Microsoft sued over Vista-XP downgrade
Microsoft is under legal siege again over Vista. This time, a consumer is suing the company for using its monopoly power to force her to pay to downgrade from Vista to XP on a new laptop.
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14.2.2009 Microsoft sued over Vista-XP downgrade
Microsoft is under legal siege again over Vista. This time, a consumer is suing the company for using its monopoly power to force her to pay to downgrade from Vista to XP on a new laptop.
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17.2.2009 Downgrade from Windows Vista SP1 to XP SP3
The introduction of Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista and of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP, along with the June 30 retail and OEM availability cut-off date for XP, have generated a consistent a mount of confusion over the future of the two
Windows clients.
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6.6.2008 Microsoft offers free Vista-to-XP downgrade help
Microsoft said Monday it would offer free technical support to small businesses that buy new PCs with Windows Vista in the next three months, its latest attempt to convince users that moving to Vista is a good idea.
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10.7.2008 As Windows XP Deadline Looms, OEMs Turn To Vista Downgrade Rights
Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) may be preparing to discontinue sales of Windows XP, but some OEMs have found a way to circumvent the software giant's June 30 deadline.
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25.4.2008 Microsoft Halts XP SP3 Update to HP PCs Running AMD Processors
The recent Windows XP Service Pack 3 update has left certain AMD-based PCs manufactured by Hewlett-Packard caught in an endless reboot cycle caused by an Intel-specific disk image mistakenly being used with AMD hardware.
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20.5.2008 Windows 7 users can downgrade to XP
Microsoft and its PC partners are going to allow Windows 7 users to downgrade not just to Windows Vista, but also to Windows XP, Microsoft officials are confirming.
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6.4.2009 How to Downgrade from Windows Vista Business or Ultimate OEM Edition and Install Windows XP Professional
A lot of users still don’t getting used to Windows Vista. A lot of reviews have been labeling Windows Vista as bloated, hard to use, tons of compatibility issues, inconvenient, not user friendly, not stable and etc.
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22.8.2008 XP downgrade program may continue to hurt Windows 7
Most people know that come the release of Vista, most businesses chose to hang onto to Windows XP due to lacking reviews of the new OS, and the fact that XP did everything they wanted.
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17.6.2009 Microsoft caps Windows 7 to XP downgrade program at April 2011
Microsoft has kept itself quiet on details of the Windows 7 to XP downgrade program until today.
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20.6.2009 Dell, HP, and Sony OEM Certificates Used in Windows Vista Activation Crack
The latest trend in Windows Vista cracks is to utilize OEM certificates in order to bypass the activation process of the operating system. Via the OEM crack for Windows Vista, original equipment
manufacturer versions of the operating system are illegally activated through a process that involves patching the BIOS of the motherboard.
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26.2.2007 Should Microsoft downgrade Vista vulnerabilities?
The man who wrote the book on Microsoft's highly rated SDL (Security Development Lifecycle) believes buffer-related security vulnerabilities found in Windows Vista should be downgraded because of back-up mitigations built into the operating system.
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12.3.2007 Via to Supply Processors, Chipsets to HP
Via Technologies, a struggling Taiwan developer of central processing units and core-logic sets, has inked a contract with HP under which the semiconductor company will supply its C7-D CPUs and supporting chipsets to HP for a commercial PC targeting Chinese market.
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15.4.2007 HP unveils Windows Home Server systems
Hewlett-Packard Co. began taking preorders today for its MediaSmart Server, the first system from a major manufacturer powered by Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Home Server (WHS) software.
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6.11.2007 HP and Acer Start Netbook Price War
Hewlett-Packard and Acer have lowered prices of their netbooks as the back-to-school sales season kicks into gear in the U.S., offering bargains for users.
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26.8.2008 Vista SP1 RC Leaves XP SP2 in the Dust, but What About XP SP3?
Although Microsoft has indicated a strong disapproval of benchmarking tests involving development milestones of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the temptation is simply too big to ignore.
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17.1.2008 Microsoft Makes Its Own Vista SP1 vs. XP SP2, Leaves XP SP3 Out
Ever since the advent of Window Vista, at the end of November 2006 for businesses and in January 2007 for the general public, Microsoft has virtually invited the comparison between the two operating systems.
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8.5.2008 Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Will it turn XP into Vista?
Microsoft is currently cooking the third and last service pack for Windows XP. Released back at the end of 2001, and overhauled in 2004 with the introduction of Service Pack 2, the next refresh for XP is long overdue.
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19.10.2007 Vista SP1 Is Out, XP SP3 Old News, the Pink Edition of Vista Is In
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is now nothing more than water under the bridge, now that the service pack was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008, shipping to general users on March 18.
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27.3.2008 Tell Hasta la Vista to XP - Time to Upgrade to Vista SP1
Like it or not, this is the right time not only to upgrade to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 but also to tell hasta la vista to Windows XP.
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30.6.2008 Vista SP1 RC1 Flies Past Vista RTM and Windows XP SP2
Despite the fact that Microsoft has expressed its official position regarding testing Windows Vista Service Pack 1 ahead of its finalization, there is simply too much of a hunger for the service pack.
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27.12.2007 Microsoft Hands out XP SP3 beta – Final SP for XP
In an email sent to selected testers telling them they have been accepted to begin testing XP SP3, Microsoft has also informed them that this will be the final Service Pack for the now aging OS.
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5.10.2007 Will Vista SP1 Go Where Vista Never Went? Even with XP SP3 and Windows 7?
Throughout 2007, it became painfully clear to Microsoft that the main competitor for Windows Vista was not Apple's Mac OS X or even the open source Linux operating system but Windows XP, and, in fact, specifically XP SP2.
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1.3.2008 VISTA vs. XP
Want to know the differences between Vista and it's biggest competitor, Windows XP? An
online article in the US has some basic information, but we thought it needed a bit more detail. So here's a much better rundown on the differences to expect!
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7.1.2007 XP SP3 Does Not Support Windows XP
Believe it or not, but Microsoft does not support Windows XP with XP SP3. Well, maybe that's not entire true. But it is true nonetheless. End users will find they they are unable to deploy XP SP3 on top of XP. What is the catch?
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16.1.2008 Vista and XP Comparisons
Microsoft has promised the largest upgrade since Windows 95 in Windows Vista. In this article we take a look at build 5270, which will probably be one of the last intermediate releases (this one is actually labeled Beta 2 on the desktop) before the feature complete Beta 2 release. In this article we will look at what this upgrade means in real terms by comparing it with the venerable Windows XP.
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13.1.2006 Vista Pack for XP
The Vista Pack for XP is for customize your Windows XP in Windows Vista Style. It give your Windows XP the look and feel of Vista with these great tools with a new Firefox Vista black theme, Windows Visual styles, tools, and wallpapers.
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22.2.2007 Farewell Vista, Hello XP
How to make the switch back and deal with the gnarly problem of transferring your Vista e-mail, contacts, and user data back to the old standby operating system.
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10.12.2007 Why isn't Vista loved as much as XP?
Lately there are a lot of articles bashing Windows Vista for its lack of driver support, stability or poor performance. All of these concerns are true just like all previous Windows versions.
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16.1.2008 Another take on Vista vs. XP benchmarks
As anyone who’s ever worked in a PC performance lab knows, the #1 rule of benchmarking is: Your mileage may vary.
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20.2.2008Microsoft will allow Windows 7 downgrade to XP
After many requests and company IT departments pushing Microsoft to make Windows 7 available to downgrade not only to Windows Vista, but to Windows
XP, Microsoft has finally officially stated that the downgrade will be available if company's or users require a downgrade. The downgrade will
not only allow consumers to downgrade to Microsoft most recent predecessor, Vista, but will allow users to downgrade to Windows XP, and technically
allow users to go back to Windows 2000 or even Windows 95.
Read full story.....
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07.04.2009OEMs to Continue Shipping XP
If you already own an XP license and are still hesitant to switch to Vista, Microsoft's "downgrade rights" policy, which initially began to be
exercised in 2001, may be in your favor if you would still like to purchase a machine running Windows XP after the June 30, 2008 deadline when
Microsoft will stop offering the operating system. OEMs such as Dell have said that they still have no plans to stop offering XP as an option:
"Dell has the ability to exercise 'Windows Vista downgrade rights' on your behalf in the factory if your business is still reliant upon
Windows XP and you'd prefer to have Windows XP Professional preinstalled on your PCs," according to their new downgrade policy section for XP.
"Downgrade Rights means that anyone with a Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate operating system can downgrade to Windows XP
Professional provided they have the media for Windows XP Professional."
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27.04.2008Microsoft confirms Windows 7 downgrade rights
TechARP had been constantly giving updates on the Windows 7 Downgrade Rights Program all these days. Now Microsoft has confirmed the same in a blog
post, regarding Windows 7 Downgrade rights program. Users can downgrade to Windows XP and Windows Vista from Windows 7 via OEMs for 6 months after
Windows 7 General Availability. For customers and businesses running Windows XP, Microsoft still recommends an upgrade to Windows Vista before moving
onto upgrading Windows 7.
Read full
story.....
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16.04.2009Microsoft sued for charging consumers to downgrade to XP
When Windows Vista was released to market on January 30th, 2007, Microsoft gave consumers the option to downgrade to Windows XP if they were not
satisfied with the new operating system. However charging consumers $59.25 to downgrade to a different operating system has stirred some trouble
for Microsoft. A Los Angeles resident, Emma Alvarado, has filed a class action lawsuit in the US District Court of the Western District of
Washington in Seattle. The plaintiff is not demanding anything but a refund because the company charged her for downgrading her Lenovo PC from Windows
Vista to Windows XP Professional.
Read full story.....
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16.02.2009XP downgrade program may continue to hurt Windows 7
Most people know that come the release of Vista, most businesses chose to hang onto to Windows XP due to lacking reviews of the new OS, and the fact
that XP did everything they wanted. Of course, many plan to make the move to the upcoming Windows 7, bypassing Vista entirely, but according to
InfoWorld, this could be harder than expected.
Read full story.....
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17.06.2009Microsoft will allow Windows 7 users to downgrade to XP
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft and its PC partners are going to allow Windows 7 users to downgrade not just to Windows Vista, but also to Windows XP,
Microsoft officials are confirming.
Some company watchers have been
wondering about the downgrade rights
that Microsoft will offer when Windows 7 ships. When AppleInsider reported this weekend that
HP was going to offer Windows 7
users the ability to downgrade to XP, I asked Microsoft about the story.
Here’s what a spokesperson representing the
company’s Windows client division told me via e-mail on April 5...
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07.04.2009Giving up on Vista? Here's how to downgrade to XP
Microsoft's decision last week to delay the end of Windows XP sales five months means users have just that much longer to jilt Vista and return to
the older -- and some say more mature -- operating system. But even with XP's reprieve, few PCs come with anything but Vista. Even if you wanted to
take advantage of the wider window of XP opportunity, you might not know where to start.
For the rest of us, just what does it take to turn back the clock? Read on for more
about the trip to Windows yesteryear.
What is a downgrade? To Microsoft, "downgrade" describes the licensing rights it grants
to older operating systems. Downgrade doesn't mean the process for rolling back Windows from Vista to XP, since there isn't such a procedure, not in
the generally accepted use of "upgrade." In an older-to-newer move, developers usually make it possible to retain all the digital detritus on the
drive, from already-installed applications and Word documents to iTunes tracks and family photos, while updating the system files. Not so in a
downgrade.
winbeta.org - 02.10.2007
Microsoft extends XP downgrade option for OEMs to 2011
Microsoft will be extending the Windows XP downgrade option until 2011. While Microsoft has threatened to halt the option on numerous occasions, it
has yet to set a date, write it in stone and actually make good on the promise. Windows XP has been the corner stone for Microsoft as Windows Vista
was largely rejected by businesses and consumers due to its initial rocky start. With Windows 7 right around the corner Microsoft will be looking to
phase out XP but still must do so in a cautious manor.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 20.06.2009
Microsoft to simplify downgrades from Vista to XP
Microsoft is simplifying the
processes via which its
PC-maker partners will be able
to provide "downgrade"
rights from Windows Vista to
Windows XP for their
customers.
Microsoft
will implement the first of
the policy changes for its
Gold Certified (top-tier) OEM
partners within the next
couple of weeks. The company
will streamline
downgrade-rights policies and
procedures for the broader
channel somewhat later, said
John Ball, general manager of
Microsofts U.S. Systems Group.
Under current
licensing terms, Microsoft
allows customers buying PCs
preloaded with Windows Vista
Ultimate and Vista Business to
roll back to Windows XP until
they are ready to make the
move to Vista. For OEMs, the
process via which these rights
can be activated has been
quite cumbersome, Ball
acknowledged...
winbeta.org - 28.06.2007
Dell charging to downgrade to XP
Dell has announced that it will stop selling new computers with Windows XP from today, unless buyers spend an extra $50 to downgrade their
operating system.
Customers looking to buy models from the company’s Vostro line will be offered Vista Business as the operating
system but Dell will downgrade the system for an extra $50. Some of the company’s XPS gaming systems will also be charging for the
downgrade.
The move will raise eyebrows, since the company may be seen as trying to cash in on the unpopularity of Microsoft’s latest
operating system.
neowin.net - 19.06.2008
As WinXP Deadline Looms, OEMs Turn To Vista Downgrade Rights
Microsoft may be preparing to discontinue sales of Windows XP, but some OEMs have found a way to circumvent the software giant's June 30
deadline.
In yet another sign of the market's resistance to Windows Vista, Dell Computer, Hewlett Packard (NYSE:HPQ), and Sony on
Wednesday all confirmed plans to exercise the downgrade rights Microsoft offers with OEM versions of Windows Vista Business and Vista Ultimate in
order to continue offering XP-equipped PCs to their customers.
Downgrade rights, which Microsoft also offers to volume licensing customers,
give users the ability to roll back to the previous version of the product they're using. Downgrade rights have existed since 2001 for Windows,
but many Microsoft partners say they've been seeing a recent uptick in the number of customers exercising downgrade rights to roll Vista back to
XP Professional.
neowin.net - 25.04.2008
Downgrade Plan for Windows 7 PC's
Deja Vu here? Just like they did with Windows Vista, Microsoft will ship Windows 7 in OEM machines with a license that allows customers to easily
downgrade to either Windows Vista or its 8-year-old predecessor, Windows XP. This license applies to businesses who buy VLK licenses and
consumers who buy a desktop or laptop with Windows 7 pre-installed.
While giving downgrade plans has been common in Redmond in the past,
a downgrade from an operating system released in 2009/2010, to one released 8-9 years ago seems a bit crazy. However, given the skepticism that, even
to this day, with nearly 2 Service Packs RTM'ed, still surrounds Windows Vista, Microsoft was essentially forced into providing that downgrade path.
Windows XP will soon be near-obsolete - even according to Microsoft, who will be ending mainstream support tomorrow. The availability of
that downgrade path is unfortunate, due to the number of advancements that have inevitably occurred over the past 8 years. If Windows 7 holds up to
peoples' expectations, maybe they won't have to step into the time machine, and we can finally continue on, full speed ahead, into the future.
jcxp.net - 13.04.2009
As Windows XP Deadline Looms, OEMs Turn To Vista Downgrade Rights
Microsoft may be preparing to discontinue sales of Windows XP, but some OEMs have found a way to circumvent the software giant's June 30 deadline.
In yet another sign of the market's resistance to Windows Vista, Dell Computer, Hewlett Packard, and Sony on Wednesday all
confirmed plans to exercise the downgrade rights Microsoft offers with OEM versions of Windows Vista Business and Vista Ultimate in order to continue
offering XP-equipped PCs to their customers.
winbeta.org - 24.04.2008
Source: Vista downgrade rights extended to July 2009
Never mind that Microsoft has kicked off a hyped ad campaign to convince the public to buy Windows Vista PCs, - it's also given users more time to
switch back to Windows XP.
OEMs have been given an additional six months to sell PCs running Windows Vista with the ability to
downgrade to Windows XP using an accompanying recovery disc...
winbeta.org - 03.10.2008
The XP alternative for Vista PCs
While Microsoft is still pushing Vista hard, the company is quietly allowing PC makers to offer a "downgrade" option to buyers that get machines
with the new operating system but want to switch to Windows XP.
The program applies only to Windows Vista Business and Ultimate
versions, and it is up to PC makers to decide how, if at all, they want to make XP available. Fujitsu has been among the most aggressive, starting
last month to include an XP disc in the box with its laptops and tablets.
"That's going to help out small- and medium-size
businesses," Fujitsu marketing manager Brandon Farris told CNET News.com.
Hewlett-Packard also started a program in August for
many of its business models. "For business desktops, workstations and select business notebooks and tablet PCs, customers can configure their systems
to include the XP Pro restore disc for little or no charge," HP spokeswoman Tiffany Smith said in an e-mail. She said it was too soon to gauge how
high customer interest has been. "Since we've only been offering (it) for about a month, we don't really have anything to share on demand." ..
winbeta.org - 22.09.2007
XP still killing Vista in sales volume: HP
Business PC buyers are still overwhelmingly opting for XP, computer giant HP has revealed.
HP's revelation, made at the launch
of a new range of business notebooks, flies in the face of Microsoft's persistent PR claims that Vista has sold tens of millions of copies and is
selling at a faster rate than XP ever did.
However, HP explained how Microsoft is coming up with these "Vista" sales figures.
winbeta.org - 28.07.2008
New data: 1 in 3 business PCs drop Vista for Windows XP
When Microsoft stopped selling new licenses to Windows XP on June 30, it gave users and PC makers a "downgrade" loophole so that those who wanted XP
could still get it, even though they still had to buy a Vista license.
According to data from the exo.performance.network, 35 percent of Vista-equipped PCs
have been downgraded to Windows XP. "That's way out of proportion for even the dramatically unpopular Windows Vista," says
Randall C. Kennedy, an InfoWorld contributing editor, whose company Devil Mountain Software developed the Windows Sentinel
tool and analyzes the exo.performance.network data. (More than 3,000 PCs are monitored worldwide using the tool, in both the
free InfoWorld Windows Sentinel version and in the more extensive version provided to Devil Mountain clients.)
winbeta.org - 18.08.2008
Dell extends window for XP systems
Dell has extended the availability of systems preloaded with Windows XP, citing customer demand for the older operating system. The vendor started to
charge purchasers of certain lines to downgrade the operating system from Vista to XP last week.
However, Dell has said on its website that
XP machines will still be available in the Inspiron and XPS ranges. "We are able to offer the opportunity to purchase a Dell desktop with an OEM
Windows XP licence until 26 June at 5.59am central time," said the company. "After 26 June you have the option to purchase Windows Vista Business or
Windows Vista Ultimate with a downgrade service to Windows XP Professional.
neowin.net - 24.06.2008
HP Offers Free Vista Upgrades to Some Customers
Customers who have purchased
an HP Pavilion or Digital
Entertainment Center PC, or a
Compaq Pavilion PC -- all
desktop models only -- on or
after October 26, with Windows
XP pre-installed, will be
eligible for upgrade kits for
corresponding editions of
Windows Vista next month, HP
announced this morning..
betanews.com - 13.12.2006
Microsoft offers free Vista-to-XP downgrade help
Microsoft has said it would offer free technical support to small businesses that buy new PCs with Windows Vista in the next three months, its latest
attempt to convince users that moving to Vista is a good idea. And if those efforts are for naught, Microsoft will help those users downgrade from
Vista to Windows XP, the same maneuver several large computer makers, including Dell and Hewlett-Packard, have used in recent months to continue
offering the older operating system to buyers.
The offer, dubbed Windows Vista Small Business Assurance, is available to businesses with
fewer than 50 employees or 25 PCs, and it provides free telephone support through the end of October to companies that buy new PCs with Vista Business
or Vista Ultimate between now and Sept. 30, according to details posted on the Microsoft Web site. Only businesses buying new hardware can take
advantage of the free support; companies upgrading existing computers from, say, Windows XP, don't qualify.
neowin.net - 10.07.2008
