: Windows 7 Professional or Windows Vista Business," states the software license agreement for the version of Windows 8 Pro that will be installed by computer makers (OEMs) on new PCs.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9230815/Microsoft_will_allow_downgrades_from_Windows_8_to_Windows_7_Vista

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

Nice, i have a feeling alot of people are going to be taking advantage of this.

I have a feeling a few geeks who can't handle change will take advantage of this while all the regular users will happily surf along with win8

Explorer

Shadier

Posted
Posted

Admitting failure?

Well if that's the case, I guess Microsoft also felt that Windows 7 was a failure too. You gotta give them credit though, they've put some tough standards on themselves if to them Windows 7 was a failure!

Grand Master

McKay

Posted
Posted

I would rather call it Upgrade.

lol, Why downgrade?! Call it Upgrade!!

Call it what you want, the fact is your Kernel version is going down, so its a "down"grade. Whether or not your personnel experience will be better or not is irrelevant.

Community Regular

veternan

Posted
Posted

Call it what you want, the fact is your Kernel version is going down, so its a "down"grade. Whether or not your personnel experience will be better or not is irrelevant.

Blaaah blaaaah...Thank You Mr.Kernel :p Who cares? 6.2 will be 6.1 :woot:

Grand Master

chrisj1968

Posted
Posted

Yes, they never offered this before!!! /s

Glassed Silver:mac

precisely! I wonder who'll be the fallguy at MS? :/

Must mean they're offering IE10 for both 7 and Vista then too.

I hope so. I'm impressed with IE10 at least

Grand Master

Rippleman

Posted
Posted

You mean "choice" like being able to choose if you want to use or not the Start Screen? :rofl:

yes, choice. If you don't want the start screen, you have to choose to stick with Windows 7... :)

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Grand Master

firey

Posted
Posted

hmm, I wonder how many Windows 7 downgrades were actually used (like going from 7 -> Vista). I doubt very many, definitely be a lot more Windows 8 -> 7/Vista than 7 -> Vista/XP

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