Windows 7 32-bit version question

Running XP home 32-bit and was wondering if can upgrade to Windows 7
32-bit version (Does it come in 32-bit)?

Lot of my programs will not run on 64-bit and do not want to find
replacements.

Thanks.

On 29/12/2011 10:32 PM, kraut / larry stark wrote:
>
> Running XP home 32-bit and was wondering if can upgrade to Windows 7
> 32-bit version (Does it come in 32-bit)?

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_versions

"There is no direct way to upgrade from XP. "

> Lot of my programs will not run on 64-bit and do not want to find
> replacements.
>
> Thanks.

I think you need to ask yourself why you want to put a new OS on your
existing machine. Is it so that you can run new software? Doesn't sound
like it. The main advantage of W7 over XP is that it's much more secure.
If your existing software serves your needs, I'd keep XP, and install W7
on a separate partition (or even a new hard drive, they're cheap these
days). Use W7 for the internet, and disconnect the XP side of the
machine from the web (except maybe for updates:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389). This way you can migrate from
XP to W7 gradually, as updated versions of your software become available.

A 64-bit OS can run 32-bit programs, but not vice versa. I use W7 Pro
64-bit, and I haven't had a problem yet. AIUI, the only downside of
doing this is wasted data-width, because the OS fetches 32-bit
instructions but uses 64-bit wide data path. If there are glitches, you
can set W7 to run an older program in "compatibility mode".

HTH
Wolf K.

PS: I kept XP on this machine, because there's no W7 driver for my
ancient but extremely reliable b/w laser printer.

"kraut / larry stark" <> wrote in message news:...
>
> Running XP home 32-bit and was wondering if can upgrade to Windows 7
> 32-bit version (Does it come in 32-bit)?
>
> Lot of my programs will not run on 64-bit and do not want to find
> replacements.
>
> Thanks.

There is no direct upgrade from XP to 7. It's a clean install with a folder that keeps your old XP programs/settings
(very simply put). Do a search through this newsgroup and you'll find numerous articles regarding it. Also, on the web,
there are a number of sites that discuss the method. Even the Microsoft sites have in-depth instructions on how to do
it. Google/Bing/Yahoo can be your friend :-)
--
SC Tom

Hi, Kraut.

Why ask us here when it is so easy to get the official word straight from
Microsoft (click on Compare):
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...-top-questions

But, yes, all Win7 versions come in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and all
but Home Basic include both discs. You'll get the two discs and a single
Product Key; install whichever version you want and use that one key to
activate it.

Most 32-bit programs run fine in 64-bit Win7. Are you sure your programs
won't? If you list the names of a few of them, someone here should be able
to advise you.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2011 (Build 15.4.3538.0513) in Win7 Ultimate x64 SP1


"kraut / larry stark" wrote in message
news:...

Running XP home 32-bit and was wondering if can upgrade to Windows 7
32-bit version (Does it come in 32-bit)?

Lot of my programs will not run on 64-bit and do not want to find
replacements.

Thanks.

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:08:58 -0500, Wolf K <>
wrote:

>If your existing software serves your needs, I'd keep XP, and install W7
>on a separate partition (or even a new hard drive, they're cheap these
>days).

Maybe not so cheap. :-)
Some hard drive prices rose approximately 400% as a result of the
flooding in Thailand earlier in the year and are just now coming down
to where they are 'only' 300% above what they were.

--

Char Jackson

Wolf K wrote:
> On 29/12/2011 10:32 PM, kraut / larry stark wrote:
>>
>> Running XP home 32-bit and was wondering if can upgrade to Windows 7
>> 32-bit version (Does it come in 32-bit)?
>
> See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_versions
>
> "There is no direct way to upgrade from XP. "
>
>> Lot of my programs will not run on 64-bit and do not want to find
>> replacements.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
> I think you need to ask yourself why you want to put a new OS on your
> existing machine. Is it so that you can run new software? Doesn't sound
> like it. The main advantage of W7 over XP is that it's much more secure.
> If your existing software serves your needs, I'd keep XP, and install W7
> on a separate partition (or even a new hard drive, they're cheap these
> days). Use W7 for the internet, and disconnect the XP side of the
> machine from the web (except maybe for updates:
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389). This way you can migrate from
> XP to W7 gradually, as updated versions of your software become available.
>
> A 64-bit OS can run 32-bit programs, but not vice versa. I use W7 Pro
> 64-bit, and I haven't had a problem yet. AIUI, the only downside of
> doing this is wasted data-width, because the OS fetches 32-bit
> instructions but uses 64-bit wide data path.

Not necessarily true. The new Intel processors have pretty much made
64-bit programs far more efficient than than the older 32-bit Intel
programs. In 64-bit mode the excessive use of push and pop parameters
onto a stack held in memory is pretty much eliminated.
By using the internal registers, or doing register-to-register moves, is
quite a bit faster than the wasted clock cycles of moving a parameter
out into memory. The extra registers are only found at the 64-bit mode
and can't be used in the 32-bit mode. Intel is one of the odd balls out
there that do this. If windows were running on an IBM FX-970 processor,
then running a program in 32-bit mode would be slightly faster than the
same program built to 64-bit specifications... especially the small
programs. Both of their 32-bit and 64-bit processors can run the same
program provided that the program doesn't go out of the 4Gb memory range.
For Intel, it is the other way around.

> If there are glitches, you
> can set W7 to run an older program in "compatibility mode".
>
> HTH
> Wolf K.
>
> PS: I kept XP on this machine, because there's no W7 driver for my
> ancient but extremely reliable b/w laser printer.


--
"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument."
William G. McAdoo.
American Government official (1863-1941).

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:32:49 -0500, kraut / larry stark <>
wrote:

>
>Running XP home 32-bit and was wondering if can upgrade to Windows 7
>32-bit version (Does it come in 32-bit)?
>
>Lot of my programs will not run on 64-bit and do not want to find
>replacements.

Only if you downgrade to Vista first.

You can't upgrade directly from XP to 7.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:47:19 -0600, "R. C. White" <>
wrote:

>Hi, Kraut.
>
>Why ask us here when it is so easy to get the official word straight from
>Microsoft (click on Compare):
>http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...-top-questions
>
>But, yes, all Win7 versions come in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and all
>but Home Basic include both discs. You'll get the two discs and a single
>Product Key; install whichever version you want and use that one key to
>activate it.
>
>Most 32-bit programs run fine in 64-bit Win7. Are you sure your programs
>won't? If you list the names of a few of them, someone here should be able
>to advise you.
>
>RC

Thanks R. C.

Maybe instead of asking about "Upgrading" to W7 32-bit I should have
just asked if W7 came in 32-bit version.

I forgot that a person has to word questions just so to just get a
direct answer and not all the opinions that people think they need to
give.

Thanks again R. C.

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:32:49 -0500, kraut / larry stark
<> wrote:

>
>Running XP home 32-bit and was wondering if can upgrade to Windows 7
>32-bit version (Does it come in 32-bit)?
>
>Lot of my programs will not run on 64-bit and do not want to find
>replacements.
>
>Thanks.
You have to check your hardware is up to snuff. Can you put 4 gigs of ram
in your mobo ? 32 bit will only use about 3.2 gigs of it, but you still
want 4 gigs.
You have to make sure your cpu is 64 bit capable for 64 bit win 7.
If your old programs are 16 bit, you would have to get the Pro version
and run XP in virtual mode.
I have some 10 year old 32 bit programs that run fine on 64 bit win 7.


KenW

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:32:49 -0500, kraut / larry stark
<> wrote:

>
> Running XP home 32-bit and was wondering if can upgrade to Windows 7
> 32-bit version


No. You can use an Upgrade version of Windows 7, but an upgrade is not
possible. You must do a clean installation with it.


> (Does it come in 32-bit)?


Yes.


Also note that if you move from XP to Windows 7, you may find that
there are no Windows 7 drivers for some of your hardware.. It's wise
to check all of that out in advance.


> Lot of my programs will not run on 64-bit and do not want to find
> replacements.


What programs? With the exception of some utilities, very few programs
will not run on 64-bit Windows 7. But note that you need a 64-bit
computer to run 64-bit Windows, and only few computers of the Windows
XP era were 64-bit.