Which version of Windows is better than 32 or 64. How to find out the bitness of the operating system and processor in Windows

But if your computer has less than 4 GB random access memory or the use of devices that do not have 64-bit drivers is expected, and also when upgrading a 32-bit operating system to Windows 7, the 32-bit version will be preferable.

Some variants of 64-bit Windows 7 are available to resolve some backward compatibility issues, but this is no panacea. We bring to your attention the most up-to-date information about 64-bit in a convenient format of questions and answers.

Does my computer support Windows 7 64-bit?

Most computers released in the last three years (that is, since the release of Windows Vista) are compatible with the 64-bit version of Windows 7. The exception is systems with cheap processors that do not support AMD and Intel 64-bit extensions. These include the low-power Intel Atom processor line and early Intel Core models, in particular the Core Duo (not to be confused with the Core 2 Duo). If you do not know what processor is installed on your computer and whether it supports 64-bit operating systems, use the free utility.

What about peripherals?

As with computers, most peripherals released since the release of Windows Vista are compatible with the 64-bit version of Windows 7. But with legacy technology, it's a lottery. Some vendors - especially network card and disk controller vendors - have been making their products 64-bit compatible for a long time, as they had to work with 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2002-2003. Older devices not directly related to the data center (eg, non-standard input devices, multimedia equipment, some printers) will be more difficult to integrate because they were developed at a time when 64-bit desktop operating systems were rare. It is best to check in advance if the manufacturer has released a driver for the 64-bit version of Windows 7, and if not, if there are other ways to solve the problem.

Can 32-bit drivers be used on Windows 7 64-bit?

No. A device driver is privileged code that runs in the same address space as the Windows kernel, so it must match the architecture of the kernel. Some manufacturers combine 32-bit and 64-bit drivers in a single installer, so to the inexperienced user it may seem that a 32-bit driver works under a 64-bit version of Windows. However, although 32-bit drivers are not directly supported by the operating system, you can still install them in Windows XP Mode and use USB printers and other legacy USB devices in a Windows XP virtual machine.

Is Windows XP Mode available on Windows 7 64-bit?

Yes, Windows XP Mode is fully supported by the 64-bit version of Windows 7. Moreover, the use of the Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) - in particular, such a product as Windows Virtual PC 7, which is the basis of Windows XP Mode - is one of the few ways to use 32-bit device drivers on 64-bit Windows. The only difficulty is that the device must have a USB interface. Legacy appliances that require non-standard expansion cards or dongles will most likely not work in Windows XP Mode.

What is Windows XP Mode and how do I start it?

The easiest way to say that is a virtual machine running Windows XP SP3 running in Windows Virtual PC 7. Windows users 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise can download it for free.

To put it more precisely, Windows XP Mode is a native 64-bit application (or rather, a set of 64-bit services and drivers) that creates a separate native 64-bit process that emulates the environment of a 32-bit operating system.

It is important to note that Windows XP Mode only allows you to create a 32-bit virtual environment, even though Windows Virtual PC itself is a 64-bit application running on a 64-bit version of Windows 7. In a Windows Virtual PC environment (which, in essence, is universal tool virtualization with additional features to support Windows mode XP) you can install 32-bit versions of Windows XP, Vista, or even Windows 7, but you can't use 64-bit versions of any of these systems.

Is it possible to run 32-bit applications on 64-bit Windows 7?

Yes, almost any 32-bit application supported in Windows XP can be run without additional modifications in the 64-bit version of Windows 7. For this, a technology called "Win32 on Win64" (WOW for short) is used, which converts calls to 32- bit API from executable files of legacy programs to calls to the 64-bit API for processing by native subsystems of the 64-bit operating system. As a result, 32-bit applications run seamlessly on Windows 7 64-bit, and thanks to optimizations on the current generation of Intel and AMD processors, they also run at full or near full speed. A rare exception to this rule are applications that use one or more 32-bit proprietary legacy device drivers that do not have 64-bit equivalents.

It is worth noting that WOW is not a new concept. A similar technology was used in the earliest versions of Windows NT to support legacy 16-bit Windows 3.xx applications.

Why don't new registry entries appear when installing 32-bit applications on a 64-bit version of Windows 7?

The 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 use the WOW technology to run 32-bit applications (see above). It not only converts API calls, but also isolates changes made by 32-bit applications in a special registry subkey at the appropriate level.

For example, if a 32-bit application creates a subkey in the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software" folder, that subkey is automatically moved to the "Wow6432Node" folder under the main "Software" subkey. In this folder, you can find all the subsections and application settings automatically redirected here by WOW.

Does the 64-bit version of Windows 7 provide a performance benefit?

It all depends on how the system is used. If you're working with large files or applications that consume a lot of RAM, 64-bit Windows will typically provide a small performance boost over 32-bit on identical hardware, even when using 32-bit applications. This is because the operating system and device drivers access the 64-bit extended registries of an Intel or AMD processor running in 64-bit extended mode. In addition, Windows 7 64-bit supports more RAM than 32-bit: 192 GB in all editions except Home, compared to 4 GB in all editions of Windows 7 32-bit. This allows you to significantly expand the capabilities of your computer. .

Why does 64-bit Windows use more RAM than 32-bit?

Any 64-bit operating system consumes more memory than its 32-bit counterpart. This is due to the nature of 64-bit code: it uses larger internal structures, which naturally take up more space both in memory and on the hard disk. Therefore, it is not surprising that ISO images of 64-bit Windows versions Vista and Windows 7 are 50-70% larger than 32-bit images, and post-boot physical memory consumption is 20-30% higher.

Does the 64-bit version have windows advantage before 32-bit in terms of security?

Yes. Most of Microsoft's much-touted kernel hardening initiatives implemented in Windows Vista, such as PatchGuard or Data Execution Prevention, are only relevant for the 64-bit version of the system. In addition, 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 only use digitally signed drivers, making it difficult for attackers to disguise rootkits and exploits as kernel-level drivers.

Can I upgrade from 32-bit Windows to 64-bit Windows 7?

No. On this moment The Microsoft update procedure does not support changing processor architectures. To upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows, you must uninstall it, install 64-bit Windows 7 on a blank drive, and then transfer all your data and applications to the new operating system.

When talking about what is the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit systems, we must consider 64-bit calculations that are important for improving the performance of a computer. Our addressing will be 64-bit, which can support large memory. For 64-bit operating systems, a register is used that has a width of 64 bits.

It also has a 64-bit data type. operating system addresses information on its files using 64-bit addressing (due to which the volume is supported by max, i.e. the memory becomes sixteen exabytes, before that it was four GB). The difference between the systems lies in the buses and addressing. For example, this is memory addressing, it is usually within forty or forty-eight bits.

If your operating system is 64 bit, you need to use a 64 bit processor. Usually 64-bit programs work without problems with 32-bit programs. This work is called "compatibility mode", it is very necessary in due to the fact that 64-bit programs are quite rare. In this case, the CPU simply goes into 32-bit mode. If we run a 32-bit operating system and use 64-bit programs, these applications may fail, the CPU will start working in the so-called legacy mode. 32-bit programs on 64-bit operating systems usually work with the same performance, and on a 64-bit OS, 64-bit programs will significantly increase the speed of your system. This is the obvious difference between the systems.

The difference between systems - advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of 64 bit

A 32-bit OS has a maximum RAM support limit of 4 GB. In reality, the memory comes out less, in the region of 3.5 GB, because. part of the memory is used for the needs of the system. 64 bit OS uses that RAM, the board of which is on your motherboard, i.e. almost any.

64-bit systems use large files more efficiently than 32-bit systems. For example, when working with a file of five GB, a 32-bit operating system will have to load it in parts, because. it only has access to three gigabytes of RAM. Some scientific programs when working with 32-bit systems do not bring accurate data, so you have to use only 64-bit OS to work with them.

Disadvantages of 64 bit

First - The structure of this memory is different, it has increased its max volume, but applications for it are currently quite rare. With such memory, as mentioned earlier, it is beneficial to work with 64-bit software.

Secondly, not all 64-bit ones can work with 32-bit software. Drivers are a layer between the OS and the mechanical parts of the computer, most of them will not be able to work at full capacity in 32-bit operating systems. Using most devices such as a scanner, printer, and sound card can be difficult if you don't find a 64-bit driver for them.

How much memory do you need

As mentioned earlier, a 64-bit OS will not only increase the capacity of RAM, but also increase the efficiency of Windows 7 and Windows 8.

The OS will less often swap files to a memory file on the hard disk, because the capacity of the RAM will increase (if there is not enough RAM memory, the OS pumps files into HDD). I would like to note that the data transfer rate in the RAM itself is much higher than in the hard drive, which is what increases the speed of your PC.

Windows 7, 8 often uses add. memory thanks to the SuperFetch application, which preloads information in the rank of significance (the most frequently used programs are buffered into memory after the operating system has finished loading). Thanks to this, programs will start very quickly.

RAM cards of 4 - 8 GB are quite affordable today, so it is recommended to put at least one 4 GB RAM card in your PC. Advanced users today use 8 gigabytes for 64-bit systems. A 2 GB memory card is quite popular, but when working with 64-bit systems, you will not get an increase in computer performance.

For speeding up the Windows you have installed I recommend:- computer accelerator.

32-bit Windows Issues

As mentioned earlier, 32-bit will not give the full capacity of 4 gigabytes of RAM that you installed in your computer, because. elements and nodes of the computer will require a memory capacity within 4 GB of a 32-bit system. A 512 MB video card will require this capacity to be tied to the RAM, which will reduce the amount of available memory. As a rule, the OS reduces the memory to 3.12 gigabytes. Often the memory capacity is even less.

Driver Issues

Since the work of drivers occurs between the nodes of the computer and the OS, it is impossible to install 32-bit drivers on a 64-bit bit, even if most 32-bit programs function without problems in a 64-bit operating system. Therefore, when switching to 64-bit, it is necessary to carefully check 32-bit drivers for work in a 64-bit system. You can temporarily install 64-bit on a PC and see how it works. Check its functionality. Microsoft allows you to work with such a system for free for 30 days. You can activate it later. How to update drivers check out the link...

Windows XP and windows 7-8

You can use the Windows XP drivers for Windows 7-8 (this is not for a 64-bit OS). The 32-bit Windows XP driver for a sound card or game console basically functions without problems in windows 7-8 x32. But he will not be able to work with a 64-bit OS, because. windows 7-8 will not properly install an unsigned driver.

Conclusion: it's up to you to install a 32-bit or 64-bit system, but many programs have already switched to 64-bit, and if you need high speed of your OS, you will have to switch to windows x64! A 32-bit system will not give you such results!

I hope you have received the necessary information and understand what is the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Friends, if you decide to reinstall the system, I suggest you install it not on a regular HDD, but on an SSD, as I did. Buy it you can on aliexpress. Disks on the page from 120 to 960 GB, i.e., actually 1TB. Judging by the description, the disc is suitable for both Computers and (laptops).

From the screenshot you can see the volumes of the disks. If you need to install the system exactly, it is enough to purchase a disk with a capacity of 120 GB. If, however, as a full-fledged hard drive, then, at your discretion, from 480 to 960 GB. Why do I recommend installing Windows on a solid state hard drive? Your system will boot in seconds! If you purchase a 1TB disk, all your programs will fly!

If you do not know what bit depth of the operating system is installed on your computer, then this will be discussed in this article.

Usually, users do not often ask such a question. Most often, find out the bit depth of the operating Windows systems may be required if you want to install any program, game or driver on your computer.

Starting with Windows XP, operating systems may have different type bit depth:

– 32-bit OS - x32(can be designated x86);

– 64-bit OS - x64.

The main feature of 64-bit operating systems is that they are able to work with a large amount of RAM. Even if your computer or laptop has 4 GB of RAM, all running applications on 32-bit systems will use no more than 3 GB. Therefore, if you have 4 GB of RAM or more, it makes sense to install a 64-bit Windows operating system.

It should also be noted that if you download a program for a 64-bit OS, and you have a 32-bit one installed, you will not be able to install it on your computer. In the event that the opposite is true: you downloaded for a 32-bit OS, and a 64-bit OS is installed, the program will install and work.

Let's recap. A 32-bit operating system does not use more than 3 GB of RAM, no matter how much is installed on the computer. And secondly, programs for 32-bit Windows operating systems will work fine in 64-bit ones, but not vice versa.

Now let's move on to the main topic of the article, and consider, how to determine the bitness of the operating system Windows installed on the computer.

To find out the bitness of the Windows 7 operating system, on the Desktop, right-click on the "Computer" shortcut and select "Properties" from the drop-down menu.

If you do not have such a shortcut, go to the "Start" menu and right-click on the "Computer" button there. Go to "Properties".

A window will open in which you will see all the basic information about the computer. The line "System type" will indicate the bitness of Windows.

If you need find out the bit depth of the Windows 8 system, press the key combination "Ctrl + E", the window "Computer" will open. Right-click on an empty space in it and go to "Properties".

You can open the window with basic information about the system in another way. Press "Ctrl+I" to open the side popup panel. Select on it "Computer Information".

In the "System" window in the "System Type" field, the bit depth will be indicated.

An article about that is already on the site. You can view it by clicking on the link.

Most fast way, which will help you find out the bitness of the operating system is pressing the key combination Win + Pause. It works in all mentioned versions of Windows.

Now you know how to determine the bit depth of the Windows 7, 8, 10 operating system and you can choose the right software, applications and drivers that will match it.

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Having bought a new laptop or assembled a stationary PC without a pre-installed operating system, many are wondering which version of Windows to install, 32-bit or 64-bit. To solve this problem, we have prepared a material in which we will explain to our readers what is the difference between 32's And 64 bit Windows operating systems and which one is better. In addition, we will show with examples how to determine the bitness of Windows and in what cases it is necessary to install a 32 or 64 operating system.

Let's find out what is the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows

There are currently two processor architectures that are used in the Windows OS, namely x86 And x64. Each processor architecture defines length of data types and addresses that are supported by the operating system. That is, the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows lies in the amount of RAM that can be used in the OS. For example, in 32's bit system you can only use 4 GB RAM, and 64's bit system up to 192 GB RAM.

Nowadays, almost all processors manufactured by AMD and Intel support x86 and x64 architecture. Therefore, in most cases, no matter what bit version of Windows you install, it will work using the x86 and x64 instructions of a modern processor. But if it's a matter of old computer with process with old architecture x86, which has an x64 command set, then it will be possible to install a 64-bit OS on it, but does it make sense. For example, let's take an old Samsung R60 laptop that has an x86 Intel Celeron 520 processor with the EM64T instruction set.

This single core chip only supports 2 GB random access memory. It also supports x64 architecture, but it makes no sense to put a 64-bit OS on a laptop with this chip, since it is designed for x64 processors that support a large amount of memory.

For now 32-bit versions of Windows remain quite popular, since there are still a lot of old PCs that have a volume RAM does not exceed 4 GB. In addition, the Windows XP operating system influenced the great popularity. If we recall the release of XP back in 2001, we can see that it was supplied only in a 32-bit version. And already in 2005, XP received support for the x64 processor architecture and came out in a 64-bit version. Since 2001, XP has remained the most popular OS in the world, so drivers and programs were written for it only in 32-bit.

Which of the OS 32 and 64 bit versions is better

For the user to do right choice, and in the future he would not have to change the OS, we will consider an example of assembling a stationary computer with small amount of RAM. For example, the user decided to save on RAM and built the system on the following base:

Processor - AMD Athlon X4 870K with support for x86-x64 architecture;
Motherboard - ASRock FM2A88X PRO3+;
RAM - Kingston 4 GB DDR3 2133 MHz.

From the example it can be seen that the user saved on memory in order to expand it in the future. Such a system can be installed both 32 and 64 bit Windows. If you install on such a configuration, for example, Windows 7 32 bit version, and you want to add RAM to it in the future, then you will have problems with this. The problem will be that your Windows 7 just won't see the added RAM, A expand her on motherboard ASRock FM2A88X PRO3+ can up to 16 GB. In such a situation, in order for the system to see all the RAM, you will have to change operating system from 32 bit to 64 bit. Therefore, answering the question of which OS is better for this configuration is easy and this definitely Windows 7 64 bit.

Determine the bitness version of the OS in different versions of Windows

Let's take Windows XP as an example. To determine its bit depth, the first thing you need to do is go to the menu " Start"and go to the properties of the computer, as shown in the image below.

The image shows that the operating system is installed " Microsoft Windows XP Professional". This inscription means that the system is 32 bit. For a 64 bit OS, you would see " Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition” as shown in the image below.

To determine the bit depth in Windows 7, we should go, in the same way as in the previous example, to the properties of the computer. To do this, go to the menu " Start” and go to the properties of the computer, as shown in the image below.

After these steps, a window will appear in which you can find out the properties of the system.

In this window, we are interested in the inscription " System type: 32-bit operating system". From this inscription it is clear which Windows 7 operating system is installed on the PC.

To determine the bit depth in Windows 10, you need to go to the menu " Start» to the options tab.

In the options that open, go to the " System". In chapter " System» you need to go to the point « About the system».

It can be seen from the figure above that in our case 64 bit operating system.

Determine the type of processor bit

To determine the type of processor, we need a utility CPU-Z. The utility is distributed as an installation file and as a portable version. You can download the utility from its official website www.cpuid.com. After downloading, run the utility on a system based on the AMD Trinity A6-5400K processor.

In the text block instructions» window of the program there is a whole bunch of different processor instructions. We need instructions x86–x64". This instruction means that in a PC with this processor You can install both 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows. If we open the program in an AMD Sempron 2600+ processor based configuration, we won't find x86-x64 instructions."

It follows from this that it can only be installed 32 bit operating systems.

In the same way, as shown in the example, you can check any processor for bitness. Also I would like to note that CPU-Z works on all current operating systems from Microsoft.

Let's deal with Windows versions when buying

If you buy a boxed version of Windows 10, then using the installation disk you can install both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems on your PC. But if you're buying an OEM version that's meant for PC builders, be careful.

If you take a 32-bit OEM version of the OS, then you will not be able to upgrade from it to a 64-bit one, as is the case with the boxed version. Also in online stores you can still find various versions of Windows 7 for sale. The distribution model for boxed and OEM editions of the seven is the same as that of the dozen.

New OS support for older processors

If you have an old processor-based computer Intel Pentium 4 and you want to upgrade to the new Windows 8 or 10, then you will have problems. New operating systems from Microsoft do not support older processors. Windows XP is still stable on these computers, but it is no longer safe to use this OS in our time. XP has been around for a long time. not receiving updates And new software no longer supports this operating system.

Using XP with Internet access is a pretty bad idea, as this OS is a breeding ground for various malware and viruses. The only option is to use Linux OS, which undemanding to resources computer.

One such OS is . Lubuntu OS is based on ubuntu, so it is constantly updated and has good support. You can download the Lubuntu image for burning to disk on its official website http://lubuntu.net. After burning to the Lubuntu disk, you can safely start from it. Lubuntu does not need to be installed on a PC and can be run directly from the disk.

This is necessary so that you check the functionality of the OS, and also check Lubuntu for compatibility with your CPU. Lubuntu, like Windows, is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. By installing Lubuntu on your old PC, you will extend its life cycle and better protect yourself from Internet threats.

Summing up

From the above, it can be concluded that 32-bit Windows operating systems will cease to exist in the near future, but 64-bit OS, on the contrary, will work on new PCs for more than one year.

If we look at the processor and OS market in general, we can observe that even mobile OS such as Android And iOS already have 64 bit support. It also follows from this that mobile operating systems will soon not be distributed in 32-bit form. We hope our article will help you choose the best option Windows OS, and will also allow you to determine what bitness the operating system is installed on your computer.

To begin with, let's figure out what is the bit depth (bit depth) of the architecture.

The terms 32-bit and 64-bit refer to the way the computer's processor (CPU) processes information. The 64-bit version of Windows handles large amounts of random access memory (RAM) more efficiently than a 32-bit system. Wikipedia has 2 pages about 32 (x86) and 64 bit architecture:

32 (x86) - processor architecture with the same instruction set, first implemented in Intel processors.
The name is formed from two digits that ended the names of Intel processors of early models - 8086, 80186, 80286 (i286), 80386 (i386), 80486 (i486). During its existence, the set of commands has been constantly expanded, while maintaining compatibility with previous generations.
In addition to Intel, the architecture was also implemented in processors from other manufacturers: AMD, VIA, Transmeta, IDT, etc. Currently, there is another name for the 32-bit version of the architecture - IA-32 (Intel Architecture - 32).
64 is a 64-bit extension, a set of instructions, for the x86 architecture, developed by AMD, which allows you to run programs in 64-bit mode.
It is an extension of the x86 architecture with almost complete backwards compatibility. Microsoft and Oracle use the term "x64" to refer to this instruction set, but the file directory for the architecture is called "amd64" on Microsoft Windows distributions (cf. "i386" for the x86 architecture).
The x86-64 instruction set is currently supported:

AMD - Z-series processors (for example, AMD Z-03), C-series (for example, AMD C-60), G-series (for example, AMD T56N), E-series (for example, AMD E-450), E1 , E2, A4, A6, A8, A10, FX, Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Athlon 64 X2, Athlon II, Phenom, Phenom II, Turion 64, Turion 64 X2, Turion II, Opteron, FX, latest models Sempron;
Intel (with minor simplifications) called "Intel 64" (previously known as "EM64T" and "IA-32e") in later models of Pentium 4 processors, as well as in Pentium D, Pentium Extreme Edition, Celeron D, Celeron G-series , Celeron B-series, Pentium Dual-Core, Pentium T-series, Pentium P-series, Pentium G-series, Pentium B-series, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Extreme, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Atom (by no means all) and Xeon;
VIA - Nano, Eden, QuadCore processors.

Yes, this is hard to understand. I will explain in my own words 64 bit OS architecture is an improved 32 (86) bit architecture. It has newer instruction sets for calculations, and can also work with large amounts of RAM. If we take the Windows OS family, then a 32-bit OS can actually process only 3.2 gigabytes of RAM, and 64-bit theoretically up to 4 terabytes. What does this tell us?

What to choose 32 or 64?

About the fact that it is advisable to install the OS based on the amount of RAM. For example, if you have 3GB of RAM or less, you'd better install a 32-bit system, and if you have more than 3GB, 64-bit is better. But do not forget about what processor you have. In our service, we have long noticed that if the processor has low frequency(from 1 to 2.4 GHz), then the computer runs slowly on a 64-bit OS, even if it has 4 or more GB of RAM installed. According to our service, it is better to install 32-bit systems and no more than 4GB of RAM on such computers. In addition, large manufacturers of laptops with low-frequency processors also install 32-bit systems from the factory, even with 4GB of memory. Installing 64-bit Windows requires a processor capable of running 64-bit Windows. The benefits of using a 64-bit operating system are especially evident when working with large amounts of random access memory (RAM), such as 4 GB or more. In such cases, a 64-bit operating system handles large amounts of memory more efficiently than a 32-bit system. A 64-bit operating system runs faster when running multiple programs at the same time and frequently switching between them. In any case, what to put, you choose, and we will answer your questions below.

How can I tell if my computer is running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows?

In Windows or to determine which version of Windows is running on your computer (32-bit or 64-bit), follow these steps:

Open the System component. To do this, click the Start button, right-click Computer, and select Properties. In Windows 8, open the control panel and go to the system section.

In the System section, you can view the system type.

If your computer is running Windows XP, follow these steps.

Click the Start button.

If the window that appears does not say "x64 Edition", your computer is running a 32-bit version of Windows XP.
If the System section says "x64 Edition", your computer is running a 64-bit version of Windows XP.

How can I determine whether a computer can run a 64-bit version of Windows?

For a computer to run a 64-bit version of Windows, it must have a 64-bit processor. To find out if the processor supports 64-bit computing in Windows, follow these steps.

Type in the search MSINFO, or

Open the "Performance counters and tools" section. To do this, click the Start button and select the Control Panel component (at 8 we immediately go to the control panel). In the search box, type Performance Counters and Tools, and then select Performance Counters and Tools from the list of results.

Perform one of the following actions.

For Windows, select the option to Display and print detailed computer and system performance information.

In the System section, you can see what type of operating system is being used (in the System type section) and whether it is possible to use a 64-bit version of Windows (in the 64-bit support section). (If your computer is already running a 64-bit version of Windows, the 64-bit support section is not displayed.)

To determine whether a computer running Windows XP can run a 64-bit version of Windows, follow these steps:

Click the Start button.

Right-click My Computer and select Properties.

If the System section contains "x64 Edition", the processor is capable of running the 64-bit version of Windows.
If there is no "x64 Edition" label, the processor may also be compatible with 64-bit versions of Windows. To pinpoint this possibility, download and run the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

Can I upgrade from 32-bit Windows to 64-bit Windows, or upgrade from 64-bit Windows to 32-bit Windows?

If you want to migrate from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows, or vice versa, you should back up your files and select complete installation Windows. Then you need to restore the files and reinstall the programs.

Notes

To install a 64-bit version of Windows on a computer that is running a 32-bit version of Windows, you will need to boot your computer using the 64-bit Windows installation disc or files.

If a computer booted using a 64-bit version of Windows installation disc or files does not support a similar version of Windows, a Windows Boot Manager error message will be displayed. Instead, you will need to use the installation disc or files of the 32-bit version of Windows.

Transfer Tool Windows Data does not move files from 64-bit Windows to 32-bit Windows. If you are using a 64-bit version of Windows XP, you will need to manually transfer the files to external media.

Can I run 32-bit programs and drivers on a 64-bit computer?

Most programs created for 32-bit versions of Windows will also work on 64-bit versions of Windows. Some antiviruses are exceptions.

Device drivers designed for 32-bit versions of Windows do not work on computers running 64-bit versions of Windows. If you try to install a printer or other device with a 32-bit driver, it will not work correctly on 64-bit Windows.

Can I run 64-bit programs and drivers on a 32-bit computer?

If a program is specifically designed to run on a 64-bit version of Windows, it will not run on a 32-bit version of Windows. (However, most programs designed for 32-bit versions of Windows also work on 64-bit versions of Windows.)

Device drivers designed for 64-bit versions of Windows do not work on computers running 32-bit versions of Windows.

Do I need 64-bit device drivers when running 64-bit Windows?

Yes. All devices require 64-bit drivers to run on 64-bit Windows. Drivers designed for 32-bit versions of Windows do not work on computers running 64-bit versions of Windows.

What are the disadvantages of 64 bit Windows?

Stupid with a small amount of RAM.
It is difficult to find drivers for older devices, such as printers, scanners, TV tuners, etc.
Some old programs and games do not work on 64 bit architecture.
Some older Windows, such as Windows 7 Starter, cannot run on a 64-bit system.

Well, that's all we wanted to tell in this article, we hope you make the right choice! If you need good computer advice click on the link and learn more about your computer.

If we missed something in the article, write to us in the comments and we will add it. And also, if the material was useful to you don't skimp on likes!