Question : Vista Business Downgrade

  This was strange ... I am a reseller. OEM if you will. I had my first occassion today to downgrade a copy of Vista Business OEM to XP Professional OEM. Very unpleasant. My understanding was that you simple install a OEM version of XP Professional (yes previously activated) and when it fails activation you call the Microsoft activation desk and they do the magic.

   Well it took me two hours and several phone calls trying to explain what I was try to do. Finally one of the reps confirmed the above procedure as being correct. She took the installation ID, read me back the activation code and it was a done deal.

   Here is the part I don't understand. What she did had nothing to do with the copy of Vista Business OEM I was holding in my hand at the time. Nothing what so ever. It was the exact same procedure as if you formatted your hard drive and reloaded XP from ground zero. I told her it was a previously activated OEM copy of XP and she didn't care. She just reactivated it.

   So here are the questions. 1) Microsoft is suppose to discontinue XP in June. Are the also going to discontinue the Vista downgrade option? 2) Has anyone else had the pleasure of downgrading a copy of Vista Business and was it the same procedure??

   Seems very strange to me that they just took my word that I purchased a copy of Vista Business and it seemed even stranger that all they did is re-activate a previously activated copy of XP. This one OEM copy of XP I have is going to wind up being re-activated as a Vista downgrade a hundred million times. I guess if it had Microsoft's blessing then fine but the whole thing seems a little fishy ...  

Answer : Vista Business Downgrade

The OEM license you will stick on the PC cover licensing for an XP system install.  Since you can not use the Vista key to install XP, what use does enabling the VISTA key be for a person running XP?  My guess is that you identified yourself and they have access to see that you are indeed an authorized OEM reseller.  Be thankful you did not have to jump through more hoops to get this system activated.