What? I need to uninstall Office 2003 and Windows XP as soon as I get my January Action Pack kit?
Since my Do I have Downgrade Rights for my software that comes in Action Pack? post last week, there have been many comments posted and questions asked. First, thank you for the feedback and keep it coming. (You might want to also check out the “providing feedback tips” I included in my Microsoft Action Pack – Too much? Too little? post on the 14th) Second, there is one question that I seem to keep seeing in various online groups, email strings, etc. regarding the post that I did want to provide some clarity on.
The misperception I have seen is people interpreting my post to mean that once you receive your January Action Pack kit, you must uninstall your older versions and install only the latest ones you receive in your kit. That is NOT what my January 12th post says. Here is the paragraph from the January 12th post:
“So for all of you that received the Windows XP Professional licenses in your Action Pack, you still have the rights to use them throughout the term of your annual subscription. Remember that Action Pack is a subscription and you will need to renew that subscription annually. When your annual subscription ends, you no longer have the rights to run the software that you received in the expired kit. To continue to receive the software benefits included in Action Pack, you will need to renew your subscription for another year. When you do renew your subscription, you will be renewing for the current software that is included in the Action Pack (which no longer includes the previous Windows Desktop Operating Systems). At that point, you will no longer have licensing rights to Windows XP through your Action Pack subscription.”
So when you receive your January kit, you will have the Office 2007 and Windows Vista software included in it; however, you can continue to use the Windows XP and Office 2003 versions you received in earlier kits until your annual (12 month) Action Pack subscription is up. When this is depends on when you last renewed. Once your annual subscription is up, that is when you would be starting a new annual subscription period under the terms of the Action Pack program at that time. It would be at that time that you would not have Windows XP and Office 2003 included in your subscription since it would no longer be a part of Action Pack. So please do not misinterpret my post on January 12th to mean that once you receive your January kit, your Windows XP and Office 2003 licenses must be uninstalled. Hopefully this helps clarify the point above.
UPDATE: Please see the updated MAPS policy on previous version use rights that was announced in February.
Again, the feedback you have been providing on this topic is not falling on deaf ears and is very helpful for the conversations taking place internally here at Microsoft. Please keep providing your input and feedback as I know that I do want to hear it.
Thank you and have a wonderful day,
Eric Ligman
Microsoft US Senior Manager
Small Business Community Engagement
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights