Windows 8 Will Not Include Right to Downgrade to XP

Unlike Windows 7, Windows 8 Professional edition licenses supplied by PC manufacturers (OEMs) do not include the right to install Windows XP Professional instead. If an organization wants to install Windows XP on new computers, it must ask the OEM to ship new computers with Windows 7 (rather than Windows 8) licenses or supplement OEM Windows 8 licenses with OS-related licenses purchased through volume licensing programs. Organizations most likely to be affected are those that have not completed migration to Windows 7 and do not have an Enterprise Agreement (EA) covering the Windows client OS.

Licensing Windows and Downgrades

Windows OEM licenses come with a computer from its manufacturer and are how most organizations initially license PCs, laptops, and other Windows client devices. These OEM licenses come with a specific set of terms and use limitations. (For an overview of major licensing terms, see the chart “Windows 7 and 8 Professional OEM Licenses Compared“.)

OEM licenses for Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Business, and Windows 7 Professional provided “N-2” version downgrade rights, meaning that a customer could substitute either of the preceding two versions in place of the licensed version. This precedent continues, but it means that while Windows 7 Professional OEM licenses permit customers to downgrade to Windows XP Professional, Windows 8 Professional OEM licenses do not. As has always been the case, OEM licenses for the Windows client OS are permanently tied to the PC to which they are initially assigned, so if a new PC replaces an old Windows XP machine, the old Windows XP license may not be applied to the new machine.