Normal tech support has yet to answer this problem. I purchased the $39.99 Windows 8 Pro download, and ran the upgrade on my Windows XP Home Edition (which is 32-bit OS, by design) machine. The machine is fully capable of a 64-bit OS (in fact, I have a dual boot with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS 64-bit running in a separate partition). When I finished the Windows 8 Pro install, it turned out to be the 32-bit version. I discovered via the normal support forum that this is a limitation of the download installer - it chooses without user option the architecture based upon the older Windows version.
I called support and they first thought that the MS store could provide the 64-bit ISO download. That didn't work - they're researching it, though. I tried support again and this time the rep said the installer chooses the architecture based on what the machine is capable of running. I respectfully disagreed, but that didn't solve my problem.
So, how can I get the 64-bit ISO download, without having to make an ADDITIONAL purchase of the retail DVD version?
- A frustrated IT professional