Re-Imaging + Downgrade rights Win 8 Vol license to Win 7 Pro Refurbished?

HI, is the following possible according to Microsoft licensing terms in Europe?
- I buy 100 x refurbished PCs with Windows 7 Professional Refurbished licenses (from an official Microsoft refurbisher)
- Then, I buy 1 x Windows 8 Professional Upgrade license.
Does this allow me to Downgrade my Windows 8 Professional license to Windows 7 Professional and do Re-Imaging with this 1 license and install it on my 100 PCs?
As far as I understand Microsoft-Licensing, it should be ok, but I want to make sure it is ok.
I read here (http://blogs.technet.com/b/volume-licensing/archive/2014/02/13/licensing-how-to-reimaging-rights-top-5-questions.aspx ):
2 - May I use reimaging and downgrade rights together to deploy a
prior version of the edition licensed?
Yes.  If the underlying OEM or Retail license you are reimaging offers downgrade or prior version rights, you are a Volume License (VL) customer, and have the appropriate VL media and keys available that match the edition and language for the underlying
license, you are permitted to reimage a prior version.  For more information on your downgrade rights, see the license terms applicable to your product, or see the
Downgrade Rights Licensing Brief.  For more information about access to prior product versions, please see the
fulfillment website.
Many thanks!
Stefan Tauchhammer
Stefan Tauchhammer

The short answer is, yes, that is what the paragraph you quoted says. If you haven’t read through the
Reimaging Rights Volume Licensing brief, I would recommend it.
Brandon
Windows Outreach Team- IT Pro
The Springboard Series on TechNet

Similar Messages

  • What is the Windows 8 Pro/Windows 8.1 Pro OEM Downgrade Rights expiration date to Windows 7 Pro?

    As per the title, what is the last date we can downgrade Windows 8 Pro or Windows 8.1 Pro OEM to Windows 7 Pro?
    Thanks

    Hi,
    As far as I know,we haven't gotten any notifications about this issue.
    Regarding downgrade rights,you can refer to the following article:
    http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/8/9/68964284-864d-4a6d-aed9-f2c1f8f23e14/Downgrade_Rights.pdf
    Meanwhile,if you would like further assistance about downgrade rights,please contact Customer Service Center:
    http://support.microsoft.com/
    Regards,
    Kelvin hsu
    TechNet Community Support

  • Re-Imaging + Downgrade rights with Win 7 Pro Refurbished?

    HI, is the following possible according to Microsoft licensing terms in Europe?
    - I buy 100 x refurbished PCs with Windows 7 Professional Refurbished licenses (from an official Microsoft refurbisher)
    - Then, I buy 1 x Windows 8 Professional Upgrade license.
    Does this allow me to Downgrade my Windows 8 Professional license to Windows 7 Professional and do Re-Imaging with this 1 license and install it on my 100 PCs?
    As far as I understand Microsoft-Licensing, it should be ok, but I want to make sure it is ok.
    Many thanks!
    Stefan Tauchhammer

    Hello,
    I'd check out the
    Product Sales and Licensing Solution Center.
    Karl
    When you see answers and helpful posts, please click Vote As Helpful, Propose As Answer, and/or Mark As Answer.
    My Blog: Unlock PowerShell
    My Book: Windows PowerShell 2.0 Bible
    My E-mail: -join ('6F6C646B61726C40686F746D61696C2E636F6D'-split'(?<=\G.{2})'|%{if($_){[char][int]"0x$_"}})

  • Win 7 preinstalled through downgrade rights in Win 8 Pro 64

    My new T430s has Win 7 Pro preinstalled via downgrade rights in Windows 8 Pro.  I assume this means the recovery media on the machine is for Win 7(?).    Since the machine apparently has a Win 8 Pro license that has been downgraded, what is the procedure to follow to upgrade the existing license to Win 8?  
    I tried searching Support (which hasn't worked much of the PM) to locate instruction for upgrading a machine that already has a Win 8 license, yet whose preinstall was downgraded to Win 7 Pro.  I'm not sure whether the COA is in BIOS - and if it isn't, will these machines be unable to access the Lenovo tools from the Windows Store?
    I would sure appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction.   Thanks.
    Solved!
    Go to Solution.

    I solved the issue so I'm updating my post for continuity.  I managed to fetch the original box from the dumpster (!!) where I discovered a Windows 8 Pro Operating System Recovery Disc.  I also noticed a small sticker on the outside of the box indicating that both OS were included.
    If anyone else receives one of these pre-downgraded Win 8 Pro machines, you'll find the Safe Computing envelope actually contains something worth keeping.

  • T540p - Purchase Choice - Win 7 vs Win 7 preinstalled through downgrade rights in Win 8.1 Pro 64

    Can someone explain what are the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of choosing between the following 2 Win 7 Pro - Options when choosing the custom configuration on the Leneov website for pourchasing the T540p ?
    Windows 7 Professional 64
    Windows 7 Professional 64 preinstalled through downgrade rights in Windows 8.1 Pro 64
    JosephB
    T61 6459-CTO - 15.4 WXGA - XP SP3
    Solved!
    Go to Solution.

    Hi,
    Here's my understanding:
    Windows 7 Professional 64: old school - Win 7 installed and CoA sticker with key in the battery compartment..
    Windows 7 Professional 64 preinstalled through downgrade rights in Windows 8.1 Pro 64:  No Win7 CoA sticker.  Win 8.1 key in BIOS. Win 7 installed.  Usually Win 8 media included in the box.  (I've seen reports that it sometimes wasn't included - verify that before purchasing).
    The advantage of Win 7 old-school is that the CoA key can be used when doing a clean Win 7 install from Microsoft media.  Advantage of the downgrade setup is that you also have Win 8.1 if you later decide to change OS.  Disadvantage is that doing a clean Win 7 install requires some strange gyrations:  Understanding downgrade rights
    If you do go with the downgrade option, please make Win 7 recovery media when you receive your laptop.  Otherwise if you switch to 8.1 at some point you won't have a way to go back to 7 easily.
    Z.
    The large print: please read the Community Participation Rules before posting. Include as much information as possible: model, machine type, operating system, and a descriptive subject line. Do not include personal information: serial number, telephone number, email address, etc.  The fine print: I do not work for, nor do I speak for Lenovo. Unsolicited private messages will be ignored. ... GeezBlog
    English Community   Deutsche Community   Comunidad en Español   Русскоязычное Сообщество

  • How to upgrade to Win 8 from "Win 7 Pro 64 preload through downgrade rights in Win 8 Pro 64"?

    If I buy a new W530 that according to the tabook has "Windows® 7 Professional 64 preinstalled through downgrade rights in Windows 8 Pro 64-bit" how could I in the future upgrade to Windows 8 with minimum hassle?
    Am not really interested in spending the time on clean installs so am wondering if there is a hidden Windows 8 preload behind the visible Windows 7 preload, for instance available through Lenovo support sending me Windows 8 recovery disks for the W530.
    T500: Vista 32, 2.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 15.4" 1680x1050, 500GB 7200rpm, ATI Radeon HD3650 + Intel 4500MHD. T42: XP, 1.7GHz, 2GB RAM, 14.1" 1024x768, 250GB PATA, ATI Radeon 7500.
    Solved!
    Go to Solution.

    Hi zilla,
    hopefully my post here contains the information you are looking for.
    Andy  ______________________________________
    Please remember to come back and mark the post that you feel solved your question as the solution, it earns the member + points
    Did you find a post helpfull? You can thank the member by clicking on the star to the left awarding them Kudos Please add your type, model number and OS to your signature, it helps to help you. Forum Search Option T430 2347-G7U W8 x64, Yoga 10 HD+, Tablet 1838-2BG, T61p 6460-67G W7 x64, T43p 2668-G2G XP, T23 2647-9LG XP, plus a few more. FYI Unsolicited Personal Messages will be ignored.
      Deutsche Community     Comunidad en Español    English Community Русскоязычное Сообщество
    PepperonI blog 

  • Downgrade Rights 8.1 Pro to 7

    Hello All,
    I have been searching for a bit but haven't found exactly what I am after, so I thought I'd ask around and see if anybody can help me out.
    We recently brought 10 machines  (E550) into our environment (20 more on the way) with 8.1 Pro installed. We have a custom image of Windows 7 Pro we would like to use. The image is generated from a retail copy of Win 7 Pro that has been fully patched and customized with some common line-of-business applications we regularly use. This allows us to generate new machines very quickly without having to deal with heavy amounts of patching and customization and is a real time saver for us.
    We are a relatively small organization and don't have a VL account with Microsoft and as such, we've been relying on the OEM keys provided with the machine to activate our copies of Win 7.
    Now, with the new machines, we are able to view the embedded SLP key for 8.1 Pro but we cannot activate it against our retail copy of Win 7 Pro like we could with previous OEM keys ('Invalid key' or 'key entered incorrectly' messages). We meet all the requirements set out by MS for downgrade rights but I cannot find any way to make it work, outside of purchasing VL upgrade keys and using those- a huge additional expense for software we already purchased when we bought the equipment.
    Has anybody found a workaround to using the embedded key? Any suggestions?
    Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll respond back right away.

    Have you looked at this, http://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/downgrade_rights.aspx
    I have not actually tried a downgrade but the only thing I can think of is there is a difference between reimage and install. Not sure if that is your problem.
    Hoov
    Microsoft MVP - Consumer Security
    SpywareHammer.com

  • How to Downgrade Windows 8.1 to Win 7 enterprise using Win 7 upgrade media installed on the DVD ???

    Hello Team,
    I have installed the windows 8.1x32 SL ENG OEM licensed version on my business computer. 
    Now I want to downgrade it to WINDOWS 7 using a windows 7 upgrade DVD. Also I have the volume licensing key with me of Windows 7 enterprise edition. Right now , I am willing to install it on ONLY ONE computer.
    So, all I need is your help in the installation process .......install now & next steps of installation.

    Actually that's where you are wrong, according to Microshaft's website, Windows 8.1 PRO installations have "downgrade rights" BUT ONLY to Win 7 PRO or Win Vista Business (BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that's a joke)
    http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/licensing/sblicensing/pages/downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=-wiBOot8mXl
    Sadly this leaves Enterprise/Business editions out of the question...This has been extremely bothersome considering BitLocker is only included in Win 7 Business and higher (Being part of a HIPPA compliant Mental Health Agency this is EXTREMELY important
    to our functioning, especially now that TrueCrypt has ended their support and no longer even offers a download that will let you encrypt the system drive! Leaving us fumbling around trying to find a new solution)
    Actually as I wrote this, I uncovered this amazing little PDF from Microsoft explaining with exact details
    http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/8/9/68964284-864d-4a6d-aed9-f2c1f8f23e14/Downgrade_Rights.pdf
    You must upgrade your Windows 8.1 Pro to Enterprise Edition (I've been told the upgrade is only 40$ (USD)) then you may Downgrade to Win 7 Enterprise...Still a little bit obnoxious just to downgrade but if you aren't working for a company with 100s of PCs
    (Like me) I guess it's not so bad.

  • Windows 7 Pro installed through downgrade rights

    If a pre-configured machine comes with Win 7 Pro "through downgrade rights," does that mean the key would also work with Win 8 Pro?

    Hi John_B,
    please take a look at this thread in the W seies board, hopefully it will help answer your question.
    The W7 key is embedded in the Lenovo factory image so you will need to create recovery discs.
    Andy  ______________________________________
    Please remember to come back and mark the post that you feel solved your question as the solution, it earns the member + points
    Did you find a post helpfull? You can thank the member by clicking on the star to the left awarding them Kudos Please add your type, model number and OS to your signature, it helps to help you. Forum Search Option T430 2347-G7U W8 x64, Yoga 10 HD+, Tablet 1838-2BG, T61p 6460-67G W7 x64, T43p 2668-G2G XP, T23 2647-9LG XP, plus a few more. FYI Unsolicited Personal Messages will be ignored.
      Deutsche Community     Comunidad en Español    English Community Русскоязычное Сообщество
    PepperonI blog 

  • Preinstalled windows 7. Now how to downgrade from windows 8 back to win 7?

    Purchased L755-S5244 with win 7 home premium installed. Later, opted to upgrade to win 8 pro when offered online. HATE it! My laptop does not have a touch screen and win 8 seems tailored to touch screens. Need to downgrade to win 7. Unfortunately, a previous reformat and "refresh" of win 8 to try to fix performance issues deleted the "old windows" file, so I know I can't do it that way. I know I don;t have official downgrade rights, but there has to be a way to do it. I'd like to reformat, then use win 7 recovery discs to reinstall, but I understand there might be a problem with the BIOS.. please advise if what I propose is possible and how to deal with the BIOS problem. Thanks.
    Bob Stone

    Satellite L755-S5244
    I'd like to reformat, then use win 7 recovery discs to reinstall, but I understand there might be a problem with the BIOS..
    There is no BIOS problem, Bob. And you need not reformat separately. Simply restore the hard disk to its original out-of-the-box contents using Toshiba recovery media.
    If you failed to burn recovery discs, you can obtain them from Toshiba. Scroll down to Get Recovery Media here .
    For instructions, see the section Restoring from recovery DVDs/media, which begins on p. 76 of the User's Guide.
       Satellite/Satellite Pro L700 Series User’s Guide
    -Jerry

  • Downgrade rights

    i asked if i should get xp or vista. i think everyone recomends xp. someone told me about downgrade rights and heres a website about it http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/f/4/5f4c83d3-833e-4f11-8cbd-699b0c16418 2/royaltyoemreferencesheet.pdf im want to know if anyone can explain it to me a little more. i have a copy of xp mce for my windows computer and i want to get xp for my macbook pro. i understand that if i buy vista i can use the xp i already have and put it on my macbook and keep it on my other computer. can someone help me a little cause im not sure if thats right and if it is how would i do that. wouldnt i need another serial for xp?
    thanks.

    No, that's not correct. Downgrade rights mean only that if you buy a computer that has Vista on it but you still need to run XP (it being difficult now to buy a new computer with XP), you can (in some circumstances, spelled out in the document you refer to) legally install XP on that computer. Your OEM copy of Windows XP is licensed only for use on the computer with which it came, regardless of whether or not you buy a copy of Vista.
    If you want to run Windows on your Mac, you must buy a new, retail copy of XP Professional or Vista Business or Ultimate (Home edition licenses do not allow running on virtualization systems).

  • About the downgrade right from Acrobat XI version to Acrobat 9

    Hi all,
    As my department has found some problem on software compatibility that we need to install additional Adobe Acrobat 9 in the new Windows 7 workstation, I just want to clarify if iwe are entitled to have this downgrade right by purchasing an additional Adobe Acrobat XI license.
    Thanks for any reply.
    Mark Leung

    no, you would need to purchase an acrobat X pro license to use acrobat X pro.

  • Does CC14 offer downgrade rights

    I am a licensing specialist and I am trying to find out if CC14 offers downgrade rights meaning if you buy a CC14 subscription but use an older version of creative suite under this license. I can see that the users dashboard offers the possiblity to download version CS6 but when I read the manual how to install it says the following:
    From your Adobe Creative Cloud application, you can install an earlier version of Adobe’s applications (assuming you have a license that is registered using the same Adobe ID), in addition to the CC versions. To do it, make sure you have the latest version of the Creative Cloud app itself. At the top of the window showing the applications you can install you’ll see a dropdown labeled Filters. Simply choose “Previous Version” (pictured below) and — if your previous version is registered to the same Adobe account as you are using for the Creative Cloud — you’ll see the option to install the earlier version of the application.
    This suggests that if you want to download CS 6 from the Creative Cloud download portal, you actually need a license for CS 6 that is registered to the same user ID as your subscription. The question is can I use CS6 instead off CC 14 under a CC14 subscription that is registered in my name? And a second question I have is, is it possible to use even older versions with a CC14 license? e.g. CS5 or CS5.5.
    I really cannot find any decent information on downgrade rights.
    Thanks a lot!

    This may help: Creative Cloud Help | Creative Cloud / Common Questions
    "Do Creative Cloud members have access to previous versions of Creative Cloud apps?
    Yes, you can install previous archived versions of the apps from Creative Cloud on your desktop, as well as from the Creative Cloud Desktop Apps page. Archived versions are provided “as is” and are not updated to work with the latest hardware and software platforms.
    Currently, the CS6 and CC releases are archived and available. In some cases, more than one CC version of an app is archived and available."

  • SCCM 2012 Asset Intelligence Report 14A Downgrade Rights not calculated

    Hello,
    In SCCM 2012 the License Reconcilation Report cannot calculate downgrade rights like it was the same problem in SCCM 2007:
    http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrai/thread/9c6c74cb-9bdc-4a7b-92af-feca7397a5fb
    I tried this solution but the view V_CAL_User isn't existing anymore in 2012 so i cannot execute this query:
    http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/idany/archive/2008/10/16/improving-microsoft-volume-licensing-reconciliation-report.aspx
    So can you help me experts?
    Thanks

    Yes I know this is an old post, Cal tracking has been removed from CM12 AI and no longer exists.
    Also within the forum post you will notice that I say there is no downgrade right listed within CM12/CM07 AI. If you feel this is important then I suggest that you submit a connect item. Post the link back here for other to vote up.
    http://www.enhansoft.com/

  • Downgrade Rights Of Windows Server

    Can I downgrade from Windows server 2012 to Windows 2008 , I got an update from the customer representative that I can do it, but they told me to check for the downgrade rights. I just want to know that how can I check that whether I have downgrade rights
    or not and I also want to know how can I downgrade .

    Hi,
    Customers who have licensed software through a Microsoft Volume Licensing program are eligible to use prior versions of the software edition that they have licensed. This is known as a downgrade right.
    If you have legally obtained physical media (CD/DVD) of older licensed Microsoft products that your organization is currently licensed to use through downgrade rights, you can use these prior software versions at your discretion.
    With the release of new product versions, previously available products are removed from the VLSC as they become N-2 versions. Support for physical media purchases of these N-2 products through Microsoft also ends at that time.
    If your organization continues to require access to specific prior version products, we recommend that you first contact your Microsoft reseller to determine whether they still have media inventory. If you received past shipments of physical Volume Licensing
    media (comprehensive or subscription kits) or purchased physical CD/DVD media, you can continue to use these discs to install prior versions of products that are no longer available from the VLSC.
    for oem licenses, Downgrade rights are documented in the Microsoft Software License Terms that
    customers accept upon first running Windows and Windows Server software. Thanks
    to downgrade rights, end users who have acquired a later version of the software (such as Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard) can use an earlier version of the software (such as Windows Server 2008
    R2 Standard) until they are ready to migrate to a later version Technology.
    To downgrade Windows Server software customers must:
    Purchase a Server system licensed with Windows Server software.
    Accept the Microsoft Software License Terms.
    Perform the downgrade or down-edition process to the eligible
    downgrade/down-edition product using the media/key from a genuine, previously
    licensed OEM, retail or Volume Licensing Server product.
    thanks
    diramoh

Maybe you are looking for