I want to downgrade to WINDOWS 7 PRO, please.

At the moment it seems users have downgrade rights with no means of downgrading...

I have made this poll and IdeaStorm idesa to bring it to Dells attention that we aren't happy about this. The more votes the more likely Dell will rectify this so please add yours to my poll and IdeaStorm idea here: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/4677/t/19476992.aspx

Hi DellCustomerAT, 

Since the system came preinstalled with Windows 8, there is no option to downgrade to Windows 7 free of cost. However you may install it by purchasing the retail version of Windows 7.

Then why does it say on the link I posted in my first post that I can downgrade at no additional cost if I purchased a compter preinstalled with Windows 8? x)

The thing is Microsoft aren't charging you for downgrade rights but Dell are charging you for the media, and/or making it impossible to get...

Hi DellCustomerAT,

My apologies for the incorrect information provided to you that there will be a charge for downgrade to Windows 7. As you have rightly informed there is an option to down grade from Windows 8 pro to Windows 7 professional.

Please private message the system service tag to assist you further. I have added you as a friend. Please accept my friend request by clicking on my name highlighted in blue and then click on “Friends” tab at the top and then click on “Request to Review” and finally click on “Accept” button.

I am sending you a private message as well. Click on “Inbox” to respond to the message and provide system’s Service Tag and contact details so I may access your system records and check for further course of action. You could also click on Start Conversation to send a private message.

I was informed on Nov 24 by Supervisor Raul that it is not possible to downgrade to Win 7 Pro unless I wish to pay Dell $100. I was also informed by this supervisor that I could not request BOTH a Win 8 Pro Reinstallation disk AND a Win 7 Pro installation disk for downgrading. He said I could have only ONE disk not both even if I pay Dell for the Win 7 disk.

He stated that if I do downgrade to Win 7 Pro that I will have to REMAIN WITH Win 7 Pro forever. He stated that Dell is not granting upgrade rights back to Win 8 Pro after exercising downgrade rights.

I challenged his statements and he finally said he would need two hours to confer with his Windows team and Dell officials and would then call me back. He did NOT call back nor did he send me an email.

This machine (XPS 8500 higher end one) is 9 days old. I will be returning it to Dell next week. I like the machine very much but I do not trust Dell to grant me my downgrade rights.

If you can get the disks to me before the end of next week, I will keep this machine. Otherwise, I will ship it back at the end of next week to Dell.  21 days is too short a time...every other division but home gets 30 days in which to return a new machine. 

One thing you could do is request the WIndows 7 Reinstallation DVD and make the Dell DataSafe recovery USB to go back to Windows 8. However I don't feel you should have to pay $100 for it and/or settle for the awful factory settings.

Although I shouldn't recommend this and this is the most awkward solution possible. You can attempt to be as awkward to Dell as they are to you and request Windows 7 Installation Media then send back the system, purchase it again and request Windows 8 Professional media. Don't know how much you will be charged for this though.

I have sent a private message to Dell-Lorna in customer care as you are totally being messed about so hopefully she should get back to you tomorrow. I am also asking some other Dell contacts about this. I am trying to join the MVP program to get some advice from Microsoft on this issue.

Hi Sujatha,

I have ordered a Dell Laptop few days back. I have ordered windows 8 but my IT people are saying some of the applications are not supported on Windows 8.

Now I would like to downgrade to Windows 7 and I have called the technical help and they have sent me a DVD and said it is very simple to install but I am facing lot of problems while installing. If you send me the step by step instructions to install that will be quite helpful. My service tag is B22KCV1. Please help me. 

Thanks,

Srini

Windows 7 manual install..

support.dell.com/.../document

Yes, Lorna got in contact with me. She sent me two USB Keys. One is for Win 8 Pro and one for Win 7 Pro. 

I asked for reinstallation disks and got these Keys instead which is ok if I could do a clean install from them. The paper inserts say they are for recovery and restore for support purposes.  When I examined the contents of the keys from the Win 8 machine, I could find NO "setup.exe" on either key.

So, I tried booting to these keys to see if I would see "setup.exe" then.  The Win 7 Pro key says it is to be used only on a machine already running Win 7...that doesn't sound like a reinstallation key but like a restore to factory default key.  Lorna said Dell has no DVD reinstallation disks for Win 7 or Win 8...only these USB keys.  Anyhow, the paper insert with the Win 7 USB key said to tap F12 key when I saw the Dell logo on reboot. I did that and Startup menu appeared but there was NO USB storage to select.

I also tried booting to the Win 8 Pro USB key and I could not even get to Startup menu when I pressed F12 key at the Dell logo.

Tonight, I switched back to my XP Pro XPS 600 machine (only have one monitor at present so not easy to switch back and forth) and examined the files on the two keys. I found "setup.exe" on the Win 8 Pro key. Why can't I see that when looking at the files when on Win 8 machine? Why can't I get to the Startup menu on Win 8 machine with the Win 8 USB Key inserted?

On the XP machine, when I inserted the Win 7 USB key and examined the files on it, I saw NO "setup.exe". So, how do I use it to install Win 7 Pro on the Win 8 machine if I want to downgrade?

Lorna sent me back to you to get help with this.

There are COA keys on the stickers on the USB Keys.  I know about Win 8 and the individual key Dell has to put in each computer's bios and can no longer use their key for all computers they install Win 8 on at factory so why is there a COA and key on the USB Win 8 key)?

Lorna is very nice and sincere but I am so confused and frustrated. Others in this forum have said they have been sent a Win 7 Reinstallation DVD disk recently so why did Lorna say Dell no longer sends DVD disks...just these USB keys that I can't get to work?

I have also talked with Dell Sm/Med business customer service and various supervisors and I get a different answer from each and different answers from various Dell employees replying to my posts on this issue in the Dell forums. 

Lorna praised you in an email to me when I asked why she sent USB keys that I don't know how to get to work and the Win 7 one doesn't appear to have the setup files to do a clean install when I asked for Reinstallation DVD disks. She said you could help me. So, how do I use these USB keys to clean install Win 8 Pro and/or downgrade to Win 7 Pro?  (Actually, to my surprise, Win 8 Pro installation from factory is pretty clean.  There is no antivirus program installed that i don't want and that is difficult to completely remove and even Office trial is not installed...there is just a tile that links to a Microsoft page where you can install various flavors of Office 60 day trial). 

I have had no experience with these USB keys and I don't have one but I was told they are sending them out in some cases now. I am trying to get these and DVDs sent out to me to examine the process further to update my wiki.

Although in the case for an XPS 8500 I don't know why you were sent out recovery USBs as you have a DVD drive. It makes no sense to me to send out USB keys for systems which have a DVD drive.

Dell-Travis Bailey mentioned them to me a month ago and he was going to test them. I have sent him a message to see what he can advise.

I hope Travis can help me figure out how to use them.

Belarc Advisor, which I just installed on Win 8 XPS 8500, sees the Win 8 Pro license key.

I asked for the Windows 8 reinstallation disc.

I got the disc.

I never got the product key.

So I ask for that.

They reply with a link to a survey so I can say how good they did.

@______________________@

Why does it have to be this difficult???

Your product ID should be available on the Computer Properties page.  To get to it on Win7, you click Start, then right-click computer, and select properties.  Not sure how to get it on Win8.

Microsoft has been pretty good about making the Win7 media available.

www.mydigitallife.info/windows-7-iso-x86-and-x64-official-direct-download-links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium

Downloading the media yourself, installing, and then using the "phone Microsoft to activate" option might be faster than waiting for the media from Dell.  The MS rep I spoke with helped me with the activation without issue (you'll obviously need a valid product key).

Unfortunately, Microsoft has not been so kind with the Win8 media, so we're left waiting on Dell to get around to shipping separately what should have come in the original box.  Perhaps all the support money spent on handling media complaints will make them re-think this strategy next time.

How come you guys all get the DVD disks yet Lorna told me Dell does not ship those EVER? She said ONLY USB Keys now and said if I don't like that I was invited to return the machine.  

I don't know how to use these USB keys and no one here seems to know.

Just run Belarc Advisor. It will give you your Win 8 key.