Legal downloadable Win Vista ISO?

After getting some good advice from NBR, I bought a HP laptop a couple years ago and overall I'm pretty happy with it. However, the crapware and even the HP stuff is problematic and difficult to disable so I'd like to do a clean install but the laptop did not come with a Vista CD. To be clear, I still have and use the laptop and I still hold the OEM Vista serial. I checked older threads on NBR referring to ISO images for Vista, but links are dead. Does anyone know where I can get safe clean VISTA ISOs?

The alternative is to find a friend who has a VISTA Disk, but I have some questions:

1. My laptop uses Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit. Assuming I can find a friend with a Vista Disk, can I use other version (like profession) or will I need to find a "Home Premium" version?

2. Say I find a Vista Home Premium Disk. Will the disk offer me a choice between 32-bit or 64-bit or will I be forced to use one or the other? My laptop is 64bit. If all I can find is a 32-bit Vista Home Premium Disk, can I use my OEM serial to install the 32bit version even though my laptop OEM shipped with 64bit?

3. While I'm here, I have a licensing question. The laptop I have is sill using all factory hardware and so long as it doesn't break down, I never intend to change it. However, how does M$ handle the OEM serial keys? If I had to change the motherboard in the laptop would that disable my key? What if I just had a CD player fail?

Finally, I'm aware of "Windows Vista Alternative" and I'll go that way if I have to, but I didn't want to wait. Does anybody know how long it takes them to ship out the DVD or how much the "minimal" cost is?

Windows Vista Alternate Media

 

1. No, you will have to use Home Premium.

2. If you plan on downloading it from somewhere, you have to select 64-bit. If you get a CD/DVD from somewhere, make sure your get 64-bit.

3. Honestly, would not have a clue.

Finally. Would not have a clue either, sorry.

 

1. Regardless of the label on the disc, all vista discs carry ALL EDITIONS, but there are separate 32-bit and 64-bit vista discs. As long as you don't type in a product key during the initial setup stages, the next screen provides a list of editions available to install (Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, as well as a couple N editions for Europe) EDIT: I forgot to mention that if you have a Home Premium Key, you NEED to install Home Premium. If you install Ultimate, you cannot activate and you will have to Reinstall the correct Vista edition.

2. You can freely switch between 32-bit and 64-bit. Your product key is not tied to either bit, just the edition (Home premium, etc). If you want 64-bit, you need a Vista 64-bit disc and remember all Vista 64-bit discs carry all editions.

3. If it ever came down to your motherboard, processor, etc breaking down, if Microsoft refuses to activate, a representative should give you another product key, i honestly don't know how it works exactly, but im sure someone else will comment.

I found the "Windows Vista Alternative" site myself while trying to find a legal way to get a Vista 32-bit Disc with SP2, however you need to type in a product key and im not sure an OEM key would work.

There does not seem to be any "legal" download links for a Win Vista ISO anymore, only Win7.

 

Reading through the above posts I would say all your questions have been answered. I would like to address the OEM serial and activation. You will find the following program very useful to activate your Vista install once you locate your installation media. ABR (Activation Backup and Restore) | directedge.us.

Further, I don't believe that legal Vista downloads exist anymore.

 

$10, and they will send you both discs (32-bit and 64-bit). It took about a week, but I had to go that route because no matter how many torrents I downloaded, none of them would accept my key. The MS disc took my key and activated just fine.

 

How long ago did you order those discs and at what Service Pack Level were they? Cause I want a Vista 32-bit with Service Pack 2 disc without going to a torrent.

 

They were SP2 in March or April, I think.

 

Thanks for the help everyone.

Okay, so if I can find a friend or relative with a full retail Vista 64-bit, that should work, regardless of what version they are using because all versions are on the DVD. I only expected to have the key work for Home Premium 64-bit because that's what came on the laptop. I'm fine with that.

ATTN: Siberya,
Did you submit an OEM serial key when you got your discs? If they only accept full version keys then I'll have to find another way.

It would be nice to have SP2 on the install disk, but this is something that can be upgraded with a download from M$, anyway, right?

Thanks again.

EDIT: I can't seem to get the "M$ Alternate Media" website to take my serial code. I guess it doesn't take OEMS? Really starting to look like another situation where overzealous piracy measures hurt legitimate users...

 

I don't know if they accept OEM keys or not. I bought a cheap 32-bit Vista off of eBaY (but sealed in box, so I knew it'd work, and I was building a new computer anyways and needed an OS) and submitted that key in order to obtain the 64-bit disc (and they ended up just sending me both).

 

OEM keys are not valid for ordering alternate media, only retail keys.