Microsoft Extends Windows XP Downgrade to 2020
Another decade of Windows XP -- who's excited?!
While the consumer and enthusiast are now happily moving to Windows 7, businesses are still chugging along on Windows XP. This would present a problem for businesses buying and installing new computers in the workplace if not for the Windows XP downgrade program available to OEM Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate SKUs.
Originally, these downgrade rights were to disappear once Microsoft ships the first Service Pack in 2011, but upon the release of the SP1 beta, Microsoft announced that it would extend the XP downgrade period through to January 2020 for the Professional and January 2015 for the Ultimate edition (dates according to Computerworld).
"This will help maintain consistency for downgrade rights throughout the Windows 7 lifecycle," wrote Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc, in an entry on the company blog. "As a result, the OEM versions of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate will continue to include downgrade rights to the similar versions of Windows Vista or Windows XP Professional. Going forward, businesses can continue to purchase new PCs and utilize end user downgrade rights to Windows XP or Windows Vista until they are ready to use Windows 7. Enabling such rights throughout the Windows 7 lifecycle will make it easier for customers as they plan deployments to Windows 7."
Microsoft made this change to help ease confusion for businesses getting new PCs but aren't able to make the switch just yet. With the extension of the downgrade rights, Microsoft will still be able to sell a Windows license and businesses can still run Windows XP.
LeBlanc added, "Our business customers have told us that the 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."
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I'm still waiting for "the virus of destiny" to just wipe them all out
Does that mean MS will be extending support till 2020?
OMG 2020? so it will be allowed to drink in many countries? Damn that's old... There were rumours that next gen CPU's will be x64 only and that win8 will be 128bit compatible... they won't be able to downgrade because XP won't be supporting new technologies.
Seriously now, just let XP die. I've spent the last 8 months migrating to Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 clients, we've had no ill effects.
What the hell? DIE XP DIE DIE DIE. We CANNOT be stuck on XP for the next millenium!
Decade.
What the hell? DIE XP DIE DIE DIE. We CANNOT be stuck on XP for the next millenium!
Then don't. This is for those who don't want to migrate to other OSes.
In reality this is for the BIG corps who have tens or hundreds of thounsand computers. these corps still have fleets of NT4 never mind XP. Why you might add, because it works and why change it if it continues to work. MS don't care as corps will pay big £/$ to get support for unsupported systems, and god forbid they go to Linux.