Solved Upgrading from Vista x86 to Win8 64?

Hello forum members,

This is my first post.

I am considering purchasing Win8 Pro uprade as a download from Microsoft's website. I do not intend to install it and thereby lose my license to my current desktop OS which is Win7 Ultimate 64 bit.

My intention is to install it sometime in the future by first installing Vista Home Premium 32 bit which I purchased a few years ago and then upgrading it by choosing a clean install of Win8 Pro 64 bit.

I have not used an upgrade of MS for quite awhile as I prefer to purchase the full retail version. I cannot remember if it is possible to use a 64 bit upgrade disc if the version being upgraded is a 32 bit.

Please advise.

Thank you.

P.S. I do not know how my thread was marked as Solved. Did I press the wrong key?

You can not upgrade from 32 bit to 64 bit, you will need to do a clean install of Windows 8 x64.

My intention is to first install Vista Premium 32 bit on an empty partition, then when installing Windows 8 choose to format that petition before installation. There will be NO files or documents, etc. on that petition; only Vista.

Click to expand...

To do that you need to install Vista x64.

Thanks theog. That's the clear answer that I was looking for.

Clear answer, but incorrect.

Upgrade to Windows 8 - Microsoft Windows

You can use a 32 bit version of Windows to qualify the use of the Win 8 X64 upgrade (for a clean install only; no upgrade-in-place across bit levels.) You can't get a 64 bit download of the upgrade using the Upgrade Assistant from a 32 bit OS. Microsoft's statement is that the upgrade should be obtained in the retail packaging, which is more expensive than the download.

I'm not sure about the licensing, but you can buy and download the Win8 Pro X64 version from a PC running a qualifying 64 bit version of Windows, not install it on that machine, but install it on the Vista 32 bit machine instead. (I believe that you'd have to be sure to get the download in the form of bootable media, because I think that you can't launch an X64 installer from a 32 bit OS.) As far as I know, that's perfectly legit, and would save you $30.

I admit that it's not what I did. I wanted to install the Upgrade on a PC that had the Win8 Enterprise 90 day evaluation version installed. The Upgrade Assistant wouldn't allow the purchase of the upgrade from within the Enterprise eval. version. (It returns the misleading message that the upgrade isn't available in my country, which is the US.) I ran the Upgrade Assistant from a Win 7 X64 machine, and bought the upgrade. I didn't finish the download on that PC, though; the verification email included a download link, which I could use from the Win8 PC. I saved the download as an .iso, which I used to prepare the bootable install USB flash drive. Is that convoluted enough for ya?

It's be simpler to buy the retail upgrade package, but I'm usually willing to spend a few hundred dollars worth of labor to save $30.

bobkn:

Thank you for replying. I must say that your post took me quite by surprise. I had put the matter away, thinking that my reasoning was wrong.

I know that by downloading Win8 Pro to the desktop that I am currently using the MS Upgrade Assistant would recognize my OS as a 64 bit system and the download that I would be given would be for a 64 bit system which is exactly what I want.

I would download Win8 Pro 64 bit to a bootable USB flash drive and then install it later on my pc that is running Vista Home Premium 32 bit. When I do install on it that machine I plan to choose a clean install and not save anything like files and such. In your words "no upgrade-in-place" installation but a clean install.

Correct me if I am wrong but you are saying that this will work, right?

Ripley said:

bobkn:

Thank you for replying. I must say that your post took me quite by surprise. I had put the matter away, thinking that my reasoning was wrong.

I know that by downloading Win8 Pro to the desktop that I am currently using the MS Upgrade Assistant would recognize my OS as a 64 bit system and the download that I would be given would be for a 64 bit system which is exactly what I want.

I would download Win8 Pro 64 bit to a bootable USB flash drive and then install it later on my pc that is running Vista Home Premium 32 bit. When I do install on it that machine I plan to choose a clean install and not save anything like files and such. In your words "no upgrade-in-place" installation but a clean install.

Correct me if I am wrong but you are saying that this will work, right?

Click to expand...

Right.

To repeat: you'll have to boot from the USB drive.