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VIRTUALISATION Microsoft outlines Windows 7 downgrade options
VIRTUALISATION Microsoft outlines Windows 7 downgrade options | Microsoft outlines Windows 7 downgrade options |
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| by Jake Widman | |
| Saturday, 20 June 2009 | |
  
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But some customers who want a new computer may not be ready to run Windows 7, such as large companies who need to validate or upgrade legacy or custom applications. According to reports from Redmond Channel Partner, customers who purchase PCs with the Professional or Ultimate editions of Windows 7 will be able to downgrade to Windows XP Professional or Vista until April 22, 2011, or the release of a Windows 7 service pack, whichever is sooner. After the 18 months, users will only be able to downgrade to Vista. Customers who buy Windows 7 by itself through Microsoft's Windows Volume Licensing program can pay extra for Software Assurance and have full flexibility to downgrade their systems as desired. Microsoft earlier announced the availability of Windows 7's XP Mode, an optional virtual XP environment within Windows 7. XP Mode is intended to let smaller businesses continue to use their accounting, inventory, and other applications during the transition The company cautioned, however, that virtual XP would not be suitable for consumers, whose multimedia demands won't work well under virtualization, or for large companies, who are encouraged to use the company's MED-V virtualization management tool. |
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