Vista's Online Distribution Gotchas

Last week, there was the problem with the family licenses. People buying Windows Ultimate and seeking up to two discounted upgrades found that Microsoft had issued them unusable codes.

This week's brouhaha is about Windows Vista 64-bit versions. Download purchasers have complained that they can't install the software. Oh. Oh.

Today, over at the Inside Windows Marketplace Weblog, Microsoft has acknowledged that there is in fact a problem: "The 64-bit Windows Vista install is actually a 64-bit install executable. Therefore, you must be running a 64-bit operating system."

In English: Someone running standard Windows XP and buying a Windows Vista 64-bit upgrade won't be able to install the software.

Subsequent to this glitch, Microsoft placed rather obvious notices for anyone looking to purchase and download Windows Vista 64-bit.

The number of affected customers is probably fairly small compared to the broader market of Windows Vista 32-bit buyers. It's not the how many but the who they are. The presumption is that these buyers are enthusiasts, the kind of people Microsoft would want to say nice things about Vista.

Additionally, both problems put the wrong foot forward as Microsoft takes its first real steps to offering Office and Windows for online purchase and download. Microsoft glitches aren't just affecting customers, but partners, too. Psst. Microsoft isn't going to keep all that online distribution, product activation and automatic update infrastructure for itself.

The day will come when Microsoft enables partners to directly offer and activate software via the Windows platform.