How to upgrade from windows vista 64-bit to windows 7 64-bit using MSDN DVD?

Question

Every time i run windows 7 set up i get the following compatibility report:

The following issues are preventing Windows from upgrading. Cancel the upgrade, complete each task, and then restart the upgrade to continue.

• You can’t upgrade 64-bit Windows to a 32-bit version of Windows. To upgrade, obtain a 64-bit version of the installation disc, or go online to see how to install Windows 7 and keep your files and settings.
• 32-bit Windows cannot be upgraded to a 64-bit version of Windows. To upgrade, obtain a 32-bit version of the Windows installation disc.

This message doesn't make any sense. What to do?

UPDATE: It seems that MSDN Disk is somehow defective or cannot be used for updates. According to social.technet.microsoft.com nobody was able to use it for update.

Answer 1

No - You have a MSDN subscription which gives you access to both disks, but you must of downloaded the incorrect one. For example, for ultimate, the x64/64-bit is called - en_windows_7_ultimate_x64_dvd_x15-65922.iso and the x86/32-bit is called en_windows_7_ultimate_x86_dvd_x15-65921.iso Also, there is a 700Meg difference in size, 64-bit is 3,075.30MB where as 32-bit is 2,385.99 MB – Wil Oct 28 at 21:22

I'm not sure why you are telling him what he has, how would you know better than him where he got it from?

I have received it in mail. Disk 4618 November 2009 - Windows 7 Ultimate (x64 and x86). And setup indeed asks me to select version. – alex Oct 28 at 21:25

I have a MSDN and Technet Subscription - I have never seen a dual disk - nor can I think off the top of my head of any Microsoft software that has been released as x86 and x64 on the same disk. The closest I have seen is a licence key on the back of a Ultimate DVD I got from an event that states "licence key for 32 and 64 bit" (or x86 and x64 - I forget!). I would double check your disks, or if possible, can you take a picture and block out serial key/personal stuff, and I will try to help you further. – Wil Oct 28 at 21:50

Wil, the MSDN disc for Windows 7 has BOTH 32 bit and 64 bit versions on it, I'm looking at it right now! It won't work for an upgrade from Vista 64 to Windows 7 64 bit for various reasons, see this link for more info -> Technet Forums

I'm thinking if the people at MSDN were thinking clearly they should have sent it on seperate discs. You can download the ISO and it will work just fine but, thats a BIG file to download.

Answer 2

If I am not mistaken, you can do a clean install using the MSDN DVD. I kept getting a similar error when I tried to update from Vista 32 to Win 7 32. I finally ended up doing a clean install. The files currently on your primary partition will be saved under a folder windows.old.

Given a choice, I always prefer a clean install.

Answer 3

The first message says to me "You currently have 64 bit Windows, you are trying to use a 32 bit disk. If you want to continue to upgrade, you must have a 64 bit Windows 7 disk. Alternatively, you can go online to find out how to do a fresh install and transfer all your settings and documents across."

The second message says to me "You have 32 bit Windows, you cannot upgrade to 64 bit Windows. Get a 32 bit disk and restart".

---

They do seem to contradict each other in the fact that it isn't clear if you have 32 bit or 64 bit at the moment, however the thing that they do have in common is that the DVD you are using is the opposite to what you are needing - either you have x64/64 bit and are trying to use a x86/32 bit disk or you have x86/32 bit installed and trying to use a x64/64 bit disk.

You can do a fresh install, however if you want to upgrade, it needs to be bit for bit x86 - x86 or x64 - x64