The two operating systems are independent. No need to go to SL.
Sounds like you still need to install drivers for your MacBook, both Apple's Boot Camp for Vista 3.x which would be on your 10.5 or 10.6 DVD, as well as others.
I know Apple's official support for Vista or Windows 64-bit and what versions they support drivers for now in Mountain Lion would leave me scratching my head.
Do you have only Vista? and if so was it retail and came with 64-bit version also?
What model and year is your MacBook? what version of Mac OS X did it ship with too.
How much RAM do you have? seems like if it supports 10.8 that you have 4GB RAM or more.
For me as much as you:
Mac 101: Using Windows on your Mac via Boot Camp
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1461
Helpful Apple Support Resources (Forum Overview)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4818
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_10.7.pdf
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Boot_Camp_Install-Setup_10.6.pdf
create a Windows support software (drivers) CD or USB storage media
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4407
The Boot Camp Assistant can burn Boot Camp software (drivers) to a DVD or copy it to a USB storage device, such as a flash drive or hard drive. These are the only media you can use to install Boot Camp software.
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT4569
* Installation Guide
Instructions for all features and settings.
* Boot Camp 4.0 FAQ
Get answers to commonly asked Boot Camp questions.
* Windows 7 FAQ
Answers to commonly asked Windows 7 questions.
Macs that work with 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846
Some computers require Microsoft Windows 7
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4410
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1899
FAQ: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3986
What is Boot Camp 5?
Boot Camp 5 is not a release of OS X software. Rather, it is a release of the Windows Support Software (drivers). You will need to use this software on your Mac with Windows 8 or Windows 7. For more information on Boot Camp 5, see this article.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5639
Which Macs support Windows 8?
* MacBook Air (Mid 2011 or newer)
* MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
* Mac Pro (Early 2009 or newer)
* Mac Mini (Mid 2011 or newer)
* iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010 or Mid 2011 or newer)
What are the System Requirements for Windows 8?
How can I install Windows 8 on an eligible computer?
Use the Boot Camp Assistant. The assistant will partition your internal hard drives and install Windows 8. For more information on Windows 8 installation, see the Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide.
Can I use an upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8?
Yes. Download and install the Boot Camp 5 Support Software before attemping the upgrade by using the Boot Camp Assistant in OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.3. Alternatively, you can manually download the Boot Camp 5 Windows Support Software here.
When I do an upgrade install from Windows 7 to Windows 8, an "Uninstall USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller Driver" message appears. What do I do?
Do not click on Uninstall. Click the back button and Cancel the upgrade. Download the Boot Camp 5 Support Software by using the Boot Camp Assistant in OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.3, or click here to download them. Then, try the upgrade again. See this article for more information.
After upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8, Thunderbolt devices are being recognized when I connect in. How do I fix this?
Disable the Windows 8 Fast Boot feature to allow Thunderbolt devices to be recognized. See Boot Camp: Thunderbolt devices not recognized after Windows 8 upgrade for instructions.
Is there an OS X version requirement to use the Boot Camp Assistant to download Boot Camp 5 Support Software?
You need OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.3 or later installed to download the Boot Camp 5 Support Software (Windows drivers) using the Boot Camp Assistant. After upgrading, click the Go menu and choose Utilities. Then, open Boot Camp Assistant and follow the onscreen instructions. You can download the Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide.
Is there a download of the Boot Camp 5 Support Software if I'm not using OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.3?
Yes, you can download the Boot Camp 5 Support Software here.
How do I use the Boot Camp 5 Support Software I downloaded from the web page?
1. The download file is a .zip file. Double click it to uncompress it.
2. Double-click the Boot Camp disk image.
3. Copy the Boot Camp and "$WinPEDriver$" folders to the root level of a USB flash drive or hard drive that is formatted with the FAT file system (see question below for steps on how to format).
4. Install Windows, leaving the flash or hard drive attached to the USB port of your Mac.
5. Installation of the drivers can take a few minutes. Don't interrupt the installation process. A completion dialog box will appear when everything is installed. Click Finish when the dialog appears.
6. When your system restarts your Windows 8 installation is done.
Note: If the flash drive or hard drive was not attached when you installed Windows and was inserted after restarting into Windows 8, double-click the Boot Camp folder, then locate and double click the "setup.exe" file to start the installation of the Boot Camp 5 Support Software.
How do I format USB media to the FAT file system?
Use Disk Utility to format a disk to use with a Windows computer.
Here's how:
Important: Formatting a disk erases all the files on it. Copy any files you want to save to another disk before formatting the disk.
1. Open Disk Utility.
2. Select the disk you want to format for use with Windows computers.
3. Click Erase, and choose one of the following from the Format pop-up menu:
* If the size of the disk is 32 GB or less, choose MS-DOS (FAT).
* If the size of the disk is over 32 GB, choose ExFAT.
4. Type a name for the disk. The maximum length is 11 characters.
5. Click the Erase button and then click Erase again.
Which versions of Windows are supported with Boot Camp 5?
64-bit versions of Windows 8 and Windows 7 are supported using the Boot Camp 5 Support Software.
If you need to use a 32-bit version, you need to use Boot Camp 4 Support Software, and you must use Windows 7.
32-bit versions of Windows 8 are not supported via Boot Camp.
