Disappointment with Vista alternative media program?

[Dan \(the newbie\)]

Hi,

I'm posting this question to relevant newsgroups, I hope you don't mind.

I subscribed to the alternative media program and I do not yet what to make
of the six DVD set that I received from Microsoft. I had hoped to order the
64-bit media but something got screwed up and they sent me 32-bit media and
the DVDs were dated 2007. Was this a clearance sale? SP1 was on a separate
DVD. A more useful product would have SP1 incorporated into the install DVD.
When I tried to run the install DVD from Vista, it told me that I could not
do an upgrade because the version of Vista that I was running was more
recent that the version on the DVD. I subscribe to Vista update loyally. I
did not want to do a clean install and screw up months of work, especially
when I really wanted 64-bit media. I had a look at the other four DVDs. They
all contain folders labeled 'Sources' and one humungous SWM install file. My
copy of Vista does not know what to do with these compressed SWM files and I
cannot Google anything.

Can someone please resolve my puzzlement? Did I receive anything of value
from Microsoft? Do I have any entitlement to 64-bit media?

Thanks.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

How and when to contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295539


Hi,

I'm posting this question to relevant newsgroups, I hope you don't mind.

I subscribed to the alternative media program and I do not yet what to make
of the six DVD set that I received from Microsoft. I had hoped to order the
64-bit media but something got screwed up and they sent me 32-bit media and
the DVDs were dated 2007. Was this a clearance sale? SP1 was on a separate
DVD. A more useful product would have SP1 incorporated into the install DVD.
When I tried to run the install DVD from Vista, it told me that I could not
do an upgrade because the version of Vista that I was running was more
recent that the version on the DVD. I subscribe to Vista update loyally. I
did not want to do a clean install and screw up months of work, especially
when I really wanted 64-bit media. I had a look at the other four DVDs. They
all contain folders labeled 'Sources' and one humungous SWM install file. My
copy of Vista does not know what to do with these compressed SWM files and I
cannot Google anything.

Can someone please resolve my puzzlement? Did I receive anything of value
from Microsoft? Do I have any entitlement to 64-bit media?

Thanks.

 

[Tyro]

Sounds like you already have 32 bit Vista installed and it already has SP1.
If you want to install 64 bit Vista, you will have to do a clean install.
You can backup all of your data on another drive, then install 64 bit Vista
and restore your data.

Tyro

 

[Mick Murphy]

One thing you should know, is that if you go from 32bit to 64bit, you have to
do it by clean install.

So, be prepared to have to save your Data, and reinstall Programs.

 

[Dan \(the newbie\)]

I'd be more than happy to do a clean install on a new partition so long as I
had 64-bit media which I lack.

I may be a newbie but I ain't stupid.

I had several questions regarding the DVDs I received from Microsoft that
have not yet been answered. Could someone please answer my questions?
Thanks?

 

[Tyro]

You will have to ask your questions before you get an answer.

Tyro

 

[Mick Murphy]

" I
I am merely answering your question re the clean install part, as you stated
that you DON'T want to do it.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Dan.

Are you SURE those are 6 DVDs? Do you know the difference between CD and
DVD? They look identical, but the labels clearly identify them as DVD or
CD. The difference is significant because a DVD holds about 6 times as much
information as a CD.

Vista is the first Windows version that is too big to fit onto a single CD,
so it normally comes on a single DVD. Except that Vista Ultimate comes with
2 DVDs (one has the 32-bit version and the other has the 64-bit version) and
a single product key that can be used to install either version. Versions
other than Ultimate come with a single DVD, either 32-bit or 64-bit, and the
buyer may request the other "bit" version.

Users who have a computer with a CD reader but no DVD reader can ask for the
alternative media. I've never done this but I understand that this Vista
media consists of several (6?) CD-ROMs.

Is this what you received?

Is your computer hardware 64-bit? Please tell us the exact make and model
of computer that you have. If you built your computer yourself, tell us the
make and model of motherboard and CPU. How much RAM in your computer? And
tell us about your hard drive(s) and optical (CD or DVD) drive(s). Perhaps
most important, exactly which version of Vista did you buy? Vista Home
Basic? Vista Ultimate? Or some other version?

Until we know all that, we're just shooting in the dark as to what advice to
give you.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8064.0206) in Win7 Ultimate x64 7000

 

[Curious]

The recovery partition for my HP Laptop consumed 6 DVDs, since there is a
lot of other software that comes with the computer besides Vista and none of
the software is in same "compressed" format that is used in a Vista
installation DVD.

 

[Gordon]

The recovery partition for my HP Laptop consumed 6 DVDs, since there is a
lot of other software that comes with the computer besides Vista and none
of the software is in same "compressed" format that is used in a Vista
installation DVD.

But the OP stated that he purchased the software direct from MS - MS
wouldn't include all the apps that an OEM vendor would...

 

[Curious]

If the OP ordered Vista 32 or 64 bit on CDs instead of on DVDs then if he
received 6 CDs that would be about the right number. Also it should be noted
that when Vista is installed it consumes between 14 and 18 GB which is far
more then a standard DVD can hold. The installation DVDs are in a compressed
Cab folder format and don't expand to files till during the installation.

 

[Gordon]

If the OP ordered Vista 32 or 64 bit on CDs instead of on DVDs then if he
received 6 CDs that would be about the right number. Also it should be
noted that when Vista is installed it consumes between 14 and 18 GB which
is far more then a standard DVD can hold. The installation DVDs are in a
compressed Cab folder format and don't expand to files till during the
installation.

So your comment about " a lot of other software" was a red herring and
completely irrelevant then.

 

[Curious]

Correct.

So your comment about " a lot of other software" was a red herring and
completely irrelevant then.

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