Vista and XP downgrades.

In the last week I have had one customer order a new PC with Vista preinstalled and one case of personally ordering one with Vista preinstalled instead of the XP option. Short of boxing the thing up and returning it to the store/distributor and getting one with XP -- if that is even available, getting harder to do -- what is one to do?

This is a topic that Microsoft has been rather weaselly on. But it is a hot topic. What exactly is one permitted to do?

One is permitted to downgrade Vista to XP subject to the following constraints:

• One must supply one's own XP installation media -- XP install CD's
  
  

  
  Per the EULA and OEM DTOS Agreement, the end user customer is responsible for supplying media for the OEM or customer to create the downgrade product image on the customer system. Neither Microsoft, the OEMs, nor the system builders are responsible for supplying this media.
  

  
  


• One must have a legitimate and UNACTIVATED Vista key. On a new PC this will usually be on a sticker on the CD case or on the bottom of a notebook.

Windows XP will not install on top of Vista. It will refuse to do so. Therefore the only option available to the user is to use the Windows XP installation program to reformat the hard drive (destroying all information thereon) then installing XP cleanly. Third party device drivers not included or supported on the version of the XP media one is using are the users' problem.

Once the activation screen appears for Windows XP the user must then use the telephone option (ONLY) to contact MS, inform them that they are preforming a downgrade from an OEM version of Vista. The user will then give the MS rep the Vista key on the sticker and the MS rep will give the user the activation code.

This is a one-time-only operation. If the user wished to go back to Vista later (s)he will have to purchase a retail Vista package. Microsoft's policy with new OEM operating systems; one OS one machine, forever.