W7 32 on x64 processors

Hi All,

Sorry for the basic question, but will the 32-bit version of Windows 7 run on a x64 machine?

Yes, but if you have 4GB of RAM or more, the system can only reference (use) the first 3.25GB and you can not use programs that are written for 64-bit.

Windows 7: 64 bit vs 32 bit?

Thanks TrainableMan,

W7 is a whole new thing to me. Just starting to look into it.

If you are thinking of upgrading an existing computer's OS then you should download and run the W7 Upgrade Advisor as it will tell you many of the issues you may face with upgrading your existing hardware and software.

If you do upgrade then understand that upgrading from XP requires a complete reinstall of all your software and although upgrade-in-place is supported from Vista it is still usually more stable to do the total reinstall.

As for your user logons and data, these can be relatively easily backed up and restored using Windows Easy Transfer (WET) which is included in W7 and downloadable for XP and Vista.

Note that some things are definitely different and can be frustrating to new converts. If you are using the classic menus (supported since Win 98) you will no longer be able to do so. Also, Windows Explorer is a bit different, the search is embedded rather than a separate window and directories are automatically sorted; in XP you could turn off "Sort By" and then drag and drop pictures (etc) in any order you wish, now they automatically sort back to whatever field is set (normally alphabetical by name).

Personally I like W7 now but I wasn't thrilled with the learning curve from XP in the beginning. If I had known I may have not upgraded but instead waited until I bought a new computer that came with W7. On the other hand, if you are upgrading from Vista the drastic changes are smaller and I think the improvements do encourage the switch.

bbl, welcome to the forum!

The 32 bit version of Win 7 will run perfectly fine on 64 bit hardware, as long as you have the correct drivers. Some components has different drivers for 32 bit OS's, even if it's the same version of Windows.

TM covered the bases quite well. I highly recommend to you that if you have 4GB or higher of RAM, go with 64 bit. If you have 4GB RAM, the 32 bit OS will only be able to use around 3.25GB of it, and out of that, at least 256MB will be used for your video card on a modern computer, leaving only 3GB for your OS & programs.

That's where the .75GB of extra RAM is missed. With 64 bit, you have all of your installed RAM, up to 16GB using Home Premium, up to 192GB in Pro/Enterprise/Ultimate.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/m...windows-7/4254

Of course, for most home users, 16GB is overkill, but there's many members here who has between 6 to 8GB. 4GB is considered the "sweet spot" for installed RAM for a typical home user, and in most of my usage, it covers me quite well.

However, if you have 3GB RAM or less, and your computer's installed RAM is maxed out, then the 32 bit version will do. There will be no performance increase by installing the 64 bit Win 7, in fact, if the installed RAM is less than 2GB, it's not advised to install 64 bit, period.

I feel that you'll like Windows 7 over whichever previous version of Windows that you're currently using, as long as you have a good install (correct drivers & all) on a healthy computer. I picked up on it (& 64 bit) fairly fast, and as long as you're not afraid of change, you should be OK.

If you need any assistance, always feel free to come back, there's plenty of knowledgeable Windows 7 users on board here.

Best of Luck,
Cat

Hello TM & Cat,

Thanks so much for the insights, guys.

The planned route is a full install on a new machine (which I have not as yet assembled or purchased). This way I'll have more options on processor, memory & such.

...Can't believe I'll finally part with the classic menus, I've used those since they became available. Seven is definitely going to have a different look than expected!

Thanks for the all the good info on drivers and memory.

...Really glad I've found this forum.

All the best,
BBL