An understanding of both your Microsoft Windows downgrade rights and downgrading from Windows 8, 8.1 and 10
Summary: This article provides information about Microsoft's position on Downgrade rights for valid Microsoft Operating systems.
This article applies to
This article does not apply to
Instructions
Table of Contents:
What are Downgrade Rights?
Downgrade Rights are where end users who have acquired the Latest Version of some kind of software. However, they can use an earlier version of that same software, until they are ready to migrate to the later version of the Software or Technology.
In most new versions of Windows Operating Systems, there is no option to Rollback to an earlier version. So knowing your rights in these matters can be of use.
Note: After downgrading, you can reinstall Windows 8, 8.1, or 10 at any time.
Understanding your Microsoft Windows Downgrade Rights
Understanding downgrade rights
Note: The information about this page is intended for computer builders and their customers. If you are a customer of a direct Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), contact your OEM for more information about downgrade rights. If you are a direct OEM, contact your Microsoft Account Manager.
Downgrade rights are an end user right that Microsoft offers to customers for certain OEM products which meet the technical requirements for a Windows software downgrade. Downgrade rights are documented in the Microsoft Software License Terms that customers accept upon first running Windows and Windows Server software. Have you acquired a later version of the software? (Such as Windows 10 Pro/) If so, you can use an earlier version of the software. (Such as Windows 8.1 Pro.) Until such time as they are ready to migrate to a later version.
If a product includes downgrade rights, the license terms for that product indicate which earlier versions of the software may be used.
Downgrade rights for Windows software
The following OEM versions of Windows software are eligible for downgrade rights.
| Windows 10 | Windows 8.1 | Windows 7 |
|---|---|---|
Windows 10 Pro Includes downgrade rights to:
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Windows 8.1 Pro includes downgrade rights to:
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Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate include downgrade rights to:
|
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Note: Other OEM Windows 7 versions (For example: Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows 7 Home Premium) do not include downgrade rights.
|
Steps for an end user to downgrade Windows software
To downgrade Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 software, you must:
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Purchase a computer installed with Windows software.
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Accept the Microsoft Software License Terms.
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Perform the downgrade process to the eligible downgrade product using the media or key from a genuine, previously licensed OEM or retail product.
The downgrade process
Follow these steps to downgrade to an earlier version of Windows software:
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Use genuine Windows media and a corresponding product key for the version of Windows that is eligible for downgrade. The media or key should come from a previously licensed product from the OEM or retail channel.
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If you are licensed separately through Microsoft Volume Licensing (VL), you may provide your VL media and key to a computer builder to facilitate the downgrade on your own computers.
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Insert the downgrade-eligible version of Windows media and follow the installation instructions.
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Enter the product key (If using Non-OEM Media.).
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If the software was previously activated, it cannot be activated online. In this case, the appropriate local Activation Support phone number is displayed. Call the number and explain the circumstances. When it is determined that you have an eligible Windows license, the customer service representative provides a single-use activation code to activate the software. Microsoft does not provide a full product key in this scenario.
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Activate the software.
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For scenarios involving large volume downgrades, it is recommended that you consider VL which provides the benefits of reimaging rights and volume activation, which can make the process of downgrading easier.
Authorizing a third party to exercise downgrade rights on your behalf
Because downgrade rights apply to end users, they are not designed for third-party facilitation, which has many complications. Also, such facilitation is not applicable to carry out on a large scale.
Note: Are you looking for more information about Microsoft Downgrade Rights? Are you interested in other Operating Systems? Then you want to go to Microsoft's Licensing Briefs
page on their website and look for the Downgrade rights Link.
page on their website and look for the Downgrade rights Link.
Downgrade Guides
Note: Best Practice: Before using any of the following sections you should back up your data software, and keep a note of your software serial numbers regularly. Especially before you do any work on your systems Operating System. If at any point something fails and a clean install is required, you lose anything you have not backed up.
Going from Windows 10 to Windows 8.1
Did You Upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1 and want to go back to Windows 8.1?
You can rollback to your older version of Windows if you have not deleted the temporary files the upgrade to Windows 10 created on your computer.
Go to the Main Settings menu in Windows 10:
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Choose Recovery from the main menu
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Click the option Go Back to Windows 8.1
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You can follow the on-screen instructions from this point
Note: This is only available for the first month after upgrading and is only compatible with Windows 8.1.
This option does not work if you deleted the temporary files created during the upgrade or it is longer than a month since the upgrade. Instead follow the guide below for downgrading from a computer purchased with Windows 10.
Did you purchase a computer with Windows 10 and want to use Windows 8.1 instead?
You have to replace Windows 10 with a fresh installation of Windows 8.1 using original installation media.
Note: The Windows 8.1 Installation media requires a genuine 25-digit serial code. (This is what Microsoft calls your Product Key.)
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Boot from your installation media (DVD or USB.).
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Once you have selected your Language, Location, and Keyboard Locality, click Install Now.
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You must select the option Custom from the two on the screen.
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Format and install on your selected partition.
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Once the installation has completed, click Finish.
You must configure your computer by installing your backups and software and ensuring the correct drivers are installed.
Going from Windows 8.1 to Windows 8
Did You Upgrade to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8 and want to go back to Windows 8?
You cannot use your Windows 8 system image on Windows 8.1. This is because it is essentially a different operating system, once it has been upgraded.
So this is not a downgrade at all, but rather a long system restore.
First, you have to replace Windows 8.1 with a fresh installation of Windows 8. Use your original installation media or the ones that you were asked to create prior to upgrading.
Once you are back in Windows 8, either use your Windows 8 recovery disk or restart to the recovery options from the Power menu.
Hold down the left SHIFT key and select Restart to select the recovery environment.
Within the recovery environment, go to Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, and finally System Image Recovery.
You must choose your target operating system; select Windows 8.
You were prompted to create a system recovery image and ensure that the drive containing that image is connected before the upgrade is started. Select the image that you want to restore, go to the Next window to click Finish, and then confirm that you want to continue.
Windows should now re-image your computer. This may take some time.
Did you purchase a computer with Windows 8.1 and want to use Windows 8 instead?
Microsoft does not support going from Windows 8.1 to Windows 8. Windows 8.1 is seen as an update or upgrade to Windows 8, rather than a new Operating System.
They do support going to Windows 7 or Windows Vista following the downgrade process in the section above.
If you have a legal copy of Windows 8 Installation media and Key, then you can perform a clean install on the computer instead. However, if you have updates turned on, you are asked to update to Windows 8.1 at some point.
Note: Microsoft does not support downgrade rights from an upgrade copy of Windows 8.1 media.
Going from Windows 8 to Windows 7
Note: Before you attempt a Downgrade installation, there are a couple of things you should check and do first.
- Ensure that your computer supports Windows 7. Check the Dell Support Site for Windows 7 drivers for your computer.
- Create a recovery drive that contains a copy of your new computer’s recovery partition. This allows you to restore the original Windows 8 operating system if you wipe the recovery partition.
How to Downgrade Windows 8 Pro to Windows 7 Professional
The first step is to enter your computer’s Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) settings screen in the BIOS. Enable the Legacy boot option, not the UEFI boot option. Tap rapidly at the F2 key as your computer boots to enter the BIOS.
You need a Windows 7 Professional installation disc and a valid license key for it.
Insert the media into your computer and restart into the Windows 7 installer. Tap rapidly on F12 as your device boots and select the correct media option from the on-screen menu to boot to the installer.
The online activation fails because your product key is already in use after installing Windows 7 finishes. If you do not see an activation failed message, you can press Start, type Activate, and click Activate Windows. You must activate by phone. Call up the phone number displayed in the activation window and explain that you are exercising your Windows 8 Pro downgrade rights. Have your Windows 8 Pro key ready; you must prove that your computer has downgrade rights.
You are given a single-use activation code. Enter that activation code into the window and your Windows 7 Professional installation is activated.
To downgrade multiple computers, you can use the same installation disc and Windows 7 product key. However, you must call up Microsoft each time to receive an activation key.