Updated: July 9, 2020 (August 24, 2009)

  Sidebar

Downgrade Rights Limited

My Atlas / Sidebar

535 wordsTime to read: 3 min
Michael Cherry by
Michael Cherry

Michael analyzed and wrote about Microsoft's operating systems, including the Windows client OS, as well as compliance and governance. Michael... more

An unusual provision in the OEM End User License Agreement (EULA) for Windows 7 will offer downgrade rights to both Vista and Windows XP. This is more generous than the downgrade rights that came with OEM versions of Vista, which allowed customers to downgrade only to Windows XP, the most recent OS. In Microsoft parlance, Vista offered only an n-1 downgrade, where n is the current shipping version. Note that volume upgrade licenses to Windows 7 Professional and OEM licenses to which Software Assurance, Microsoft’s maintenance and upgrade rights license add-on, has been attached are not affected by these restrictions: these licensees can downgrade to previous business versions of the OS, as well as to Windows 98 or 95.

The n-2 provision for Windows 7 reflects the current market reality: most business customers are still using Windows XP, whereas when Vista shipped, six years after Windows XP was released, the n-2 version (Windows 2000) was no longer in Mainstream support and few business customers were still using it.

Atlas Members have full access

Get access to this and thousands of other unbiased analyses, roadmaps, decision kits, infographics, reference guides, and more, all included with membership. Comprehensive access to the most in-depth and unbiased expertise for Microsoft enterprise decision-making is waiting.

Membership Options

Already have an account? Login Now