Where do I find the Windows XP key for a downgraded Windows Vista?
Posted
Thursday, February 21, 2008 1:03 AM
by
sdeming
Q: (from Josie)
I'm looking for direction on where to go to obtain downgrade keys for clients who acquire Vista Business but need XP Professional for the corporate environment. The downgrade licensing line instructs us to use an "existing keys" but that's not possible for new employees. By extension, there are situations where the manufacturers provide the key via an encrypted downgrade CD, but that's not useful either in cases of the corporate environments where imaging technology is required.
A:
My initial response - Windows Vista is a much better choice, please try to convince your customer to stay. Yes, I know that's not always an option, so...
You can contact the activation number and they can provide the Windows XP key for retail and OEM versions. If it’s a volume license version, the Microsoft Volume License Site (MVLS) would be the resource.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/f/4/5f4c83d3-833e-4f11-8cbd-699b0c164182/royaltyoemreferencesheet.pdf
The customer will need to have access to a copy of the media. Remember to get an activation key that matches the media: OEM, volume license, or full package product. DO NOT USE YOUR ACTIONPACK MEDIA! Those disks use a different activation number sequence (don't ask, I found out the hard way)