Vista 32 to 64 bit trade in program?

[Hamel]

Hey, there was some sort of trade in gig with Microsoft. You could send in your 32 bit copy and get a 64 bit copy for free. I even had a bookmark for it but it grew legs and took a hike. I have moogled and googled and it done me no good.

Microsoft's website isn't helpful either, I had a rough time finding it before. Does anyone know about this?

[Dominus Atheos]

That's a really old program, and I don't think they do that anymore. Here's a story from 2005 about the program.

If you really want to know, the number to Microsoft's replacement line is (800)-360-7561. I think that might just be if your disk gets scratched though. The number to their information line is (800)-426-9400. One of those numbers should be able to tell you.

[Dominus Atheos]

I just chatted online with an agent, and they said they don't have that program anymore. Here's a link to the chat if you have anymore questions.

[Beowulf]

My suggestion may sound weird: pirate bay. Any 64-bit disk of the appropriate type (OEM or Retail) will work with any CD-key. So if you happen to have a legit key for Vista Ultimate, and want to run 64-bit instead, just "acquire" a 64-bit install DVD, and install it with your 32-bit key.

MS cares which version you get (Home Basic, Home Premium, etc), not what bit-ness you're running.

[RThurmont]

Or you could, you know, just comply with US and international copyright law, and also save yourself the risk of subtle malware, and get a legitimate OEM install disk. You get the media with OEM licenses purchased at Fry's and elsewhere. Get a Vista Basic OEM license that's 64 bit, and this can also be used to install other versions of Vista that you also have legitimate licenses for, and as an added plus, you get an extra license of Vista to use if you need it.

As far as I know, the above procedure is fully compliant with the Microsoft EULA and all applicable US laws, but IANAL. However one would think that they would not allow the OEM install disks to install different versions of Vista, if they weren't actually attempting to provide OEMs with media that could be re-used as needed to facilitate selling multiple copies of Windows.

You can also of course run a good quality 64 bit edition of Linux. SuSE supports 32 bit and 64 bit operation quite well with its x64 editions, and can be obtained free of charge, so if you're looking to add a 64 bit OS to your PC with a 32 bit Windows, you can go that route.

The vast majority of Windows software in existence is compiled only for x86, so having a 64 bit version of Windows, while allowing you to use more than 3.5 GB of RAM, will primarily be of use in allowing the simultaneous operation of multiple RAM intensive programs, so I see it being a legitimate solution for workstation users who have to run beasts like Microsoft Office and, say, Maya, simultaneously, but I see it being much less relevant for gaming, for now (although I suspect a lot of newer games have smart installers that can install 64 bit binaries, and that's a trend that will probably continue). That said, of the games I enjoy playing, most are 32 bit only, and many are 16 bit, so this of course if of no relevance at all to me.

[phongn]

Or you could, you know, just comply with US and international copyright law, and also save yourself the risk of subtle malware, and get a legitimate OEM install disk. You get the media with OEM licenses purchased at Fry's and elsewhere. Get a Vista Basic OEM license that's 64 bit, and this can also be used to install other versions of Vista that you also have legitimate licenses for, and as an added plus, you get an extra license of Vista to use if you need it.

As it happens, it's pretty unlikely that a pirated ISO is going to have weird stuff on it (at the least, the system files are protected via cryptographic signing). There might be other weird stuff slipstreamed on, but it's fairly unlikely. It's generally not worth the trouble to build a custom Vista disc.

EDIT: The MD5 keys from MSDN are often published as well, in case one wishes to check.

As far as I know, the above procedure is fully compliant with the Microsoft EULA and all applicable US laws, but IANAL. However one would think that they would not allow the OEM install disks to install different versions of Vista, if they weren't actually attempting to provide OEMs with media that could be re-used as needed to facilitate selling multiple copies of Windows.

License-wise, the OEM versions are in fact limited to a specific version, down to the bitness. A 32-bit OEM license does not grant you the right to have a 64-bit version (hence why all the inexpensive OEM copies on Newegg specify if they're 32 or 64-bit, and the retail ones don't).

[Hamel]

My suggestion may sound weird: pirate bay. Any 64-bit disk of the appropriate type (OEM or Retail) will work with any CD-key. So if you happen to have a legit key for Vista Ultimate, and want to run 64-bit instead, just "acquire" a 64-bit install DVD, and install it with your 32-bit key.

MS cares which version you get (Home Basic, Home Premium, etc), not what bit-ness you're running.

Would this cause a problem if I have to reactivate?

[phongn]

Would this cause a problem if I have to reactivate?

Quite possibly, though in my experience Microsoft's activation support lines are fairly lax.

[Hamel]

Hey lovely people,

I checked out Pirate Bay to humor my cawk, because I did not want to pay 100 or whatever bucks for an OEM copy. Someone there had a link to this which is what I was looking for. I went ahead and ordered a 64 bit copy - it only cost me $10.7x including tax. Didn't even charge for shipping.

Thanks for your help though.

[Edward Yee]

You sir are a hero. *Has 32-bit Vista Home Premium on his laptop from the Express Upgrade program*