Anyone downgraded Vista Business to XP Pro on a Dell for Free?

[imported_smilingcrow]

Microsoft?s OEM license (http://download.microsoft.com/...1/downgrade_chart.doc) states that you can freely downgrade from Vista Business to XP Pro and still keep the Vista license for future use. I phoned Dell to ask them to send me an XP Pro disc but having being bumped around 3 different departments nobody could help. Has anyone managed to get an XP Pro disc from Dell and which department did you speak to? Cheers.

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Double post was deleted, please reply to this post. Sorry

 

[mechBgon]

Have a look at this .PDF file and see if it helps with the how-to (specifically, the third FAQ).

 

[blackangst1]

Although that page doesnt really address revocation of a license, I cant imagine your Vista license NOT being revoked. Otherwise you would get two OS's for the price of one. Just like when you upgrade from XP to Vista, you forfeit your XP license.

 

[mechBgon]

He could only use one or the other at any given time, but Microsoft is saying it would be OK to go back to Vista later:

Q. Can end users return to Windows Vista
Business or Windows Vista Ultimate software
after they downgrade?

A. Yes. End users who downgrade may reinstall
the original software when they are ready to
migrate. For example, an end user who
downgrades to Windows XP Professional may
later return to Windows Vista Business software
provided that the end user deletes the Windows
XP Professional software from the PC.

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Thanks for the PDF link that helps clarify things even further.
I have an XP Pro full version retail CD so I can use that as the install media. I suppose I can use any valid key to install it and then phone MS when the activation fails.
I have 4 or 5 machines that I need to do this with so I don?t want to use my personal valid XP Pro key in case that gets flagged by MS. I wonder if I can use a key that pirates have posted instead?

I?d still like to know how to get XP Pro discs from Dell if anyone has done that as some of these PCs will be sold on to third parties. Anybody?

 

[mechBgon]

Why not reinstall the systems' Vista licenses before selling them off to third parties? It's more secure, for starters.

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Why not reinstall the systems' Vista licenses before selling them off to third parties? It's more secure, for starters.

I?m not sure why you say that. The machines come with Vista installed and I will sell them with the original installation, I just want to offer them with the XP downgrade CD for people that require that. I have no intention of touching the OS installation, if they want to do the upgrade they?ll have to do it themselves.

I wonder if the Dell OEM XP Pro CDs that they supposedly supply for a downgrade come with a key. Obviously not a key that can be activated but just something that allows you to install the O/S so that you can activate it over the phone once you prove you are eligible for the downgrade.
If not you may be stuck in a catch 22 in that you are allowed to install XP Pro provided you have a valid install key but they don?t give you the key!!!

 

[mechBgon]

Could you give the Service Tag # from one of the Dells in question?

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Could you give the Service Tag # from one of the Dells in question?

I wouldn?t feel comfortable handing out that information. In what way would that be useful?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: smilingcrow

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Could you give the Service Tag # from one of the Dells in question?

I wouldn?t feel comfortable handing out that information. In what way would that be useful?

Sorry, just trying to help you get what you want.

 

[DrGreen2007]

Dell XP Pro CD's do not ask for a CDKey and do not require activation if installed on a Dell


Ive downgraded several E510/E520/E521 Dimensions and Optiplex 74x's from Vista to XP via the Dell CD.

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Originally posted by: DrGreen2007
Dell XP Pro CD's do not ask for a CDKey and do not require activation if installed on a Dell

Ive downgraded several E510/E520/E521 Dimensions and Optiplex 74x's from Vista to XP via the Dell CD.

Thanks, that?s just the kind of info I?m after.
Did you use a Dell CD from another machine that came pre-installed with XP Pro or did you get a CD from Dell specifically for this purpose?

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: smilingcrow

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Could you give the Service Tag # from one of the Dells in question?

I wouldn?t feel comfortable handing out that information. In what way would that be useful?

Sorry, just trying to help you get what you want.

No problem, I just couldn?t see how the service tag would help. It?s a Vostro 1500 that I want to downgrade and I bought it directly from Dell.

 

[jonmcc33]

Originally posted by: blackangst1
Although that page doesnt really address revocation of a license, I cant imagine your Vista license NOT being revoked. Otherwise you would get two OS's for the price of one. Just like when you upgrade from XP to Vista, you forfeit your XP license.

This is different. Microsoft authorized the downgrade to Windows XP.

 

[sixpackjack]

I can trade you a Dell OEM XP Pro restore DVD for your Vista if your's is a Dell restore one also. Let me know.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you need a Dell XP OEM restore CD, check Ebay.
I can confirm that they will install without asking for a key, regardless if you are on Dell hardware or not. It will not activate unless you are on Dell hardware though.

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
If you need a Dell XP OEM restore CD, check Ebay.
I can confirm that they will install without asking for a key, regardless if you are on Dell hardware or not. It will not activate unless you are on Dell hardware though.

Thanks, I used to have a backup copy from a Dell Latitude that I owned but I think I binned it once I sold the laptop. I?m sure I?ll get one from Dell once I can get through to the correct department.

Originally posted by: sixpackjack
I can trade you a Dell OEM XP Pro restore DVD for your Vista if your's is a Dell restore one also. Let me know.

Thanks, I don?t have a spare one though.

 

[Maximilian]

I have a vostro 1700, and experience in dealing with dell support. It seems to depend where you are from, if your in the USA you can probably get them to send you an XP disk, and maybe blag a free printer or if your very lucky a 19" LCD panel. If your in the UK you will get messed around a lot and get nowhere. Thats what happened to me anyways, and the jist i got from notebookreview.com.

If you do manage to get an XP disk off of them (dont let them tell you XP wont work, it does work) make sure you follow certain instructions, do what this guy did:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=150023

You need the ICH8 ACPI driver either slipstreamed to a CD using n-lite or have it ready to install at some point otherwise XP will bluescreen on startup and the only way to stop that is to use the slower ATA mode in the bios instead of ACPI and you dont want to do that because ATA is slower and there is apparently no way to switch back to ACPI unless you reinstall windows again. But you dont need to worry about that if you slipstream the ICH8 driver from the dell website onto an XP CD.

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Thanks Soviet, that?s useful info.
Dell phoned me this morning after I emailed them yesterday and told me they didn?t know about the Downgrade. After they?d passed me on to Tech Support I managed to speak with someone that knew what they were talking about and I have 4 copies of XP on order. They?ve already emailed me the order details and there?s no charge for postage even. I did say that I wanted the downgrade because of having hardware that Vista doesn?t support although I don?t know if that?s a requirement. I sense they don?t like to give these away.

The woman I spoke to did say that the Vostro 1400 isn?t officially supported by XP although it may work with Vostro 1500 drivers; I have a mixture of both units. I figure that the core hardware for the 1400 will have XP drivers as it?s an Intel chipset and Nvdia graphics.

The secret seems to be perseverance.

 

[DrGreen2007]

So your getting an XP Pro Dell CD from Dell..just the CD..no CDKey, correct?

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Originally posted by: DrGreen2007
So your getting an XP Pro Dell CD from Dell..just the CD..no CDKey, correct?

I don?t think you?ll get a key otherwise you could use it on any Dell PC which wouldn?t be within the Vista Downgrade license.

 

[imported_smilingcrow]

Originally posted by: DrGreen2007
So your getting an XP Pro Dell CD from Dell..just the CD..no CDKey, correct?

The packaging for the disc seems to have a unique alpha-numeric code on it but I don?t know if it?s a Vista key. It?s in the format xx-xxxxxx-xxxxx-xxx-xxxx

 

[bruceb]

That is not the License Key ... That is the Product ID Code