Thinkpads Forum

I have a in warranty t61 with vista business on it. I don't have any problems with vista on it, but some of my programs at work opperate far better on XP. I was thinking of doing a dual boot system with vista and xp. If I am not mistaken, I am elibible for the downgrade recovery CD's from Lenove. Will they charge me for them, and if they do how much are they? Also what # would I call?

Thanks,
Shawn

shawn w wrote:I have a in warranty t61 with vista business on it. I don't have any problems with vista on it, but some of my programs at work opperate far better on XP. I was thinking of doing a dual boot system with vista and xp. If I am not mistaken, I am elibible for the downgrade recovery CD's from Lenove. Will they charge me for them, and if they do how much are they? Also what # would I call?

Under "Operating Systems" the current choices are:

Genuine Windows Vista Business
Genuine Windows Vista Business 64
Genuine Windows Vista Business with Windows XP Professional Downgrade**
Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate [Lenovo recommended]
Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate with Windows XP Professional Downgrade**

When ordering your computer, if you chose one of the two choices that include XP downgrade then you would have received the discs for Vista and the computer would have been pre-loaded with XP Pro. If you did not, then your license is only good for Vista.

As far as obtaining a set of discs, call (800) 426-7378 with your machine type and serial number ready (find these on the label on the bottom of your ThinkPad) and they will advise you of your options.

Welcome to the forum, Shawn!

I suggest you see this official Lenovo page: Downgrading from Windows Vista to Windows XP amongst other things saying:

Have a Microsoft Windows Vista Business or Microsoft Windows Ultimate system, but need to continue using Microsoft Windows XP for a while? For a limited time Lenovo is providing Windows XP Recovery CD media as a way to downgrade from Windows Vista. Lenovo customers that have Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate "qualified systems" may purchase a Windows XP Recovery CD until July 31, 2009. Fees may vary. Please contact your local Support Center for additional details.

This offer is also discussed in the thread IBM Refuses to Send "Free" XP Downgrade Disks.

Johan

No, I don't have the factory disk that came with the computer. I bought it when it was about 4 months old. It is still under warranty and came from lenovo with vista business and has a vista business coa on the bottom.

thanks,
Shawn

archer6 wrote: When ordering your computer, if you chose one of the two choices that include XP downgrade then you would have received the discs for Vista and the computer would have been pre-loaded with XP Pro. If you did not, then your license is only good for Vista.

According to Microsoft Downgrade rights, you can have only ONE operating system. So you can use Vista or XP, not both.

Use of the downgraded operating system is governed by the Windows Vista Business License Terms, and the end user cannot use both the downgrade operating system and Windows Vista Business.

tporter wrote:According to Microsoft Downgrade rights, you can have only ONE operating system. So you can use Vista or XP, not both.

Correct, you can only _run_ one_ operating system at a time. The strategic alliance between Microsoft and the OEM vendors who offer the XP downgrade program on select computers, allow the vendors to ship two operating systems with each new computer. One pre-loaded on the computer which, in Lenovo's case is XP Pro and the second OS Vista, included on disk in the package containing the computer. During the configuration stage of the order I placed for a ThinkPad W500, I selected "Genuine Windows Vista Business with Windows XP Professional Downgrade". When I received the computer this week XP Pro was pre-loaded on the system and the box contained Vista Business on disk. Included was the license explaining the downgrade policy.

Cheers...

On a T61 with Vista Business, you should have received XP recovery CDs in the box with the computer. You can create Vista recovery CDs from the computer (it should have come pre-loaded with Vista). This way you can run either Vista or XP but you won'r be able to set up a dual boot system with these recovery CDs. If you didn't receive the recovery CDs, you can call Lenovo (you are entitled to them) but they may charge you about $40 for them now.

you can get new complete XP home OEM license (COA) & full CD (much better than recovery disc) cheap on ebay or for only $89 here - (or XP Pro for $139)

This is a full version, not an upgrade or downgrade, so not dependent on what you had before, and you won't have any preloaded crap after doing a clean install - and the new speed of your thinkpad will blow you away!

highly recommended!

Everyone has heard and experienced some different things with the policies. Here's what I know and understand:

1) If you bought a machine with a Vista Business/Ultimate license, you have a license to run XP Pro. This is an agreement with Microsoft, which to the best of my knowledge has not expired. Doesn't matter whether you have the CDs or not, the license is yours. The Vista Business/Ultimate COA sticker is the proof.

2) The exact way you configured the system during ordering (with downgrade or without it), may effect what comes preloaded on the machine, and whether you get any recovery disks in the package or not, but does not affect the license. You can have Vista or XP installed, legally.

3) You can contact Lenovo or any of their service providers, and ask for the downgrade disks. Now here is the part of "fees may vary". They can charge you whatever they want, and the charge is only for the distribution, not the license.

I know that in the past IBM Israel (who service Lenovo's systems here) have offered downgrade CDs and recovery CDs for free. I got them twice for two different systems. Starting from January 2009 their policies have changed and they now ask for something around $30 + tax. I assume such changes in policies may also have happened in other parts of the world. There is no sense arguing with them, since there exists no official statement from Lenovo claiming that the CDs will be offered for free.