Noel wrote:
> Thanks in advance for anyone willing to offer an answer or two. I am
> new to the forum, and don't have or know much about Vista yet.
>
> I have a new copy of XP-32bit that I am about to install in a new PC I
> am assembling soon. I'd like to install a new copy of Vista Ultimate
> 64-bit on a separate drive, for dual boot setup.
>
Dual-booting is no longer necessary in most situations.
Why not download a Virtual Machine application, such as Microsoft's
VirtualPC 2007 (
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp?) or
Innotek's VirtualBox (
http://www.virtualbox.org/) and run Win2K and your
legacy applications within a virtual computer. Both are free and work
with both WinXP and Vista.
> - Can I buy a less pricey "upgrade" version of Vista Ultimate 64, and
> run XP in a dual boot setup and be in keeping with the EULA on both
> OS's?
There is no upgrade path from any 32-bit OS to any 64-bit OS, so this
isn't even possible, were it not already a violation of the EULA to do
what you're contemplating.
> Or will I need the FULL version of Vista 64 as well?
You'll definitely need the full version.
> What
> about "System Builder" versions in this situation?
It would work, but there are some things to consider. There are some
very important reasons that an OEM license costs so much less than a
retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:
1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of non-peripheral
hardware (normally a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC,
although Microsoft has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP)
and are _permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed.
An OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the main reason some people
avoid OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC. The only
legitimate way to transfer the ownership of an OEM license is to
transfer ownership of the entire PC.
2) Microsoft provides no free support for OEM versions. If you
have any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is
to contact the manufacturer/builder of the PC or the vendor of the OEM
license. This would include such issues as lost a Product Key or
replacing damaged installation media. (Microsoft does make allowances
for those instances when you can prove that the OEM has gone out of
business.) This doesn't mean that you can't download patches and
service packs from Microsoft -- just no free telephone or email support
for problems with the OS.
3) An OEM DVD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier
OS, as it was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.
It can still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a. an
in-place upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.
4) If the OEM DVD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, Dell, Gateway, etc., it will most likely only install
on the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further,
such DVDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device
drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels
necessary for the specific model of PC for which the DVD was designed.
To be honest, such DVDs should _not_ be available on the open market;
but, if you're shopping someplace on-line like eBay, swap meets, or
computer fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until it's
too late. The "generic" OEM DVDs, such as are manufactured by Microsoft
and sold to small systems builders, don't have this particular problem,
though, and are pretty much the same as their retail counterparts, apart
from the licensing, support, and upgrading restrictions.
> - Is it best to install XP first in the case of a dual boot situation
> such as this?
Normally, the older OS must be installed first unless you wish to
acquire and use some 3rd-party partition and boot management utility.
(In which case you have to follow the instructions provided by whatever
3rd party solution you select.) However, this KB Article (not for the
faint of heart) explains how to repair the Vista boot process after
installing WinXP:
Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of
the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529
> - I am using current high end desktop intall Quad Core, nV8800GT, and
> 8GB of memory. Do you feel Vista, with its UAC disabled (just read
> about that!), is a worthy upgrade, overall?
Without knowing what 64-bit applications you'll be installing and how
you plan to use the computer, there's no way to answer that question.
If you're only goal is too have an OS that can use 8Gb of RAM, you'll
have to go with the 64-bit OS.
> - Are there issues in file transfers between both OS's, ie are drives
> shareable in both OS as they were in Win2K/XP dual boots?
You should have no problem sharing data files, but I believe Vista will
corrupt any WinXP System Volume Information files, used by WinXP's
System Recovery.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell
The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
Similar Threads
Linear Mode
