Vista Tutorial - Buying Vista 64

This is a very newbie question, but google isnt giving me a straight answer.

If I go out and buy Vista Home Premium...is that 32bit by default, or 64/32 built into one?

Where do I buy Vista 64 if it is seperate?
I dont see anything listed at best buy or other computer stores that show the 64 bit edition if it is seperate.
Newegg shows a 64 bit version for builders(what?) but its $300.

Where can I go about buying the 64 bit version of Home Premium?
I have a E8400 and 4gb of ram, and 1gb of ram on my gfx card, so 32bit is a bit of a hinderance.

Hi Duxwig, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You should be able to order the 64 bit version of your Vista Home Premium directly from Microsoft for just $9.99 S&H. You will just need to use your 32 bit Vista Home Premium product key number when ordering it.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvist...a/default.mspx

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Well that is a lot easier than I thought!

If I have XP Home, buy an upgrade that works w/ it the Vista Home (shows on chart should work)... will that be upgradeable to Vista 64?

When I receive the disk from MS, does it do a clean install over my O/S where I would lose all information or just kind of bandaid on top of it, where I can upgrade to Vista now and go about my business and not worry about it when I receive the 64 DVD?

thanks!

If you have a 32 bit Vista Home Premium product key number you should be able to order the 64 bit version DVD from Microsoft.

The 64 bit DVD will act just like a retail DVD. However, you must do a clean install for the 64 bit Vista when you have a installed 32 bit Vista. You cannot just simply upgrade the 32 bit to 64 bit.

Ok, sounds good.
I shall install the upgrade today just to start getting used to Vista and have them send me the 64 bit copy and do the install afterwards.

Thank you very very much for your help!

Your welcome Duxwig.

Shawn

Another question kind sir.

I think a relative may have a 64 bit version of windows. Have to call and check.
If it is the 64 bit version that matches w/ my Home Premium, am I able to use his DVD and enter my own 32bit product key to cut down on the shipping wait?
If it's a different version, I guess I'll just wait for the shipping Just wanted to get things squared away faster

thanks, 10000*

Yes, you should be able to use their 64 bit Vista installation DVD to install it on your computer using your 32 bit Vista product key number.

All retail Vista installation DVDs have all the editions on it to install a 30 day trial version of it from. You just need the matching product key number for that edition to activate Vista for it not to be a trial version.

Hey, Brink, I didn't know that. Are you saying that, for example if I have an Ultimate 32-bit, I can use a friend of mines 64-bit and enter the key from my copy?! Isn't that 64-bit rregistered already on my friends mobo?


Amplid

Hi Amplid,

What holds the registered license information for Vista is the unique product key number for each Vista, not the DVD. You can use any retail Vista installation DVD to install Vista on any computer. You just need a different legal product key number you own for each install instead of theirs.

The same goes for the 64 bit Vista installation DVD, except that you would use the product key number from the same 32 bit Vista edition you own instead to activate the 64 bit Vista. You of course must do a clean install when going from a installed 32 bit Vista to a 64 bit version, and the other way around to.