So I bought Windows 7, installed it, now I don't want it

In summary, if you bought an opened software product from a store, Microsoft is usually responsible for refunding the purchase price and shipping costs.
  • #1
Saladsamurai
3,020
7
Am I screwed? I made an inquiry at the store where I bought it figuring they would not take it back since it was opened; I was right. They said that Microsoft would take it back for me and refund my money. I thought "yeah...sure they will."

Anyone have any luck taking back open MS products? I don't even know where I would start. I am going to poke around their site now.

And for anyone who is curious as to why I am returning it: It is not that I don't like it. I installed on my Mac and I am running into some compatibility issues with Boot Camp. It has been rumored that support for Win7 with Boot Camp is coming out by the year's end...but I am impatient.


Edit: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/productrefund/refund.mspx" looks kind of promising.
 
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  • #3
Well, it is a Macintosh so it is not that easy. It is not a simple upgrade or download. You need a 'full install from disc.' But I like the link anyway rootX. I am going to take a closer look at it now. Can any student take advantage? Or does your actual school have to take part in it?
 
  • #4
Saladsamurai said:
Well, it is a Macintosh so it is not that easy. It is not a simple upgrade or download. You need a 'full install from disc.' But I like the link anyway rootX. I am going to take a closer look at it now. Can any student take advantage? Or does your actual school have to take part in it?

Schools have to take part in it and then students get most of the MS softwares for free. Second one is dreamspark:
https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx
 
  • #5
rootX said:
Schools have to take part in it and then students get most of the MS softwares for free. Second one is dreamspark:
https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx

Yeah. Just read the rules. I don't think my school os part of it as it looks like we have our own software subsidization program. :( Ours isn't so bad though. But I don't think we are given perpetual licenses.
 
  • #6
Saladsamurai said:
Am I screwed? I made an inquiry at the store where I bought it figuring they would not take it back since it was opened; I was right. They said that Microsoft would take it back for me and refund my money. I thought "yeah...sure they will."

Anyone have any luck taking back open MS products? I don't even know where I would start. I am going to poke around their site now.

And for anyone who is curious as to why I am returning it: It is not that I don't like it. I installed on my Mac and I am running into some compatibility issues with Boot Camp. It has been rumored that support for Win7 with Boot Camp is coming out by the year's end...but I am impatient.


Edit: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/productrefund/refund.mspx" looks kind of promising.
i have windows 7 don't really know the difference between it and xp, besides the fact you can shake your windows and minimize them...
 
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  • #7
Saladsamurai said:
I made an inquiry at the store where I bought it figuring they would not take it back since it was opened; I was right. They said that Microsoft would take it back for me and refund my money. I thought "yeah...sure they will."
Microsoft will probably take it back, refunding you purchase price and the shipping costs as well, depending on where you live.

In most states in the USA, consumer laws regarding refunds don't make exceptions for opened software. These opened software policies are done at the behest of the software makers, and technically violate the consumer laws of many states in the USA. Technically, the store where you bought it from is responsible for the refund, but in court case settled a few years ago in California, 'Baker v Microsoft', the settlement stated that if the software companies would refund the money the purchase price and the cost to return the software (shipping costs), then the stores would be off the hook. In this particular case the issue was a disagreement over the EULA, but the cited consumer laws aren't specific to EULA's, and it's my understanding that it's a general policy.

In the case of 'defective' software being returned, I don't know what the time period is, but typically it's 30 days. In some cases with complex software it may be longer than that, but usually such complex software involves written contracts.

The full text of this settlement is available via an archive.org way back machine link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070801015845/http://www.techfirm.com/Baker-Final.pdf
 
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  • #8
I know I'm being unhelpful with this but:

Saladsamurai said:
I installed on my Mac...

That's your problem right there.


As others have stated, your best bet is MS. May as well try, the worst they can say is no.
 
  • #9
xxChrisxx said:
I know I'm being unhelpful with this but:



That's your problem right there.


As others have stated, your best bet is MS. May as well try, the worst they can say is no.

Why I oughta' ...

Yeah. It seems like I have a 45 day trial period. Then I can send it to MS if necessary. I might try some virtualization software like VM Ware. Students get it for cheap :)

And I like PC as much as Mac. That's why I own both. Just trying to consolidate here.
 
  • #10
Saladsamurai said:
Why I oughta' ...

Yeah. It seems like I have a 45 day trial period. Then I can send it to MS if necessary. I might try some virtualization software like VM Ware. Students get it for cheap :)

And I like PC as much as Mac. That's why I own both. Just trying to consolidate here.

If you want to run Windows on top of your Mac OS, after booting to your Mac, I recommend Virtual Box. See http://www.virtualbox.org/ and http://blogs.sun.com/fatbloke/entry/windows_7_on_virtualbox. It's free, it's easy, and it works.

is supposedly a walk-through, but I didn't watch :tongue:.
 
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  • #11
Linux *KOFF KOFF*
+ I would consider dual booting if you like them both.
If you have to use virtualization, i would use virtual box.
 
  • #12
Saladsamurai said:
Am I screwed? I made an inquiry at the store where I bought it figuring they would not take it back since it was opened; I was right. They said that Microsoft would take it back for me and refund my money. I thought "yeah...sure they will."

Anyone have any luck taking back open MS products? I don't even know where I would start. I am going to poke around their site now.

And for anyone who is curious as to why I am returning it: It is not that I don't like it. I installed on my Mac and I am running into some compatibility issues with Boot Camp. It has been rumored that support for Win7 with Boot Camp is coming out by the year's end...but I am impatient.


Edit: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/productrefund/refund.mspx" looks kind of promising.

Check out Windows 7 terms and conditions, they only refund if the OS fails to work or it has resulted in data loss directly caused by the software.

I don't think you will get a refund.

Linux is more compatible with MAC..there's a guide on how to do it with Ubuntu and Ubuntu's for free.
 
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  • #13
Saladsamurai said:
Am I screwed?

...


Edit: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/productrefund/refund.mspx" looks kind of promising.

No, you're not screwed, as they do offer a 45-day refund. Just cross your t's and dot your i's on all requirements of their policy!
 
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1. Why did you buy Windows 7 in the first place?

I bought Windows 7 because I heard it was the latest operating system from Microsoft and I wanted to upgrade from my previous version of Windows.

2. What made you change your mind about wanting Windows 7?

After using Windows 7 for a while, I realized that it didn't have some of the features or compatibility that I was looking for. I also found it to be slower and less user-friendly than I expected.

3. Can't you just return Windows 7 and get a refund?

Unfortunately, I bought Windows 7 as a digital download and it cannot be returned for a refund. I will have to either keep it or find someone who wants to buy it from me.

4. Have you tried contacting Microsoft for help with your issues?

Yes, I have contacted Microsoft for support with my issues, but they were unable to resolve them or provide any solutions that would make me want to keep using Windows 7.

5. What are your plans now that you don't want to use Windows 7?

I am considering either downgrading back to my previous version of Windows or trying out a different operating system altogether. I will also be more cautious in the future when purchasing software to ensure it meets my needs and expectations.

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