Windows 7 Ultimate 32- bit to 64-bit

[lewwarren]

How much trouble is it to go from 32-bit to 64-bit after upgrading from Vista Ultimate 32-bit to Windows 7 Ultimate 32- bit?

Thanks.

 

[Nibiru2012]

How much trouble is it to go from 32-bit to 64-bit after upgrading from Vista Ultimate 32-bit to Windows 7 Ultimate 32- bit?

Thanks.

You'll have to do a clean install. There is no upgrade to go from 32 bit to 64 bit.

Did you buy upgrade disks or retail? Do you have both the 32 and 64 bit discs?

Make sure you have all the 64 bit drivers for your hardware before installing the 64 bit OS.

You CAN use an upgrade disc to do a clean install with. You'll have to do it as a boot-up from re-start. Be sure your DVD drive is set as the 1st boot device in your system BIOS.

 

[clifford_cooley]

Hello lewwarren - Welcome to w7forums

If your ultimate goal is to go from 32-Bit to a 64-Bit there is not any need in upgrading from Windows Vista 32-Bit to Windows 7 32-Bit. In the end it will be a clean install of Windows 7 64-Bit. So you might as well skip the upgrade and simply do the clean install of Windows 7 64-Bit

 

[ljr]

32 bit Vista to 64 bit Win.7 directly "clean" install

Have Lenovo Y530 3GbRam,250 GB HD, Nvidia card. Tried to avoid going the long route: Install 32bit upgrade to Win7m 32, then 32 to 64 win7. Went to 64 bit first, setting up partitons for the 64 install...and I've had nothing but problems. Can't tranfer apps and files from 32 Vista; installed Office in Win7 64 and my word docs end up looking Cyrillic and locked into WordPad. Did Use USB to transfer stuff, but no good. In addition, all Lenovo software is lost (came w/ the laptop). What have I done, OH MY!, OH MY.
Been keeping my stuff up to date on my Vista partition so it's not been the disaster it could have been and I did back up the files.

Any advise as to what went wrong?

Thanks.

 

[Nibiru2012]

It sounds like things are rather mucked up. It would be best to just do a clean install now, if you cannot recover any files from the Vista section. You cannot do an upgrade to x64 from x86 OS. It just won't work, that's why everyone does a clean install when going from an x86 OS to an x64 OS. Drivers and other stuff are not compatible. YOU CAN run 32 bit software on an x64 OS since an x86 Programs Folder is installed by the install disc.

You probably really don't need any Lenovo software anyway. Make sure your DVD drive is the first bootable drive and put in your x64 install disc and press any key when prompted by the screen. Wipe out all partitions, re-format the hard drive, install any new partitions you want and go from there. It's really not that hard, it just gets confusing if you've never done it.

 

[ljr]

Thank you Niburu2012. At the moment, I can dual boot either into 32 Vista or to 64 Win7. This allows me to keep my stuff updated, etc. Do you mean that I shld clean install in the Win 7 sector then re-format hard drive, new partitons etc..or do you mean all of the HD including Vista sector? Do I understand your advice correctly?

Not sure my question is making sense but my degree of partitioning knowledge and 32-64 environments very limited.

I have been thinking going from my current Vista 32 to Win7 32 bit and then to Win 7 64 bit using clean boots in each case. Is this an option? In such a case, what happens to the present installed Win 7 in the second sector that is failing me now? How do I clear the defective Win 7 from the HD under my proposed scenario? Reformat that first, then follow my plan?Does that make sense? Will the later course clear the HD of the unwanted stuff and free up the capacity? I'm operarting somewhat in the wilderness here.
Hope all this make sense to you?

Thanks and most grateful for any help.

 

[ljr]

NIburu2012:

Don't know if this info helps. Did try to clean install Win7 64 over Vista 32, but got " Installation not comaptiblwe with your version of Windows" etc" msg.

Does this help?

 

[Nibiru2012]

Thank you Niburu2012. At the moment, I can dual boot either into 32 Vista or to 64 Win7. This allows me to keep my stuff updated, etc. Do you mean that I shld clean install in the Win 7 sector then re-format hard drive, new partitons etc..or do you mean all of the HD including Vista sector? Do I understand your advice correctly?

Not sure my question is making sense but my degree of partitioning knowledge and 32-64 environments very limited.
I guarantee you that you'll definitely know more when you're done with all this. LOL

I have been thinking going from my current Vista 32 to Win7 32 bit and then to Win 7 64 bit using clean boots in each case. Is this an option?
Yes, it is. But go directly from Vista 32 to Win 7 64 bit. The route you suggest is not necessary.

In such a case, what happens to the present installed Win 7 in the second sector that is failing me now?
Install the Win 7 64 to that partition. Use Partition Wizard to reformat it.

How do I clear the defective Win 7 from the HD under my proposed scenario?
Reformat that first, then follow your plan. Yes, that makes sense

Will the later course clear the HD of the unwanted stuff and free up the capacity?
Yes, it should free up some capacity. A total re-format of the hard drive and a clean install of Windows 7 x64 will work the best for you though.
I'm operarting somewhat in the wilderness here.
We all started out in the wilderness, believe me!

Hope all this make sense to you?
It does, your just trying to do what you feel is best. As I said before, if you can do without the Vista OS then do an entire re-format of your hard drive and install Windows 7 x64. It will run much better and be more responsive.
It is a pain in the a** to do a clean install, and then have to re-install all you favorite software but you will notice a difference. Also, if you would list your computer specs in the USER CP section, it will help others here to guide you if you need help with drivers and such.

Thanks and most grateful for any help.

You can re-format the Windows 7 partition and do a clean install on it. That should work.

To just re-format the partitions you want to keep, download a copy of Partition Wizard. Its a free program, you can install it to Windows or you can download the CD bootable ISO image and burn it to a CD or CD-RW. You can get it here.

About Partition Wizard

• Partition Wizard is a Windows based partition manager.
  
  
  
• It supports both MBR and GUID partition table format running on 32/64 bits Operating System including Windows XP, Vista, Windows Server 2000/2003/2008, and Windows 7. Working as partition magic, Partition Wizard provides powerful and professional functions to manage partition including Move/Resize Partition, Copy Partition, Create Partition, Delete Partition, Format Partition, Convert File System, Hide/Unhide Partition, Explore Partition, Partition Recovery and much more.
  Partition Wizard allow home users, business users, and system administrators to easily perform partition operations safely and quickly. The Enhanced Data Protecting technology keeps your data safe even in cases of power outages or hardware failure.
• Partition Wizard is provided absolutely FREE OF CHARGE for homes and businesses.
  Partition Wizard is optimized and divided into Home, Business, Server, and Enterprise Edition.

Partition Wizard Bootable CD

Partition Wizard Bootable CD allows user to boot computer directly into Partition Wizard to manage partitions. Features including Rebuild MBR, Partition Recovery, Move/Resize Partition, Copy Partition, Create Partition, Delete Partition, Format Partition, Convert File System, Hide/Unhide Partition, Explore Partition...


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Do you want to keep your Vista partition? If not, wipe everything clean and do a clean install of the Windows x64 OS.


Be sure you have downloaded all the 64 bit drivers you may need for your graphics card, network card, printer and other hardware. Put the drivers on a thumb drive or external hard drive or a CD-RW.


GOOD LUCK! Keep us posted how things went.

 

[ljr]

Thanks again Nibiru2012. have been mulling over what to do. Want to go the "clean" route...except for one worry. My DVD is an "Upgrade" by which Microsoft is telling us you must have a recognized previous version (Vista or XP) before it allows upgrading.

If I clean install (i.e.; reformat and repartition, erase all data), will I be allowed to install Win 7 in any one of the bit formats? Am I opening myself up to other headaches with a clean install?

This was a problem with one of the posters I think. Can't remember when I read it.

 

[Nibiru2012]

From Paul Thurrott's website about Clean Install with upgrade media. It is definitely possible as many have done it so far. Look below for a link to read the entire article.

Method #1: Boot with the Upgrade Setup media

Many, many readers report that they have been able to simply treat the Windows 7 Upgrade media as if it were Full media, and that it just works. And you know what? It doesn't hurt to simply try this method, because if it doesn't work, you can then try methods 2 and then 3, in order, afterwards. There is no downside to trying this.

Here's what you do. Insert the Windows 7 Upgrade DVD in your PC's optical disc, reboot the computer, boot off the DVD, and then follow the steps to install Windows 7. If you are installing onto a computer that already has another version of Windows, be sure to back everything up first.

After Windows 7 is set up, and you've booted into the desktop, run Windows Update, download any pending updates, reboot as needed, and repeat until there are no more updates. Then, type activate in Start Menu Search to bring up the Activate Windows utility. Type in your product key and attempt to activate Windows.
If it works, you're all set. You're done. Congratulations.

Read Full Article HERE.

 

[ljr]

Tnx Nibiru. One more point of clarification:

If the clean and install upgrade does not work, will the system return to its original state i.e. Vista 32?

Want to know what I can expect 'fore I make the decision.

A further question. Am I right to think I can reformat win.7 64 now in another sector of HD w/o affecting the Vista sector? It's the same HD... thus the reason for the query?

Is a virtual drive treated as if it were a separate piece of hardware...a second installed HD?

 

[Nibiru2012]

If the clean and install upgrade does not work, will the system return to its original state i.e. Vista 32?

No, since you have cleaned the hard drive, you'll have to re-install Vista 32 again.

Want to know what I can expect 'fore I make the decision.

That's understandable. I believe once you go to Windows 7 x64 you won't regret it.

A further question. Am I right to think I can reformat win.7 64 now in another sector of HD w/o affecting the Vista sector? It's the same HD... thus the reason for the query?

Yes, you'll be able to do that. It should not cause any problems.

Is a virtual drive treated as if it were a separate piece of hardware...a second installed HD?

Yes, that's the reason some people use it, so they can test different operating systems.

 

[ljr]

niburu2012

Happy to report now in 64 bit Windows 7. Have to thank dumb luck tho' in a way. Went the to reformat old bad installed Windows 7 in that portion of its HD separate sector supposing it would free it up and give me back full resources. Fiddled a bit with Part.Wiz. reformat command...didn't seem to do anything, fiddled more and then tho't why not wipe partitions which is what I did, wondering of course if it meant wiping all sectors of the HD. But in for a penny, in for a pound.. and found of course the whole of the HD was wiped clean. So had to do a clean install perforce and all choice gone...it is what I did. (Vista came installed on my laptop w/o parent disc.)

Had to call Microsoft tho' to activate as I have 7 Upgrade disc . Still after being kicked around several support people ( located in India), finally got a chap who I had less difficulty understanding,( problem worsened by bad hearing,) who tackled the activation nicely. Not as simple as what some Forum posters suggested tho'....but any way ...success.

What you say is quite right. 64 , faster; still not certain I have all 64 drivers. Win 7 not entirely proprietary compatible with my printer hardware. Have AIO 6400 HP and old 970cxi. They haven't provided software yet AOI...but I can still use it using Win 7's driver and works wireless easily. 970 works ..using an Intel workup..just...I think. Don't expect HP to update 970 software.

Thanks again Niburu2012

 

[Nibiru2012]

I'm glad everything worked out for ya!

Enjoy Windows 7!