Can't install 64bit Home Premium

[n5667]

I currently have a 32bit copy of home premium installed and activated, and
when I reboot with the 64bit disk the install program informs me it cannot
find an upgradeable operating system/genuine operating system on the selected
partition.

This is double irksome because I already installed 64bit on this computer
once before, but have since upgraded to 4gb of ram and want to return to the
64bit version...

....Anyone have an idea of what's going on? They certainly didn't make this
easy!

 

[Mick Murphy]

If I read you correctly, you ARE doing a clean install of 64bit, which is the
right way, as you can not upgrade 32bit to 64bit.

Some posters here have suggested only having 1-2 Gig of RAM to install 64bit
vista; then upgrade RAM to 4Gig after install.

 

[n5667]

I may have failed to mention that it is simply an upgrade disk from
Microsoft, so that is why it needs to be able to confirm a previous
installation?..

What I don't understand is why it won't recognize my 32-bit Vista as a
genuine install.

 

[Mick Murphy]

You are missing the point!

To go from 32bit to 64bit, or 64bit to 32bit, it HAS to be a full clean
install, NOT an upgrade.

 

[n5667]

Oh I know, I was unable to select any installation option because the 64bit
upgrade disk found no genuine operating system already on the drive... a
requisite I would presume for installing off of an upgrade disk... even if I
would then be formatting the HD after it had confirmed a pre-existing OS.

 

[Mick Murphy]

How many times do i have to write it.

It won't f*cking work!

You are trying to do a "CHEAP" clean install.
It won't work going from 32 to 64 bit.

Will that get thru your thick head???????????????????????

 

[gdzierzon]

How many times do i have to write it.

It won't f*cking work!

You are trying to do a "CHEAP" clean install.
It won't work going from 32 to 64 bit.

Will that get thru your thick head???????????????????????

Mick, I think YOU are missing the point.

When upgrading from ... say Vista Home to Vista Business you have the
option to either upgrade or do a clean install WITH THE UPGRADE DISK.
In other words, even though you may want to do a clean install you
still have that option WITHOUT buying a full version of vista business
not a "CHEAP" clean install, rather a VALID clean install.

Microsoft doesn't sell a seperate upgrade for 32 bit and one for 64
bit, they come on 2 seperate disks in the same upgrade. I just
upgraded my 32 bit Vista Home Premium to 32 bit Vista Ultimate WITH A
CLEAN INSTALL. If a clean install wasn't valid, they wouldn't offer it
as part of the upgrade!

Now since the 64 bit version comes bundled in the same upgrade (same
cost), you'd think that Microsoft would be able to recognize a valid
32 bit OS and allow you to do a clean install upgrade to 64 bit (just
like they do with the 32 bit). but apparently that is not the case.