Windows 11 downgrade option new OEM PC?

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reverenic

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So I read that Windows 12 is on its wayer sooner than later. However, does anybody here know for how long it will be possible to order new PCs from OEMs with the option to downgrade the license from Windows 11 to Windows 10? I work in the IT sector and we are asked by users who are not quiete ready to make the transition when they will be forced to do so.

In my opinion they should already opt in but that does not sit well with them so I'd like to be able to answer with a an actual shut-off date should one such exist.
 
pendragon1 said:
you can just reload it to win10 and it will pull the key from the bios
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The OEMs claim that they have an additional cost of 50-100 USD to be able to provide their new SKU with downgrade ability. Therefore, with all due respect, I believe that it is an issue and fee they are presented with by Microsoft. I was just wondering when it will end support of this ability so that we can plan accordingly.
Thanks for your input though.
 
andeo1707 said:
So I read that Windows 12 is on its wayer sooner than later.
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Microsoft has made ZERO announcements about Windows 12 whatsoever. All you have are articles creating rumors out of nothing for the purposes of generating clicks for ad revenue, and other articles linking those articles to get in on the sloppy seconds.

andeo1707 said:
However, does anybody here know for how long it will be possible to order new PCs from OEMs with the option to downgrade the license from Windows 11 to Windows 10? I work in the IT sector and we are asked by users who are not quiete ready to make the transition when they will be forced to do so.

In my opinion they should already opt in but that does not sit well with them so I'd like to be able to answer with a an actual shut-off date should one such exist.
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Windows 10 is going to hit End of Life in less than two years. How much longer are these users planning to wait to be "ready"? Setting up a new computer with an operating system that has no future, and will soon no longer be receiving security updates, seems asinine IMO.

andeo1707 said:
The OEMs claim that they have an additional cost of 50-100 USD to be able to provide their new SKU with downgrade ability. Therefore, with all due respect, I believe that it is an issue and fee they are presented with by Microsoft. I was just wondering when it will end support of this ability so that we can plan accordingly.
Thanks for your input though.
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pendragon1 is 100% correct in what he said. Windows 10 and Windows 11 keys are, for all intents and purposes, identical. Just install Windows 10 and it will activate using the existing license from Windows 11, if you really want to go down that path.

It doesn't surprise me in the least that OEMs have an option for customers to pay extra money for something that they are already getting for free.
 
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GotNoRice said:
Windows 10 is going to hit End of Life in less than two years. How much longer are these users planning to wait to be "ready"? Setting up a new computer with an operating system that has no future, and will soon no longer be receiving security updates, seems asinine IMO.
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We have people on here still running windows 7...
 
reverenic said:
The OEMs claim that they have an additional cost of 50-100 USD to be able to provide their new SKU with downgrade ability. Therefore, with all due respect, I believe that it is an issue and fee they are presented with by Microsoft. I was just wondering when it will end support of this ability so that we can plan accordingly.
Thanks for your input though.
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with all due respect, if you worked in IT, you'd know how this works....
 
If you work in the IT sector you can simply contact a sales rep from any legitimate company like Connection or CDW and buy 5 Windows upgrade licenses. Buying even 5 licenses (Microsoft normally has a 5 item limit) will grant you access to the Microsoft volume licensing center on 365 admin portal. You can download any OS you want from there and because the PC is already licensed for Windows 11, you can downgrade at any time to 10 or upgrade back to 11, so it doesn't matter what OS ships on the machine. It's called reimaging rights.

However, you can't legally change the license type i.e. install Enterprise edition on a PC that came with Pro, unless you pay the upgrade fee. But it's very helpful to avoid having to use OEM media/activation. It's nice in larger businesses when you buy a bunch of desktops and you can just net boot them and reimage them without having to do it 1 at a time, even if it's the same OS because it wipes out all of the pre-installed garbage and erases the recovery partitions to regain disk space.

vegeta535 said:
We have people on here still running windows 7...
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End users should not have the choice of what OS they use. Windows 10 2021 LTSC would run quite nice on an old machine with 8GB of memory and not have most of the Windows 10 junk.
 
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reverenic said:
:) thanks for your input. I do work in IT and I do not know how this part works. Go figure.
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If you don't know how it works and you ask for help, then don't challenge the answer based on a belief. The OEM will charge you because they have alter process to get you Windows 10 vs 11. I'm curious if any OEM allows shipment of Win 10 anymore at this stage.

I agree with others, the end user does not dictate terms over OS choice. The force is, that's what you will support.
 
pendragon1 said:
and ltsc isnt for end users...
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It's not? I have it deployed on hundreds of stations and it works perfectly. Been my primary work OS for several years now.

But that's irrelevant anyways since I'm in the process of deploying new workstations and we're moving to 11. Feature updates are not as bothersome on 11 as they were in older versions of 10 so I don't mind not having an LTSC version of 11.
 
bigdogchris said:
It's not? I have it deployed on hundreds of stations and it works perfectly. Been my primary work OS for several years now.

But that's irrelevant anyways since I'm in the process of deploying new workstations and we're moving to 11. Feature updates are not as bothersome on 11 as they were in older versions of 10 so I don't mind not having an LTSC version of 11.
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its not, not really, unless youre in the medical industry or maybe a science lab...
thats good then.
 
Eulogy said:
I just don't understand the attitude, and frankly, it's not helpful at all anyway. Why be on forums if you're gonna act like that?
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lol ok. did you read the thread, i tried to be helpful and got questioned on it. if people "in IT" dont want help, dont ask....
 
Eulogy said:
I just don't understand the attitude, and frankly, it's not helpful at all anyway. Why be on forums if you're gonna act like that?
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Microsoft is a pretty major company, I'd imagine most people working as admins in IT would know their basic licensing somewhat.
 
pendragon1 said:
lol ok. did you read the thread, i tried to be helpful and got questioned on it. if people "in IT" dont want help, dont ask....
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not entirely correct but I'll leave it be. You helped but were questioned on the correctness in your statement, which you took personal and lashed out with that someone working in IT would know this.
I appreciate the help - I do - thanks, but I am allowed to question it if I have different knowledge and thus understanding.
 
reverenic said:
I believe that it is an issue
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reverenic said:
not entirely correct but I'll leave it be. You helped but were questioned on the correctness in your statement, which you took personal and lashed out with that someone working in IT would know this.
I appreciate the help - I do - thanks, but I am allowed to question it if I have different knowledge and thus understanding.
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Responding with "Therefore, with all due respect," was not necessary. That is a term and tone of condescension these days, especially when followed by "I believe".
 
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