How does the Vista ultimate upgrade work?

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Max-Powers

Gawd
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I just built a new computer and want to put 64 bit vista on it. I have a Vista ultimate upgrade. How does this thing work? It tells me I must first have a ginuine windows operating system installed on my computer before I can install it. I installed Vista 32 bit that I got with one of my dell laptops that I never used and it still won't let me do it. (it never asked me for a product key for the vista that I installed from the dell cd, could that be the reason?)
How do I get this thing to work? Can I only upgrade a 64 bit OS to the 64 bit Vista?
If I install a 64 bit XP, can I install this Vista 64 upgrade? Will it want to register both the upgrade product key and the product key of the OS it upgraded from?
 
You can only upgrade from 64 bit to 64 bit.

If you have the 64 bit upgrade disc, I'm pretty sure you can boot from it and install 64bit Vista without entering the key. It might complain and ask you to verify your choice. After it does the install you have 30 days to activate. Then you boot again to your upgrade disk and do the upgrade, it'll see you have Windows installed and you can proceed with the upgrade and enter your key.
 
If Vista 32-bit is already installed you're laughing. Make sure all your data is safely backed up and then:

  • Boot from the install disk
  • Choose 'Custom' install type.
  • Choose the partition where the 32-bit install is located
  • Use 'Disk Cleanup' afterwards to remove the now quarantined old install.

That 32-bit install will have been rolled into a 'windows.old' folder, and that's what Disk Cleanup removes. Other than that folder, your system partition will be a pristine clean install :)
 
I want 64 bit not 32 bit.
When I try to do the Vista upgrade thing, it asks for a key. But I have my own copy and have a key. I installed my copy of Vista 32 bit, and tried the upgrade, but it wouldnt do it. It would only do the 32 bit upgrade. So now I am installing XP 64bit and am going to try to upgrade that.

edit: or not. Tried installing my XP and it keeps getting the error where it cannot copy a file.
Should I just install Windows 7? does everything work for it?
 
Last edited:
Max-Powers said:
I want 64 bit not 32 bit.
When I try to do the Vista upgrade thing, it asks for a key.
Click to expand...

And at that point you should be entering the key for the Vista 64-bit upgrade pack.

By 'Vista upgrade thing' do you mean you tried an Upgrade install? Did you actually try it using the 'Custom clean' install process mentioned above? Custom Clean install is the standard method of using a Vista 64-bit upgrade on a rig which has had a 32-bit install in place.
 
So I have a fresh install of Vista 32 bit.
I then put in the 32 bit install disk and follow those instructions or the upgrade disk?
 
Max-Powers said:
I then put in the 32 bit install disk and follow those instructions or the upgrade disk?
Click to expand...

Hang on a bit. Precisely what 'disk' do you actually have?

Irrespective of what's printed on the disk labels, there are in reality only TWO Vista install disks. One is a 32-bit install disk and the other is a 64-bit install disk. The writing on the label indicating version type, license type etc will only reflect the install key which came with the package. It's the interaction of the install key and the installer which determines what gets installed. Everything is on the disk, apart from the 32-bit/64-bit thing.

If your 'Upgrade' disk isn't a 64-bit install disk then it'll only install 32-bit Vista. Likewise, a 32-bit Vista install disk cannot install 64-bit Vista.
 
I have a Vista Home Premium 32bit install disk and Vista Ultamite upgrade 64 bit which also includes SP1. I want Vista 64bit on my computer, but I only have a Vista 32bit full install disk.
 
Then, rather than booting into Windows on the hard drive, boot from that 64-bit Vista Upgrade disk and choose the 'Custom install' during the installation.

It'll do a 'Custom clean' install.

Sounds like you've been trying to perform an 'Upgrade, by using the disk from within 32-bit Windows. For the transition from a 32-bit install to a 64-bit install that's impossible. You can't do an 'over the top' install when moving from 32-bit to 64-bit. Same kinda deal as not being able to 'upgrade install' if you're moving from Pro to Home. Incompatible, so you can only clean install.


Make sure BIOS Setup is configured to 'Boot from CD-ROM'. Backup your data and programs, because a Custom Clean install doesn't leave those in place. Boot from the 64-bit install disk and perform a 'Custom' install to the same partition where 32-bit Vista is present.


That'll give you a clean install of 64-bit Vista, with the old install bundled into a 'WINDOWS.OLD' folder on the hard drive. You can browse that folder and recover stuff you've overlooked, if you need to. You can remove it later by choosing the 'Old Windows versions' option in disk Cleanup.
 
When I try to do that and it is asking me "where do you want to install Windows?" it says
"to use the product key you entered, start the installation on a computer that is running a genuine version of windows."
 
DON'T ENTER THE PRODUCT KEY FOR YOUR VISTA 64 BIT YET!!!!!!! Leave that blank (for now), then the next screen you select the PROPER operating system, in your case, Vista 64.

Once you are at the desktop, you now have a NON ACTIVATED install of Vista 64 that is good for 30 days before it REQUIRES activation.

NOW, you rerun the install and choose UPGRADE, then enter your VALID 64 bit key. Boom, it "upgrades" the OS you just installed, and NOW you can activate it once you get to the desktoop for the second time and are ready to do it, although I recommend you wait to activate until you have all your drivers installed.

Yes, you read correctly, this method requires TWO installs back to back, but Vista installs fairly fast, it's a minor nag. Basically you "upgrade" a fresh install. Got it?
 
Oh goodness me! Sorry! I got myself confused trying to work out just what you had and what you were doing, and neglected to point out the 'foolproof approach' to you!


I've written up a lengthy FAQ about it, which you'll find here:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1202605


That process will work no worries with your x64 Vista Upgrade disk. What you need to do is the following:


  • Boot from the 64-bit install disk. Choose to install
  • At the key entry screen, click 'Next' without entering the key code.
  • You'll get a couple of prompts trying to get you to go back and enter a key. Pay careful attention to those and be sure to tell it you really, really, REALLY don't want to enter a key code.
  • After you get past those prompts, choose the version you want to install. (Ultimate, isn't it?)
  • Choose 'Custom install'.
  • At the partition selection screen, use the tools to first Delete the current system partition and then Create a new partition in that same drive space. That gets you back to starting with a clean hard drive.
  • Install to that, and you end up with a 30-day 'trial' install of 64-bit Vista.
  • From the desktop of that trial install, fire up 'Computer' and then autoplay the 64-bit Vista install disk to run the install again. This time, enter your product key, choose Custom install again, and simply choose the same partition you used previously.
  • That'll successfully get you a working install of 64-bit Vista.



Again, sorry about the earlier confusion. The linked FAQ has a more detailed pictorial description of it all.
 
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