Downgrade from Ultimate to Professional without a clean install

[ThumperSD]

Is this possible? I have Ultimate with SP1 right now and want to use Professional SP1

 

[zigzag3143]

Is this possible? I have Ultimate with SP1 right now and want to use Professional SP1

Just curious. Why do you want to?

 

[gregrocker]

There is a workaround to trick the installer into thinking it is doing a same-version Repair Install which is an in-place Upgrade over itself.

You would need the Professional installer which can be unlocked in Ultimate by extracting the ISO with ImgBurn then run the eicfg removal tool to unlock all versions, burn to DVD using ImgBurn at 4x speed.

Before I give you the steps for the workaround: How do you plan to activate Professional version?

 

[pamccabe]

Is this possible? I have Ultimate with SP1 right now and want to use Professional SP1

Just curious. Why do you want to?

Curious about this too. The differences (or features available) in Windows editions, especially in regards to Professional and Ultimate, are minimual unless you are in an enterprise environment. I'm not sure why someone would want to downgrade, although, I've been around IT enough to know that I know nothing. Are you doing this because you want to go from a 32 bit edition back to a 64 bit edition? (or vise-versa?) If so, you will need to do a clean install. I guess more information might help.

 

[noobvious]

Is this possible? I have Ultimate with SP1 right now and want to use Professional SP1

Just curious. Why do you want to?

Exactly what I thought when I read the thread title.....why?

 

[Corazon]

Same here...there's virtually no performance or disk space to be gained from such a downgrade, plus any Ultimate-only features could be disabled through the group policy editor or similar if that's what the OP wants.

Actually, I can't even think of any right now, other than multiple languages and Bitlocker.

 

[ThumperSD]

I am doing this because I had to format my laptop and wanted to temporarily use W7 Ultimate without a key. I recently received a 2yr license for Pro through MSDNAA and my university and want to install that instead.

 

[gregrocker]

Why not use the Pro you own instead of ULtimate?

Why did you install Ultimate if you dont' have a key?

WHat is the licensed version for that machine, or that you were running before reinstall?

 

[ThumperSD]

Because I received the Pro after I installed Ultimate. There's no need for me to explain everything about this laptop.

All I want is to downgrade it to Pro. How can this be done??

 

[gregrocker]

Well then there's no need for me to give you special workarounds we save for those who answer our questions, which are all asked for very specific technical and legal reasons.

 

[boohbah]

Well then there's no need for me to give you special workarounds we save for those who answer our questions, which are all asked for very specific technical and legal reasons.

touché

 

[seavixen32]

Because I received the Pro after I installed Ultimate. There's no need for me to explain everything about this laptop.

In that case, there's no need for us to give you a comprehensive solution.

Windows 7 Forums - Forum Rules

Please read Rule 4.

 

[ThumperSD]

Wow... I am not using a pirated Ultimate! I am using my brother in law's CD and he already has used the product code for his laptop.

All I ask is for help so that I can LEGITIMATELY use Windows.

Now if somebody would like to help me achieve this goal, I would greatly appreciate it. I would like to get this thing working by next week as I will start the semester once again. I have been unable to downgrade to pro all of this time.

 

[gregrocker]

Understand that we are volunteers here and don't need to help anyone with complicated workarounds who is demanding or less than fully cooperative.

Now that you've answered that you used your brother-in-law's Ultimate DVD to reinstall but want to use a student MSDNAA Pro key to activate it without having to reinstall, save externally a backup image of Win7: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup. Also backup your files separately.

Now set a System Restore Point - Create.

Type regedit in Start Search box, rightclick on result to Run as Admin, browse to the following two keys to change them to exactly how they appear in the screenshot below:

click to enlarge

Using the Pro installer from desktop, run a Repair Install.

Afterwards activate with your Win7 Pro Product key and save another backup image to use in place of future reinstalls.

 

[theog]

Wow... I am not using a pirated Ultimate! I am using my brother in law's CD and he already has used the product code for his laptop.

All I ask is for help so that I can LEGITIMATELY use Windows.

Now if somebody would like to help me achieve this goal, I would greatly appreciate it. I would like to get this thing working by next week as I will start the semester once again. I have been unable to downgrade to pro all of this time.

So you are using pirated Ultimate!

 

[gregrocker]

Some users wrongly think that the 30 days you have to activate is a trial period, which seems to be the case here with OP installing Ultimate while he was waiting to get a student Pro version.

Since he has his legal MSDNAA student key now and only needs to change versions to activate, I am providing him with the workaround that has helped many here.

 

[writhziden]

Wow... I am not using a pirated Ultimate! I am using my brother in law's CD and he already has used the product code for his laptop.

All I ask is for help so that I can LEGITIMATELY use Windows.

Now if somebody would like to help me achieve this goal, I would greatly appreciate it. I would like to get this thing working by next week as I will start the semester once again. I have been unable to downgrade to pro all of this time.

So you are using pirated Ultimate!

View attachment 193189

Isn't downloading an official version the same thing? The ability to try out a operating system for a brief period of time before purchasing a key? This is discussed in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/875-activation-trial-period-extend-up-120-days.html, but maybe I misunderstood the licensing agreement... Mind explaining it to me, theog?

 

[writhziden]

Some users wrongly think that the 30 days you have to activate is a trial period, which seems to be the case here with OP installing Ultimate while he was waiting to get a student Pro version.

Since he has his legal MSDNAA student key now and only needs to change versions to legally activate, I am providing him with the workaround that has helped many here.

The title to http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/875-activation-trial-period-extend-up-120-days.html would be misleading that it is a trial period, as well...

 

[gregrocker]

Good point, writhziden.

That might explain why at the MS MVP Global Summit last year a member of the Win7 team specifically objected to our using that tutorial. Since the workaround therein is legal, perhaps the title is what irked him?

But I am basing my assumption that this is not a trial period on the literature MS put out after the Upgrade version Clean Install workaround was published on another website shortly after Win7 release. It was also stated clearly in Shawn's Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version tutorial at the time but I notice it has been removed now. In fact I am having a hard time finding now the warnings that were issued at the time that the 30 day grace period is not a Trial period, and some MS references are to an "Evaluation Period" - so what is the difference between that and a "Trial?"

Clarification needed.

 

[writhziden]

Good point, writhziden.

That might explain why at the MS MVP Global Summit last year a member of the Win7 team specifically objected to our using that tutorial. Since the workaround therein is legal, perhaps the title is what irked him?

Possibly. If it was the workaround that irked him, a simple solution would have been to prevent the workaround from succeeding. Although, I imagine Microsoft frowns on the four month trial period utilization since its four months that the OS is used without being paid for. I've never used more than a few days of the trial period anytime I have installed Win7 since I have purchased three valid keys for Home Premium.

I was just trying to understand why Microsoft is against lending their DVDs out, but they provide official download links for users to try out the OS.