Downgrade rights

[kennethi]

My HP EliteDesk 705 G1 comes with Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit) with downgrade rights to Windows 7 Pro. Which type of Windows 7 Pro ISO/media will I need to use  - the retail or volume version?

Thanks in advance.

[mdklassen]

I am curious as to why you want to downgrade.

Microsoft will terminate all support for Windows 7 in January 2020 -- less than 2 years away.

At that time, you will need to backup your personal files, inventory your installed applications, reinstall Windows 8, reload your personal files, and reinstall your applications. That is setting yourself up for a lot of work.

In addition, I am finding main-stream web-sites that state that they are not compatible with Internet Explorer 11 running under Windows 7. Their web-developers are jumping the gun, I think.

Some people on this forum claim that your Windows product-key can be used to install Windows 10, at no additional cost.

Free download: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

to "upgrade" your system.

[kennethi]

I'm interested in downgrading to Windows 7 for testing purposes, and I'm interested in finding out which type of Win 7 Pro disc I'll need to procure (Retail or Volume).

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @kennethi

You will have to contact HP to order a set of W7 recovery disks for your PC that will work without a W7 Pro product key.

If you use a non-HP W7 installation disk, then you will need to supply a W7 Pro product key, which HP will not give you.

W7 downgrades are done at the factory, so there is no W7 product key supplied with the PC.

[kennethi]

Thanks @Paul_Tikkanen, I did contact HP Support, the agent stated that there were no Windows 7 recovery discs available for my model - only Windows 8 discs.

Whatever that case might be, I followed these instructions, so I was able to retrieve the key: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebooks-Archive-Read-Only/Downgrade-rights/m-p/3112929/highlight/tru... .

Now I'm just wondering which disc version I need: Retail or Volume.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome.

I don't understand what key you you retrieved from your PC.

If you retrieved the W8.1 Pro product key from the PC, that won't work on W7.

If you already have W7 on the PC and want to reinstall it, and retrieved the preactivated W7 Volume License Key (VLK) from the HP W7 factory installation, that won't work either, unless you used that Windows Activation Backup and Restore utility referenced in the link you posted.

I think you can use either media to reinstall W7.

I have used W7 Pro OEM keys on a retail W7 Pro ISO file and they worked with no problem.

I don't even know where you can get a W7 pro volume license disk.

[mdklassen]

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@Paul_Tikkanen@  wrote:

I don't even know where you can get a W7 pro volume license disk.

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See: https://www.microsoft.com/Licensing/servicecenter/

for the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center, once you have purchased a volume license.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Yes, but that would cost a person a small fortune to buy the volume license based on the number of licences desired, and I believe there is a minimum amount of 250 licenses.

Te OP wants to (re)install W7 for free due to the downgrade rights entitlement, so buying any license just to get the installation media would defeat the purpose, would it not?

[kennethi]

Thanks @Paul_Tikkanen, I will try the Retail version.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Please post back and let us know if you were able to get W7 Pro to work using the key you retrieved.