Downgrades
Microsoft does allow the downgrading of current versions of retail Microsoft software on a case-by-case basis by special permission, (unless such permission is already granted to you under your Microsoft product End User License Agreement (EULA)). Permission Letters issued by the Permissions/Copyright Group are required in many instances, because downgrading is not covered under certain product EULAs prior to 1995. The permission letter, if issued, will allow the holder to legally run a downgraded version of the product for a specified period. The permission letter, if issued, allows you to run the downgraded version of the software in place of the upgraded version. You will not have permission to use both versions of the software under the same license.  
 
The standard procedure to accomplish a downgrade (one which is not covered under an existing EULA), is to purchase the current retail version of a product, and then submit a written request to the Permissions/Copyright Group in the Microsoft Legal Department requesting the downgrade. We require that requests to downgrade be submitted on a product-by-product basis. If downgrade rights are not granted to you under your product EULA, you must obtain written permission to downgrade.  
 
 
The Permissions/Copyright Group, Microsoft Legal Department, reviews only requests to downgrade retail versions of Microsoft products (also referred to as Full Packaged Product or ?FPP?)  
If your EULA grants you the right to run a prior version of the software, you do not need further written permission and, in fact, no special permission will be granted. Please review your EULA to determine whether you have downgrade rights.  
If your request concerns a downgrade from an OEM version of software (preloaded onto your hardware at the time of computer purchase), you will note that your End User License Agreement is between you and the PC manufacturer. Please do not contact Microsoft regarding requests to downgrade OEM product; permission will not be granted.  
Select Program customers must contact their Microsoft Select representative when seeking downgrade permission, rather than the Microsoft Permissions/Copyright Group.  
Please note that if your EULA grants you the right to run a prior version of the software, you do not need further written permission and, in fact, no special permission will be granted. Please review your EULA to determine whether you have downgrade rights.  
Please also note that Select Program customers must contact their Microsoft Select representative, not the Permissions/Copyright Group.  
 
If you receive a permission letter from us to downgrade a retail Microsoft product, you will not receive the downgraded software directly from this department. Rather, the permission letter that we issue would allow you to obtain the downgraded software in any of the following ways:
 
 
Microsoft may still have some inventory remaining for the downgraded product(s) you are requesting. Please call 1-800-426-9400 or your local Microsoft sales office and specify that you are seeking a "downgrade of product" rather than "Full Packaged Product". Microsoft does not always maintain inventory on outdated product(s), so if you are expecting disks and/or manuals, check with your Microsoft sales office before purchasing the appropriate number of licenses of current software.  
Your local software vendor may be able to sell you the actual diskettes of the downgraded software for a nominal fee.  
You may choose to copy the downgraded software from your own licensed source.  
Remember, you must purchase the appropriate number of current licenses in order to legally run the downgraded software obtained in any of the ways listed above. The permission letter allows a company or individual to make copies of the downgraded software, equivalent to the number of current licenses held by the entity.  
 
To Submit a request, please fill out our on-line web request form here: Obtain Written Permission to Downgrade.