32 bit or not?

[bogart]

Have just installed Windows 7 using the 32 bit disk. When I look in the system details it tells me it is a 64 bit operating system, am I missing something?

Regards

[directhex]

Do you have a c:\windows\syswow64 folder? or c:\program files (x86)?

[kingpotnoodle]

Have just installed Windows 7 using the 32 bit disk. When I look in the system details it tells me it is a 64 bit operating system, am I missing something?

Regards

Retail disks have both versions usually IIRC, if system properties says 64bit then that's what you have installed...

Why would you only install the 32bit anyway? Unless you have an old CPU such as Pentium-M, Core Duo, Athlon XP, most Pentium IV, certain Atoms etc, in which case the 64bit wouldn't install anyway.

Any recent processor is 64bit, and you should use the 64bit Windows so you can install more than 3GB RAM (and for most uses you need 3+GB).

[bogart]

Do you have a c:\windows\syswow64 folder? or c:\program files (x86)?

I have both.

[bogart]

Retail disks have both versions usually IIRC, if system properties says 64bit then that's what you have installed...

Why would you only install the 32bit anyway? Unless you have an old CPU such as Pentium-M, Core Duo, Athlon XP, most Pentium IV, certain Atoms etc, in which case the 64bit wouldn't install anyway.

Any recent processor is 64bit, and you should use the 64bit Windows so you can install more than 3GB RAM (and for most uses you need 3+GB).

Only loaded the 32bit version as have a few programs that won't run under the 64 bit OS.

[directhex]

I have both.

Then you're on 64-bit.

[bogart]

Would agree but how the hell did I manage it using the 32 bit disk. Am 100% certain was 32 bit disk.

[TheAnimus]

I thought they only did discs with both versions on?

Why on earth would you want just 32bit? Its 2011.......

[Skinleech]

I thought they only did discs with both versions on?

Why on earth would you want just 32bit? Its 2011.......

My Home Premium came with 2 disks, 1 for each. I don't think the boot code for 64bit will work on a system that only supports 32bit, so in that case the disk wouldn't boot to allow a 32 bit install if it had 64bit files present. I could be wrong of course.

[bogart]

It's all a bit odd maybe because it sees the Quad CPU and says as it's a 64bit processor I will load the 64 bit op system, who knows anyway it loaded okay and so far all is running fine. Thanks for the replies guys.

[directhex]

I thought they only did discs with both versions on?

OEM is only 1 version on the disc.

[Brewster0101]

I can think of one reason to use 32 bit version, so you can use 32 bit version of Outlook 32bit and sync with HTC sync software - this still does not work on office 2010 x64

[pipTheGeek]

I can think of one reason to use 32 bit version, so you can use 32 bit version of Outlook 32bit and sync with HTC sync software - this still does not work on office 2010 x64

Just install 32-bit Office on the 64-bit OS. Microsoft actually recommend that you only install 64bit office if you have a specific requirement to work with VERY LARGE files. All normal people should use 32bit Office, regardless of how many bits are in their OS.

[Brewster0101]

Just install 32-bit Office on the 64-bit OS. Microsoft actually recommend that you only install 64bit office if you have a specific requirement to work with VERY LARGE files. All normal people should use 32bit Office, regardless of how many bits are in their OS.

Really, I never knew that would work.. Work are going to get a request for Office 2010 32 bit tomorrow from me.

[kalniel]

Really, I never knew that would work.. Work are going to get a request for Office 2010 32 bit tomorrow from me.

64bit windows is perfectly capable of running 32bit apps (thanks to AMD's inclusion of 32bit instructions in their 64bit instruction set, which as a result became far more popular than Intel's, so we're all now using the AMD set), it's 16bit ones that can't be run, which some older 32bit based programs used for things like installers etc.

[watercooled]

Other reasons you would want to use 32 bit - if you have some ancient drivers of which there are no 64-bit versions or if you have a system with a small amount of RAM (e.g. 1GB), a netbook for instance, as the 64-bit version does use a bit more RAM. Other than that, there's no reason at all to stay with 32-bit, it's only there for legacy purposes really.