Vista 32 to 64: Clean install needed?

[Viventis]

I have taken advantage of the Vista Home Premium 64 for $10 offer in the paperwork that came with my Vista 32 Home Premium upgrade package. I am assuming that I will have to do a clean install to switch.?

For those that don't know it, Vista upgrade editions MUST be installed from Windows XP. There is no option (which all other upgrade versions offer) to prove you qualify for the upgrade by putting your older OS disk in the drive for verification. Therefore, it adds almost an hour to the clean install process. You can elect to wipe the XP as part of the upgrade, but you still need at least a bare bones XP install first.

[LORD-eX-Bu]

install the Vista trial from your upgrade DVD and then upgrade it to the full install.

perfectly legal, Microsoft themselves said that there is nothing in the EULA against doing so.

[Viventis]

install the Vista trial from your upgrade DVD and then upgrade it to the full install.

perfectly legal, Microsoft themselves said that there is nothing in the EULA against doing so.

Does this save any time? You are still installing the OS twice. (or does upgrading from the trial just change some settings in the registry, or otherwise take a lot less time?)

[LORD-eX-Bu]

no I think you still have to reinstall... thought you didn't want to install XP :lol:

it takes an hour for you to install XP?

[Viventis]

no I think you still have to reinstall... thought you didn't want to install XP :lol:

it takes an hour for you to install XP?

Maybe a few minutes less, but still a pain in my backside. Until my latest motherboard, I was required to open up my case and patch in a floppy drive because XP would't recognize my Sata HD without loading drivers from a floppy.

[LORD-eX-Bu]

oh wtf, just install the vista trial then :lol:

[Viventis]

My Vista 64 disc arrived today, almost a full week ahead of schedule. To answer my own question....There is no upgrade from Vista 32 to Vista 64. A clean install is necessary. On the other hand, I was able to install the V-64 disc without having to go through the trouble of installing XP (I bought the Vista Home Premium Upgrade Edition) Is the Vista 64 bit disc I got from MS for $10 a full retail? Who knows. I just know that I was able to boot the disc and install clean.

[Rakeesh]

I have taken advantage of the Vista Home Premium 64 for $10 offer in the paperwork that came with my Vista 32 Home Premium upgrade package. I am assuming that I will have to do a clean install to switch.?

For those that don't know it, Vista upgrade editions MUST be installed from Windows XP. There is no option (which all other upgrade versions offer) to prove you qualify for the upgrade by putting your older OS disk in the drive for verification. Therefore, it adds almost an hour to the clean install process. You can elect to wipe the XP as part of the upgrade, but you still need at least a bare bones XP install first.

If you want to do a clean install with vista upgrade version, just boot to the disc, and proceed with a clean install but without typing in a key, then after it is done type in your key and follow the directions of what it asks you for later.

[Viventis]

If you want to do a clean install with vista upgrade version, just boot to the disc, and proceed with a clean install but without typing in a key, then after it is done type in your key and follow the directions of what it asks you for later.

Great tip Alpha Wolf! I would never think to bypass the request to type in the product key. One would assume Vista would just keep asking for it.