Available Dell Desktops with Win 7 Downgrade Rights

Windows 7 reached End of OEM Sales about a year ago:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet 

Moreover Intel never made Windows 7 drivers for newer hardware.

You will need to find a second hand 6th Generation Skylake system with a Windows 8.1 Pro OEM License or Windows 10 Pro OEM License so you can invoke Downgrade Rights to Windows 7 Pro OEM using the systems SLIC 2.1 i.e. look for one of these systems:

http://www.dell.com/support/article/uk/en/ukbsdt1/sln300777/dell-support-for-windows-7-and-81-on-the-skylake-chipset?lang=en 

Details about performing Downgrade Rights are available here. Note you need to use the updated Dell Windows 7 Skylake Reinstallation .iso otherwise installation will fail (due to lack of USB support and lack of storage controllers):

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-dell-windows-7-64-bit-reinstallation-sp2-oem-iso-for-a-uefi-bios/ 

Hi Philip....

Thanks for the info.  The provided list of systems includes the XPS 8900.

I found several XPS 8910 systems with Windows 10 Pro.... would it therefore include downgrade rights to 8.1 pro by default... and allow a win7 pro downgrade?  or only if the Win 10Pro was an"OEM" license?

Thanks for sharing your expertise!

Hi Philip....

Thanks for the info.  The provided list of systems includes the XPS 8900.

I found several XPS 8910 systems with Windows 10 Pro.... would it therefore include downgrade rights to 8.1 pro by default... and allow a win7 pro downgrade?  or only if the Win 10Pro was an"OEM" license?

Thanks for sharing your expertise!

Hi Philip...

I have now found several XPS 8900 systems that are Dell refurbs  (complete with 1 year onsite warranty)  which have the Windows 10 Pro OS.

Although I prefer the appearance of the XPS 8910s, can I safely presume that a new Dell Refurbished XPS 8900 (with Windows 10 Pro) would enable me to downgrade to 8.1... and then onto 7?

Finally.. and off-topic.. is there a simple fix when the "not a robot" process does not appear when I tried to make my original post via a FireFox browser but Chrome worked fine...?.

Thanks for all your help.

The XPS 8900 and XPS 8910 have Windows 7 64 Bit Drivers...

If they were shipped with Windows 10 Pro they should have a SLIC tab (version 2.1) in the ACPI tables of their UEFI BIOS. This will automatically activate using a Dell Windows 7 Pro Reinstallation .iso. You can Downgrade to Windows 7 Pro directly no need to bother with Windows 8.x Pro:

Finally.. and off-topic.. is there a simple fix when the "not a robot" process does not appear when I tried to make my original post via a FireFox browser but Chrome worked fine...?. Thanks for all your help.

It happens to me as well, I usually use Chrome though. I think the forums are due an upgrade in a few weeks time hopefully it will be fixed.

WINDOWS 7 is no longer available to be sold.  You can downgrade but no vendors are allowed to provide you with media to do so.   You must either Buy Windows 7 Enterprise VLK or find windows 7 system builder media with COA.  This is also why Digital River no longer has downloads.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1     2/22/2011
Main Stream support and License sales    1/13/2015
End of Life End of Support    1/14/2020

Dell is NOT obligated to provide you with media that works.

Newer systems need the DELL OEM Skylake Install DVD.

This is NOT available Retail or System Builder.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/11675/windows-7-windows-8-1-skylake-systems-supported

 I have talked with Microsoft customer service multiple times,  but as I have gotten a different answer each time it seems that YMMV.

Seems that the proper course is to simply:

1. Install Windows 7
2. Use any key you have (used or not) or use OEM Dell SLP media.
3. Try to activate
4. Get the phone activation code
5. Call and explain the situation
6. Get confirmation code
7. Done!

Philip...

I communicated with several XPS 8900 vendors and they were clueless about "downgrade rights" for Win 7 Pro from Win10 Pro.

And I apologize if I sound a little clueless myself.  However, I endured the software downgrade process almost 10 years ago when I bought a new HP system running Vista and successfully coaxed it back to WinXP.

So, can I reasonably presume that a Dell "manufacturer refurbished and warranted" XPS 8900 with Win 10 Pro was an OEM license?  Of course, If Dell provides the downgraded OS, the system should remain eligible for Dell support and warranty services....

Thanks [again] for all your help!!