Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7 Pro using MSDN Academic Alliance .ISO file

P.S. to upgrade my software to a newer version is NOT an option.

If you 17R has UEFI bios, I would copy your Windows 7 ISO to a pen drive and install from there. Several articles are on the web as to how to do that, such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDm8rWr3dV8 In your bios you will need to turn secure boot off (not supported in W7) and leave UEFI on.  If you still have the original W7 key, give it a try as it may work, otherwise you will need to buy one. Windows 7 can be run 90 days without a key, unlike 8 which will not install without one.

smithduluth, thanks for the suggestion, but I need to hear first what professionals will say. I have to be certain that my Windows 7 will be genuine after the installation

If memory serves correct you should have got the option to download both the 32 bit and 64 bit .iso and got issued a different product key for each version via the MSDN program. As the product keys are exchangable between the 32 and 64 bit versions they will both work on the 64 bit version; I guess its too late for you to access the program now if you haven't obtained both the 32 bit and 64 bit product key.

The key can be transferred from the old system (run Belarc Advisor if you don't have the key saved anywhere) to the new one and will likely activate again if used in a clean install but you will need to reinstall Vista on your old machine.

http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-65805/X15-65805.iso - 64 bit

http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-65804/X15-65804.iso - 32 bit

However the MSDN Academic license should not be used for commercial use therefore strictly speaking you should request a Windows 7 Professional license from your organisation for use on your own machine if you are using it for commercial purposes.

See my wiki Windows Reinstallation Guide for more details with regards to installation: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/3524/t/19480753.aspx This will take you through both Vista and 7.

What a nightmare... I started Win 7 installation from a DVD, in a non-UEFI mode, and the installer refused to install Windows on one of my two 1TB drives, both being General Partition Table drives. It said: "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style".

But I deleted my C: partition with Windows 8 on it and all the small recovery/etc. ones thinking that might help...

Then I spent 6 hours trying to find the answer on the Web. It appeared that I had to run the DVD in UEFI mode, then Windows 7 would be able to install itself on GPT drive/partition. When I tried to load it that way, Setup process simply hang up at "Starting Windows" screen. Tried this multiple times, and even waited once for 10-15 minutes hoping it will "unfreeze". I also tried to load this same Windows installation from USB using this method suggested by smithduluth, but it didn't work in my case, even when i properly prepared my USB drive (by copying bootx64.efi (ex- bootmgfw.efi) to USB-drive's root directory in addition to efi/boot directory), installation DID start but hang at the "Starting Windows" screen again as in the case of DVD...

So I thought that last thing might help. Converting my first HDD into an MBR somehow so that Windows 7 installer no more complains about "GPT partition style" when I load it in non-UEFI mode. I got a 3rd party program, made a bootable DVD, loaded from it in a usual mode and converted Drive 0 into MBR in a few seconds. Then I loaded Windows 7 setup in a usual non-UEFI mode and then it installed without any problems. Now I have a fresh Windows 7 Pro system without a s/n, I skipped that step during the installation, hoping that someone explains to me

how to get a new serial number under that Windows 8 downgrade rights scheme ...

Anyway, the old laptop with MSDN AA Windows 7 Pro x64 installed on it is being used solely for educational purposes. But current one, I guess, a have a right to use professionally since it had legitimate Windows 8 installed on it.

You mentioned that you are trying to install Windows in non-UEFI mode, but both your disks are GPT? Non-UEFI mode means it's "BIOS mode". BIOS mode doesn't support booting off of a GPT disk.

You'll need to have either an MBR (boot) disk, or install Windows 7 in UEFI mode.

how to get a new serial number under that Windows 8 downgrade rights scheme ... Anyway, the old laptop with MSDN AA Windows 7 Pro x64 installed on it is being used solely for educational purposes. But current one, I guess, a have a right to use professionally since it had legitimate Windows 8 installed on it.

You only got downgrade rights for Windows 7 Professional if you purchased the system with a Windows 8 Professional. If you only have Windows 8 i.e. not Professional you aren't eligible for downgrade rights.

If you have a Windows 8 Professional license, contact Dell Technical Support and request a Windows 7 Professional 64 bit with Service Pack 1 Reinstallation DVD, use of this DVD via the Dell BIOS will input the Dell SLP key and automatically activate. The technical support phone number for Ireland is +44 (0) 870 908 0800. http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/adapter_recall/regional_support?c=us&l=en&s=gen

I made a poll to improve this process here as it could be made a bit easier for customers: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/4677/t/19476992.aspx

There is a Dell Support Document here with some notes on downgrading:http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?docid=590895

Also since you have Windows 7 Professional installed already it might be a good shout to contact a Microsoft Activation Centre here is the Ireland Toll number (353) (1) 447 5390. The automated toll-free one won't do in this case. Explain to the support agent that you need a product key and are trying to execute your downgrade rights, they might be able to help you and provide you with a product key.

This is a joke.

I called (353) (1) 447 5390 but the "robot" didn't give the option to speak to a representative. So I searched Microsoft website and found 1850 940 940 number here http://www.microsoft.com/ireland/contact/  Called them but after all the attempts to explain the situation that representative redirected me to MSDN support and gave some number which doesn't work. 

Also I don't see the logic here,  why should I contact MSDN at all

Is there a way to get a Windows 8 Pro upgrade while I already have Windows 7 on my laptop, and then request Windows 7 DVD from DELL?

Why the hell they do this?? Why do I hear of people that happily bought the same 17R SE with WIndows 7 on it, but I didn't have that choice?! How did they get it??

I have no option as to work on unactivated Windows 7 until I find a solution :(

The problem is even worse since I'm not a native English speaker... 

Upgrading from Windows 8 OEM to Windows 8 Professional Retail does not give downgrade rights to Windows 7. Only WIndows 8 Professional OEM has the downgrade rights to Windows 7 Professional. Its a technicality in Microsoft's licensing (an annoying one at that). You will need to purchase a new product key unfortunately.

Today I received my Win 7 Pro x64 SP1 OEM copy. I didn't have to actually install it, just entered the serial number and successfully activated :-) Happy now, although I had to pay extra 140 euros for it. This proves that installing MSDN AA Win 7 Pro without entering product key before you buy a license is perfectly acceptable and normal. Now I'm just a bit mad on DELL since I had to do all this and couldn't have Win 7 on my laptop in the very beginning without paying any extra money.

Glad you are up and running. Microsoft licensing with respect to downgrade rights is a pain and Dell have to enforce it. Its a shame they don't offer more systems with Windows 8 Professional so users may exhibit downgrade rights. 

If you could have gotten your 17R with Windows 7, it would have come with the cheaper oem "Home Premium" edition installed, not the Pro version that you purchased. Only some of Dell's "business class" computers come with Windows Pro installed or as an option. In order to get a laptop for my son who specifically did not want Windows 8, I had to buy a business laptop (better constructed also).

No, Windows 8 was the only option when I was ordering my laptop online.