HP Warns Customers Not To Downgrade Win 8 PCs to Win 7

[Guest]

No HP windows 7 downgrade no HP computers, Printers, Inks! Let this be a message to the other OEMs!
Better get those drivers ready! Windows 7 is the new XP line in the sand!

 

[randomizer]

[citation][nom]akula2[/nom]I'm also pondering to take Microsoft to court in form of a class action suit for not delivering Win 7 Pro SP2.[/citation]
Money. Mouth. Insert.

[citation][nom]akula2[/nom]This is making the customers forcibly to accept and adapt to their new OS.[/citation]

You still receive patches through Windows Update, therefore they are forcing you to do exactly nothing. They are simply not providing a cumulative patch to succeed the existing one. Honestly though I don't know why you'd want it anyway. It takes longer to install a SP than the bare OS, so you're better off just slipstreaming updates into a custom ISO if you really need to install Windows on new machines often. You'll be much more up to date as well.

 

[alextheblue]

[citation][nom]akula2[/nom]Not only HP, I'm NOT buying any new upgrade Windows 8 licenses for more than 100 machines. I'm also pondering to take Microsoft to court in form of a class action suit for not delivering Win 7 Pro SP2. This is making the customers forcibly to accept and adapt to their new OS. My foot!! Nevertheless, I've Mac OS and Linux machines but Windows is important for my business too. I won't leave Microshit morons unless we get Win 7 Pro SP2.[/citation]It doesn't need SP2, and as Randomizer pointed out you're still getting patches. Stop being an over-entitled poster child for what is wrong with the modern world.

 

[Guest]

Thankx windows you made my next computer a easy choice.....here i come apple imac!!!

 

[ttcboy]

Just deleted HP from my list.

 

[Guest]

K-zon

I'd at time, if the OS takes the interest of say a "better" to run for the OS then the use of such is to say you can't upgrade Windows 7 when in use of such.

In use of such to doesn't say much but you are not allowed to upgrade or say expand your system with say corresponding interests within from to too say.

Windows least knew to my part of like many other OSesif im not mistaken wasn't really within the interest of limit of such , but with regards on that of like DRM and such might be more placed for to say is though even though here DRM might be "loosely" put to at a time for any means of descpition though.

Sounds like astandards debate which is about right I would have to say at a time.

 

[pjmelect]

The title of this article is wrong it should read

"HP Warns Customers Over Upgrading Win 8 PCs to Win 7 [UPDATED]"

 

[akula2]

[citation][nom]randomizer[/nom]You still receive patches through Windows Update, therefore they are forcing you to do exactly nothing. They are simply not providing a cumulative patch to succeed the existing one. Honestly though I don't know why you'd want it anyway. It takes longer to install a SP than the bare OS, so you're better off just slipstreaming updates into a custom ISO if you really need to install Windows on new machines often. You'll be much more up to date as well.[/citation]
Not forcing me? I paid thousands of dollars, for not getting a Service Pack 2? In what world are you living like? MS is forcing the customers to *migrate* to Windows 8. Isn't this true?

And why should I upgrade to Windows 8 considering Windows 7 is NOT OLD at all. FYI, I'm not talking about bare OS here. All 100+ machines run Win 7 Pro SP1. Now Enter the monthly patching process. Don't you think this is going to add lot of pressure on my Systems (also on Network) Admins? The main goal behind rolling out a Service Pack is to reduce the pain to all users. If it's 3 PCs and 2 laptops (like in my home), I wouldn't have complained at all. Trust me. It takes a lot to manage this entire patching process on a dedicated local Server via scheduled install scripts.

No one needs to chose for work around methods when we've paid so much money to the Microsoft. I agree only to an extent that even after Service Packs Admins should download patches for sure. This is understood and happening all the time (including on Windows XP machines).

But most importantly, Windows 8 EULA has a hidden textware:

Updated August 27, 2012
Effective October 19, 2012

IF YOU LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES, SECTION 10 CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION CLAUSE AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER. IT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS ABOUT HOW TO RESOLVE ANY DISPUTE WITH MICROSOFT. PLEASE READ IT.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/microsoft-services-agreement

I won't buy new Windows 8 for sure. I'm considering to take Microsoft to court on Win 7 SP2.

[citation][nom]alextheblue[/nom]It doesn't need SP2, and as Randomizer pointed out you're still getting patches. Stop being an over-entitled poster child for what is wrong with the modern world.[/citation]
Poster child? Thanks for your value addition. Now stop being a snob, will you?

 

[anonymous_user]

[citation][nom]bcjebay[/nom]In other news, HP looses its contracts with Large Business, since Large Business still uses W7./sad[/citation]
"Large Business" would buy business-class machines not consumer ones. HP is warning consumers to not downgrade. Business customers will be fine.

 

[anonymous_user]

[citation][nom]bjfaia5[/nom]No you can't. The motherboard and chipsets are OEM there is no other place to download drivers other than the OEM manufacture which isn't going to have any drivers for Windows 7. So yes you can download drivers for your video card, tv tuner, network card but the most important thing the motherboard and chipset there will be no Widows 7 drivers.[/citation]
The motherboard may be OEM but the chipset is likely either Intel or AMD so just try their drivers. And depending on the motherboard, you may be fine just using the default Windows drivers anyways.

 

[walterm]

Much anger, little thought.

Change is inevitable. If HP builds the "best" laptops consumers will adapt.
Youngsters will not care.
Oldsters wil hang on to their "trusted" systems longer.
Some will "reskin" W8 to W7 look alike.
People wiill complain a lot, and adapt.

 

[Guest]

Most computers are being made useless by planned software obsolescence, that OEMs use to make the user have to buy a new computer to get the latest drivers! And now Microsoft and the OEM's are colluding to force users from windows 7 to windows 8, by not offering drivers for windows 7 on new computers! windows 7 was released in Oct 0f 2009 and is 3 years old, and now HP is not going to offer downgrade to a perfectly useable operaing system, beacuse Microsoft wants to force its new product onto the computer user. Microsoft is in effect reneging on its promise of continued support 2015 with extended support until 2020! Maybe the solution should be that any operating system sold should be made available, including OEM software and driver software, support on new computers for a period of 5 years after it is released to the general public, and only after the 5 year date has expired can the OEM and/or the maker of the operating system require that the OEM has to use the newer operating system and is no longer required to offer software and driver support! 5 years is a resonable amount of time for this support warrenty to be enforced, as most hardware is depreciated over 5 years!

 

[hannibal]

...support 2015 with extended support until 2020!

Yes the win 7 will get support to 2020! Don't worry, you can use your computer with win7 at least 7 more years! This is not about ending windows7 support (that would be dumb because win7 is so popular and very good OS!), this is about moving to new OS with new computers, and that is just fine! When Vista was introduced, new computer did come with vista, when win7 was introduced new computer did come with win7...
They didn't offer support for downgrading to Vista from Win7, still Vista and Win7 are very well supported OS even today. Soon we will have win9 and win10 and so on...
It is much more usefull to be worried that desktop screen resolution has been left in dust, when compared to mobile devises... there is no real competition in highend desktop CPU's etc...
Not having new computer with old OS is not one of them. You can allways chose iOS or Linux, if you don't like Windows. Or more likely to buy a standard PC and install what ever Windows version on it that you like most!

 

[Guest]

hannibal, The 5 years is also the Time that OEM's should not be restricted from offering and supporting an operating system by the maker of that operating system! The 5 years is the amount of time that the OEMs should also be required to provide support for OEM supplied software such as drivers for the hardware that comes with the computer, and softwre updates of drivers and other OEM system software! If you carefully read the post! Computer OEMs should provide 5 years of software support and OEMs should not be restricted from offering on new computers an operating system that is less than 5 years old! Many OEMs do not maintain the software and drivers, or update the software and drivers, 5 years should be required, as this is the amount of lifetime of a computer, see computer hardware depreciation! If the user wants the newer operating system, then user can opt to get the newer OS, but the newer OS can not be forced on any user that may need to run the older OS, and therefore The 5 year requirement should be established!

 

[Guest]

With the arrival of ARM 64 and the breakdown of the WinTel alliance, it is now time for computer OEMs to move towards using a type 1 bare metal hypervisor on their computers and virtualize the need for any OS to be rooted with their products! ARM and x64 both have virtualization hardware support and any OS in the future should be running under hypervisor control, with the hypervisor in control of the hardware, and the hypervisor in control of the device driver software! The OEMs should provide a hypervisor that can run any OS or multiple of OSs on the market, for the computer, that the user wishes: Windows, Linux, and others!
The practice of Rooting an OS to any general purpose computer built by a third party hardware OEM should be outlawed as anti-competitive, and this includes forcing newer (Less than 5 years old) OSs to be replaced by the just released OSs on new third party hardware!

 

[hannibal]

hannibal, The 5 years is also the Time that OEM's should not be restricted from offering and supporting an operating system by the maker of that operating system!

I am not sure if I understand correctly, but I think that they support older operation system and drivers with those machines that get released before win8. So there should be at least 5 years support to those machines that did have win7 preinstalled, like you would like it to be. Maybe I am missing something in here?

 

[anonymous_user]

[citation][nom]5YaerRequirment[/nom]If the user wants the newer operating system, then user can opt to get the newer OS, but the newer OS can not be forced on any user that may need to run the older OS, and therefore The 5 year requirement should be established![/citation]
When has a new, consumer computer ever shipped with the last to newest Windows OS?

The OEMs may be pushing the new OS, but you're not forced to buy their new computer. Either find a different OEM or build your own computer.

 

[Guest]

I'll take mine with the Type 1 Hypervisor, and every thing can run in the VM! Letting the Hypervisor control the hardware and not the OS, and not having to worry about OS to driver incompatibility, as that has been abstracted to the Hypervisor level! And then M$ or any other ___$ will not be able to hold my hardware hostage!

 

[stephenkendrick]

[citation][nom]shqtth[/nom]HP is gay, business machines should not have windows 8 on it, and its a media OS.[/citation]

...without DVD playback out of the box. Nice.

 

[techcurious]

[citation][nom]lp231[/nom]HP don't want consumers PC to have the option to downgrade (due to drivers), is because of support.It's like a person building a PC for their friend with Win7 installed. His friend decided to install XP himself and then starts calling, asking hey why this don't work or that don't work. For the guy who build it, will he have the time to find out what the heck is going on and why it doesn't work? The initial OS was Win7 and everything works before he installed XP.[/citation]
So wouldn't it be wiser if HP didn't force it's customers to have to downgrade to Windows 7 themselves? Wouldn't it be nice if they continued to offer just a handful of Windows 7 computers? Out of the dozens of models they put out, couldn't they have a Windows 7 Series comprising of 4 Desktops, 6 Laptops and 1 Ultrabook (for example)?
I am sure many people would accept losing the choice of exactly what hardware they get in their model of choice, if it meant that the device came pre-installed with Windows 7, and fully supported by the manufacturer! I hated HP ever since they failed to provide Vista drivers for (their lower end) printers that were sold a year before Vista came out!

 

[tigger888]

Built and "Fine tuned" for windows 8. Bull crap, i guess its easy who payed for this article. Toms is becoming less and less reporting, and more and more of whoring out articles depending on who pays more money... There is no such thing as fine tuned for windows 8, only thing that could be remotely close is just adding a touchscreen. They probably got cornered by microshaft saying, if you support windows7 machines, we will no longer give you a good price on our operating system.

 

[Hydrotricithline]

Still failing to see a plausable 'reason' why NOT to downgrade? Threats of dropped support on so-so hardware? There are much better vendors for the same price tags. Skip HP

 

[littleleo]

What is probably going on behind the scenes is MS is paying HP to not offer downgrades to Windows 7 or sell Windows 7 machines.

 

[bystander]

What is probably going on behind the scenes is MS is paying HP to not offer downgrades to Windows 7 or sell Windows 7 machines.

The problem is more about their driver support for each system is limited. They don't want to have customers calling for support from Win 7, when they don't have all the drivers for Win 7. That and they have to train their help desk personal to deal with two operating systems instead of one.