TECHARP at the following addresshttp://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=630&pgno=0has the details ofMicrosoft has decided to enhance the End User downgrade facilitation options available to OEMs for downgrading systems with Windows Vista Business or Ultimate editions to Windows XP Professional. In addition, Microsoft will allow limited End User downgrade rights from Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate editions to either Windows Vista Business or Window XP Professional.I know that some people are disenchanted with Vista and that downgrading to Win XP may be a valid choice..??But downgrading from Windows 7 to Win XP seems one giant step for man.........Old Mig15 pilot.

But downgrading from Windows 7 to Win XP seems one giant step for man......... Actually it's not so big... I like new aero look and all security improvements but I don't like new explorer though... It's full of sh!t or maybe it's lacking it? A lot of functionality is gone from win xp. I could see it in Vista already, the toolbar was gone and now they removed: Classic Start Menu, Show previews and filters, Use Windows classic folders, Display simple folder view, Remember each folders view settings, Restore previous folders windows at logon, Always search file names only... and who knows what else. Instead of adding stuff and improving them the old ones are just removed because it is "not needed". I need flexibility at work and win xp gives me all i need. Most important for me was "Remember each folders view settings" that i kept disabled! Now i can't disable it, searched everywhere already but can't find any hack for it... I'm so dissapointed... Just my 2 cents

There is an updated Downgrade Rights brief in regards to Windows 7 OEM saying: "For a limited time of 18 months after the general availability of Windows 7 or the release of a Windows 7 Service Pack, whichever is earlier, the OEM license of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate will include downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional. After that period the OEM license will enable downgrade rights to Windows Vista Business."you can find the whole document here:Microsoft Select License, Open License, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) License, and Full-Packaged Product (FPP) License Downgrade Rightshttp://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4f4b3cfd-7f4e-46cb-8117-8275f7683d3f&DisplayLang=enTake care!Gabriel Nesmerak MS Pre-Sales Engineer

Gartner analysis:http://www.gartner.com/technology/research/reports/windows-7-report.jsp

I am about to buy Windows 7 Pro, if I need to downgrade to say Vista Pro or XP pro, where do I procure the CD/DVD with the OS setup? Any idea?

I am about to buy Windows 7 Pro, if I need to downgrade to say Vista Pro or XP pro, where do I procure the CD/DVD with the OS setup? Any idea? Downgrade is not allowed with retail packages of Windows7 only with OEM versions which usually come preinstalled on a new computer.You say : "I am about to buy Windows 7 Pro", what are you about to buy exactly? If you buy only Win7, it means that you already have a computer and you should already have some way to reinstall the OS you're using now.You can also create an "image backup" of your hard drive to an external hard drive before installing Win7 and if you need to "downgrade" after trying Win7, you just restore the image backup and your system is back like it was before Win7.HTH