W10 > W8.1

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networkn

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Topic # 190646 7-Jan-2016 15:00

Hi

We are starting to see the first lot of W10 preinstalled PC's through this year!

Customers don't want W10, how do we use the downgrade rights with W10Pro to get to W8.1 Pro? I know you can rollback if you "upgraded" but this doesn't work if W10 was preinstalled.

It used to be you installed W8.1 with ANY key and then rang MS to get an activation but given the PC's don't come with 8.1 Media or a W8.1 key in the BIOS, I am unclear how we would do this.

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Dynamic

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Reply # 1465210 7-Jan-2016 15:05

https://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=PYzinFv04UE

Basically, the end-user can use any other Windows media and key they have for an equivalent Windows 8 Pro or Windows 7 Pro available and install onto the Win10 machine, activating via the call centre. You would have to FIND a Win 8 key somewhere if you really wanted Win8. You might even have to buy a Win8 OEM pack from Synnex or Ingram to get a key that you can then use on multiple machines.

Pro only, not home, as you probably remember from previous versions.

You may be able to order a media kit from your PC vendor (HP/Lenovo/Dell) to get a 'factory installation' with drivers preloaded.

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networkn

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Reply # 1465219 7-Jan-2016 15:21

Dynamic: https://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=PYzinFv04UE

Basically, the end-user can use any other Windows media and key they have for an equivalent Windows 8 Pro or Windows 7 Pro available and install onto the Win10 machine, activating via the call centre. You would have to FIND a Win 8 key somewhere if you really wanted Win8. You might even have to buy a Win8 OEM pack from Synnex or Ingram to get a key that you can then use on multiple machines.

Pro only, not home, as you probably remember from previous versions.

You may be able to order a media kit from your PC vendor (HP/Lenovo/Dell) to get a 'factory installation' with drivers preloaded.

Yah, unfortunately the W8.1 Pro keys we have tried with the HP 8.1 Pro Image doesn't seem to work.

"This key is being used on another computer, please enter another key".

yitz

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Reply # 1465246 7-Jan-2016 16:04

With the OEM supplied DVDs you usually boot from them rather run setup.exe from within Windows.

networkn

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Reply # 1465448 7-Jan-2016 21:51

Well HP have said they won't provide any W8.1 downgrades for W10 machines, which makes life difficult.

I can't seem to find a W8.1 key that works with the OEM image, says in use on another computer.

yitz

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Reply # 1465470 7-Jan-2016 22:49

Have you already installed Windows 8.1 or not?

If you have already installed Windows 8.1 and on activation get "This key is being used on another computer, please enter another key" I would have thought you would just need to use phone activation.

If you are still in the setup phase then you would install Windows 8.1 Professional using the generic key beginning XHQ8N-*****

1101

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Reply # 1470159 13-Jan-2016 16:45

networkn:

I can't seem to find a W8.1 key that works with the OEM image, says in use on another computer.

OEM image ???
2 questions

1) where/how did you get the 8.1 key
2) exactly how are you installing 8.1, what exactly what DVD/usb or are you trying to image somehow ? A genuine install DVD or something found
on the interweb, or something cloned off another PC ?

- you MUST match the install key to the install medium. OEM keys need OEM install DVD, upgrade key needs ug DVD etc
pro key needs pro DVD
- make sure the key is 8.1 & not 8 thats been upgraded
- Manufacturers install keys (extracted from a Brand name Win install) cannot be used on generic/oem DVD/ISO's .
-Im not sure how you will get on if you use a bios embedded key either .
You really need a install key taken from a COA sticker : good luck finding one of those :-)

Moral of the story: Win7 Pro PC's are still available :-)

edit : Opps, looking at the username , you'll know most if this anyway :-)

ajobbins

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Reply # 1470194 13-Jan-2016 17:19

3 people support this post

Why would you want 8.1 instead of 10? 8/8.1 was a "Windows Vista" release, 10 is far from perfect - but miles better

Twitter: ajobbins

alexx

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Reply # 1470201 13-Jan-2016 17:51

One person supports this post

ajobbins: Why would you want 8.1 instead of 10? 8/8.1 was a "Windows Vista" release, 10 is far from perfect - but miles better

I don't know if he does, but his customers do.

Customers don't want W10

Often it comes down to applications that are not supported or tested on newer releases and no one wants to upgrade (and/or they don't have the money in their budget) and companies want to standardise on one desktop OS version and one application version.

#include <standard.disclaimer>

networkn

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Reply # 1470216 13-Jan-2016 18:25

ajobbins: Why would you want 8.1 instead of 10? 8/8.1 was a "Windows Vista" release, 10 is far from perfect - but miles better

Well as someone who has just reinstalled W10 for the third time to get it stable, I couldn't really agree less. It's UI is an improvement over 8.1 but in my experience (I support Windows for a living) so far, I'd say stability is far far from great.

Regardless this isn't a thread where I ask for peoples opinions of whether I should downgrade, there are legitimate reasons for needing to do so (Customers software isn't supported on W10).

gbwelly

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Reply # 1470219 13-Jan-2016 18:30

ajobbins: Why would you want 8.1 instead of 10? 8/8.1 was a "Windows Vista" release, 10 is far from perfect - but miles better

I would say that 8.1 was to 8.0 what Win 7 was to Vista.
I persist with Win 10 as it's 'not bad' but its actually not the ducks nuts after using it for a few months.

lNomNoml

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Reply # 1470220 13-Jan-2016 18:31

ajobbins: Why would you want 8.1 instead of 10? 8/8.1 was a "Windows Vista" release, 10 is far from perfect - but miles better

Yeah I don't understand it either, we also will not install Windows 8/8.1 over Windows 10.

networkn

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Reply # 1470221 13-Jan-2016 18:32

gbwelly:
ajobbins: Why would you want 8.1 instead of 10? 8/8.1 was a "Windows Vista" release, 10 is far from perfect - but miles better

I would say that 8.1 was to 8.0 what Win 7 was to Vista.
I persist with Win 10 as it's 'not bad' but its actually not the ducks nuts after using it for a few months.

I agree with you. 8.1 with all it's updates is for me pretty much better than W7 except for a few relatively annoying UI issues and design choices.

networkn

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Reply # 1470225 13-Jan-2016 18:36

Example. I JUST NOW reinstalled my machine FRESH. All it has are HP Supplied drivers (It's a HP Business Machine). It's been joined to the domain and the search isn't working. It won't show any applications like Microsoft Word.

lNomNoml

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Reply # 1470245 13-Jan-2016 18:48

networkn: Example. I JUST NOW reinstalled my machine FRESH. All it has are HP Supplied drivers (It's a HP Business Machine). It's been joined to the domain and the search isn't working. It won't show any applications like Microsoft Word.

Might also be giving you problems because it's HP. :)

AHitman

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Reply # 1471241 14-Jan-2016 18:55

networkn: Example. I JUST NOW reinstalled my machine FRESH. All it has are HP Supplied drivers (It's a HP Business Machine). It's been joined to the domain and the search isn't working. It won't show any applications like Microsoft Word.

Probably a rogue policy or app, we installed W10 across about 80 machines at one site and 2 had broken search, turned out to be dropbox..