


By Microsoft's end-user licensing agreement (EULA), you can't have both Vista and its downgraded XP installed at the same time on the same or different machines.

Think of it as a swap, Vista for XP, not as an extra license. In effect, the license for Vista is transferred to XP. Specifically, these downgrade rights lets owners of some versions of Vista replace it with Windows XP without having to pay for another license. 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. What is a downgrade? To Microsoft, "downgrade" describes the licensing rights it grants to older operating systems. Even if you wanted to take advantage of the wider window of XP opportunity, you might not know where to start.įor the rest of us, just what does it take to turn back the clock? Read on for more about the trip to Windows yesteryear. But even with XP's reprieve, few PCs come with anything but Vista. If you've lost the activation code for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, or you have bought a PC with Windows 10 preinstalled, then you will need to buy a new activation code before following the steps listed above to uninstall Windows 10 and downgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.Ĭheck out our how to find the cheapest Windows 7 deals to bag a Windows 7 bargain, which you can then use to downgrade from Windows 10.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. Don't have a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 code? You can then restart your PC, boot from the USB stick, and reinstall Windows 8.1. Once downloaded, this tool will allow you to download Windows 8.1 and make a bootable USB stick with it on. This website can sometimes be unresponsive if you use Chrome or Firefox, so if you have trouble, open it up in Microsoft's Edge or Internet Explorer browsers.

If you want to downgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 8.1, then you'll need Microsoft's Windows 8.1 Download Tool. Now check out our how to install Windows 7 from a USB key guide. To download the Windows 7 ISO, go to Microsoft's official Download Windows 7 Disc Images (ISO Files) website, enter in your Windows 7 product key, hit the Verify button and download the ISO. ISO files are disc images that can either be burned to a DVD, placed on a USB stick or run natively, as if the disc was inserted into the PC. If you can't find the discs, then don't worry, as Microsoft offers Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 ISO files for legal download.
