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

[Guest 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?

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

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

 

 

"NotHappy_MSarePOO" <NotHappy_MSarePOO@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

message news:E8B99725-3FB9-43E5-9B1A-8D5E75EFF82B@microsoft.com...

> 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 . . .

[Guest Patrick Keenan]

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

 

 

"NotHappy_MSarePOO" <NotHappy_MSarePOO@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

message news:E8B99725-3FB9-43E5-9B1A-8D5E75EFF82B@microsoft.com...

> 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

> 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?

[Guest VanguardLH]

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

 

"NotHappy_MSarePOO" <NotHappy_MSarePOO@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

in message news:E8B99725-3FB9-43E5-9B1A-8D5E75EFF82B@microsoft.com...

> 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.

[Guest PA Bear [MS MVP]]

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

 

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?

 

 

NotHappy_MSarePOO wrote:

> 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?

[Guest Trevor Lawrence]

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

 

 

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABearMVP@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:%23Rnx6LKFJHA.5104@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> 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.

 

--

Trevor Lawrence

Canberra

Web Site http://trevorl.mvps.org

[Guest Anteaus]

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

 

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.

 

"VanguardLH" wrote:

 

> 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.

[Guest Mick Murphy]

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

 

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.

--

Mick Murphy - Qld (Sunshine State) - Australia

 

 

"Trevor Lawrence" wrote:

>

> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABearMVP@gmail.com> wrote in message

> news:%23Rnx6LKFJHA.5104@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> > 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.

>

> --

> Trevor Lawrence

> Canberra

> Web Site http://trevorl.mvps.org

>

>

>

[Guest Bruce Chambers]

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

 

NotHappy_MSarePOO wrote:

> 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://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

 

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

[Guest AlmostBob]

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

 

The very epitome, of a muppet

> I'm not a muppet,

[Guest HeyBub]

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

 

NotHappy_MSarePOO wrote:

> 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.

[Guest Andrew]

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

 

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"

 

"NotHappy_MSarePOO" wrote:

> 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?