I have Windows XP 32 bit installed on my computer right now, and I recently used that same OS disc to install a new RAID 0 setup on a pair of 80 gig hard drives. I have a  Core2 Duo with 4 gigs of RAM and 8800 GTs in SLI, so I'd like to go to with Vista Home Premium to take full advantage of my hardware's capabilities. I'm only planning on installing on the RAID setup so I can dual-boot with XP still. My question is, which version, OEM or Upgrade, should I purchase? I've read that there can be problems with upgrading from a 32 bit OS to Vista 64, but I've also read about ways to do a clean install, which is fine by me since I'm going to dual-boot and mainly use Vista for gaming.  OEM is cheaper, but going by what I've read, if I change anything hardware-wise, I might have to get a new license. That just won't do, since I'm always messing around and upgrading. So is my info correct? Which one would be best for me?

You will have to reregister after major hardware changes are done every time and I think after the 10th one then you will have to get a new license if its only OEM as for retail you don’t have to do that.  Well I would not use upgrade if you are going to dual boot the PC I would use either retail or OEM. In order for dual boot to work both XP and Vista have to be full versions not upgrades.

 

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk ... - OEM 99.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 English NA DVD - Retail 222.99

Tracer76:

 In order for dual boot to work both XP and Vista have to be full versions not upgrades.

 

Even if they are on seperate hard drives? I don't doubt your knowledge but I can't understand why this would be the case. Could you please explain? even though I'll probably just go with OEM if the whole 10 times thing is true, I just like to know exactly what the circumstances are, you know?

A upgrade is not a full version of Windows at all.

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/51ff932f-a9b4-4015-a847-09bfac51a18f1033.mspx

and this

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/e77344fa-e978-464c-953e-eba44f0522671033.mspx

 

ummm, according to both of those links, using an upgrade disc in my situation should be perfectly ok. There is a paragraph spelling out how to choose a separate partition or hard drive to install Vista in order to dual-boot using the clean install method, which is what I plan to do... and nothing about upgrades "not being full versions".

Nope that is not what it says at all. It tells you that you have to have a preinstall version of XP to upgrade that means that you will wipeout XP. which in fact you will lose XP and low and behold there is Vista and XP will no longer exist. A clean install and Dual boot will require you to boot from the CD rom drive, a upgrade will require install from within windows.

Per link one

If you have an upgrade copy of a 32-bit version of Windows Vista, you must start the upgrade while running your existing version of Windows. If you are using an upgrade copy of a 64-bit version of Windows Vista to upgrade a 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional, you must perform a clean installation of Windows Vista     Per Link 2 If you have an upgrade copy of the 32-bit version of Windows Vista, you must start Windows installation while running your existing version of Windows.     A full version of Windows will not install in windows like a upgrade will.

Also here is another link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932616/en-us

 

I see where the confusion came in, I don't think I explained myself clear enough in the initial post, what I was trying to say is I already have 2 instances of XP Pro 32 bit installed. My main one is on a partition of a 300 GB hard drive, and the other (new) install is on my recently established RAID setup, which is where I plan on Installing Vista, possibly via the Upgrade package.

 Also: Does the Upgrade retail package include the 64 bit version, or would I have to buy it, then send out to Microsoft for a disc containing the 64 bit version? If that is the case then I'll probably just go OEM and be done with it.

You can upgrade one XP installation to to Vista if you want, and it should work fine, but it's always better to do a clean install. Personally, I'd never upgrade XP to Vista, I'd rather start on a freshly formatted drive.

Well that can become one problem with XP the way the MBR ( main boot record) will show is XP over XP which will not work 32 over 64 even. Both will write the MBR as well as NTFS 5 to the file system. Now if you write a different MBR and are able to turn it to NTFS 4 or 6 then it would work.

In order for the upgrade to work is 32bit to 32bit and 64bit to 64bit only. you can not upgrade 32bit to 64bit that shows in the links I have sent you.