Microsoft Extends Windows XP Downgrade Rights

[p2p rules]

Microsoft has decided to give businesses some more time to move off of Windows XP.

Until now, those buying new PCs with Windows 7 Ultimate or Windows 7 Professional have had the option to downgrade those machines to Windows XP. Microsoft had said this option would end 18 months after the release of Windows 7, or with the shipping of Windows 7 Service Pack 1, which entered beta on Monday. Had that happened, those buying machines after that date would only have had the option to run either Windows 7 or Windows Vista.

However, Microsoft backtracked on Monday, acknowledging customer concerns that this would be tricky for them to comply with.

"While the majority of customers are actively transitioning to Windows 7, and PC manufacturers are focused on delivering PCs and devices with Windows 7 preinstalled, our business customers have told us that removing end-user downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional could be confusing, given the rights change would be made for new PCs preinstalled with Windows 7, and managing a hybrid environment with PCs that have different end-user rights based on date of purchase would be challenging to track," Microsoft said in a blog post.

Instead, Microsoft now says customers buying new Windows 7 PCs will have the option to downgrade those machines to XP throughout the life cycle of Windows 7.

cnet.com