Vista downgrade to XP Pro- Usage Rights, Validation?

I have Vista Ultimate and per this document: http://download.microsoft.com/downl...9d-4996-b198-7b9d3fe15611/downgrade_chart.doc
you are supposed to be able to downgrade to XP Pro. The problem is I've spent hours with Microsoft on the phone and they won't switch product keys. They tell me I have to have a separate XP Pro license. They say this is what they mean by downgrade. How is that a downgrade. Since when is using a completely separate license a downgrade of your other license. I call BULL**** on Microsoft. Has anyone else tried this? Do you have the best Microsoft phone number to call. Who to talk to? Anything? This is driving me nuts, I HATE VISTA. If they release a document like that they need to inform all of their service representatives of it and where to direct customers.

 

Generally, it is the responsibility of the OEM distributor. Have you read this document?

 

Yes I have read it, and they want $45 I believe. I just feel Microsoft is very misleading with this downgrade. I also bought Ultimate from my university, which qualifies for the Volume Licensing Downgrade rights. They don't have media available for this downgrade.

 

Here is the case, Downgrade rights does not mean that you will have an extra license in which you can use both of them anytime you like. Specifically, these downgrade rights lets owners of some versions of Vista replace it with Windows XP without having to pay for another license. In effect, the license for Vista is transferred to XP. Think of it as a swap, Vista for XP, not as an extra license. By Microsoft's end-user licensing agreement (EULA), you can't have both the Vista and its downgraded XP installed at the same time on the same or different machines. You have to pick: It's one or the other.

 

That's how I understand it, yet when I call Microsoft and say I want to downgrade (I want to swap), they tell me I have to buy another license for XP. I am well aware that only one OS would be running and licensed, yet no one at Microsoft seems to know anything about this.

 

Here is the information that you need.....you don't have to buy, just borrow a retail, OEM, or volume licensed copy of Windows XP from a friend.

How do I downgrade? Install a copy of Windows XP Professional with the product key that came with the copy, and then when you hit the activation screen -- which is near the end of the installation process -- select the activate by phone option rather than the online method. You'll likely end up talking with a live rep; tell him that you're downgrading from Vista to XP, and give him the Vista product key. The rep is supposed to walk you through the rest.

 

I only tried that about 4 different times and spoke with 10+ people at microsoft. No one had a clue. Has anyone actually done this? I understand that is how it is supposed to work, but they refused to downgrade my vista key to the xp key at activation.

 

What kind of machine do you have? Some companies(like Dell, HP & Lenovo) offer a downgrade XP. They charge $15 to $20 bucks while calling it Technical support, which is BS. But it might be your best bet instead of trying to deal with MS.

 

Why do you dislike Vista so much? Is it really so bad that you would be willing to go through the difficulties to downgrade?