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General discussion

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

May 6, 2010 11:18PM PDT

Hello,
I am about to upgrade my Windows Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 and i am wondering if i can upgrade to 62-bit system..
I have:
Inter Core 2 DUO E6750 @ 2.66GHz
4GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO 512MB
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit

Thanks

Discussion is locked

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I'll say no
May 6, 2010 11:28PM PDT

I'll say no, since it requires a clean install. To me that's not really an upgrade.

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Well, yes and no...
May 7, 2010 2:05AM PDT

Jimmy is right, you will need to do a custom installation meaning that your files, programs, and settings will not be saved. You will want to back up to an external hard drive before installing.

However, since you are moving from Vista to Windows 7, you can purchase the upgrade version of Windows 7 (rather than the full retail version).

So, yes you can purchase the upgrade version, but you have to do a custom (or clean) installation to move from Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit. - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/upgrading-to-windows-7-frequently-asked-questions.

Cheers,
Cassandra

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64-bit
May 7, 2010 2:22AM PDT

Ok..
But does my pc support 64-bit?

EDIT(to first post):
3gb RAM

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Yes
May 7, 2010 2:54AM PDT

Yes. And for the record, you could have simply Googled this or hit Wikipedia or Intel's website. You could have even just thrown the disc in the drive and found out what happened in person. Either it'd work or it wouldn't. It might have ended in failure, but you would have learned something in the process. Honestly, that's the way every single computer expert I know learned the bulk of what they know. They had a sense of curiosity and weren't afraid to explore it, even if things blew up in their face a few times. Even if you don't have any desire to become a tech expert, it can't hurt to try a few things now and then. And having at least some basic skill with computers can save you a lot of money by spotting someone trying to rip you off on repairs.

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Thanks
May 7, 2010 3:24AM PDT

Okey
Thanks for the advice Happy

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Can I upgrade Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit?
May 7, 2010 11:35AM PDT

You must do a Clean Install. You can not do an upgrade from a 32-bit Windows O/S to a 64-bit Windows O/S.

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It depends
May 7, 2010 12:18PM PDT

Hi,

I believe that you require a 64-bit processor in order to use an x64 O/S.

I'm not even sure if a 64-bit processor will support a 32-bit O/S...

So, if you have 32-bit Vista O/S, your computer probably has a 32-bit processor.

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Vista 32 bit update to windows 7 64 bit
May 7, 2010 12:40PM PDT

Ok.you can update to windpws 7 64 bit.But I think your display adapter should be updated to less ATI Radeon 4800 series.
In preesnt,my windows 7 (64 bit) system is already operated no less than 8 months. Performance of the operatiom system (64 bit) is steady

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Vista 32 bit update to windows 7 64 bit
May 7, 2010 12:43PM PDT

Ok. you can update to windows 7 64 bit. But I think your display adapter should be updated to less ATI Radeon 4800 series.
In present, my windows 7 (64 bit) system is already operated no less than 8 months. Performance of the operation system (64 bit) is steady

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A Qualified Yes
May 7, 2010 10:48PM PDT

Your computer probably is able to be upgraded to Vista 64 but with so many caveats that you might want to rethink your desire to do so.

First, you will need to obtain the appropriate 64-bit drivers for all of your hardware and peripherals. In some cases, if any of your stuff is more than about five years old (and in some cases even younger), this might become complicated and you might need to spend some time seeking out third-party support (believe it or not, there are geeks out there who, just for pleasure, write new 64-bit drivers for "legacy" peripherals).

Second, you will need to do a complete wipe-and-load, of course after saving all your data to some form of external backup media.

Third, you will have to reinstall and reconfigure ALL of your software applications, and some of those may require updates that you will have to pay (again) for.

All this will get you very little benefit over Vista 32-bit, a very unjustly maligned but extremely reliable and capable O/S. Indeed, the similarities between 7 and Vista are so minor that 7 should have been released as a Vista service pack, in my opinion.

I'd wait before I go to 7/64 until I need a new PC if I were you.

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A Qualified Yes-More Info
May 8, 2010 1:31AM PDT

We need to be careful here in using the word upgrade. If a person means "Is it possible for my computer to run a certain operating system?" when they ask can my system be upgraded, that means one thing. It means is their microprocessor capable of running a certain operating system, in this case the 64-bit version of Windows 7. In the case of an Intel chip this is known as an X86 capability. You can easily find out if your microprocessor has this capability by going to the Start button, then All Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools and then System Information, and then scrolling down until you see the line that says X86. A second method is if you know your exact processor make and model, you can go to its manufacturer's website and find out if the chip is capable of 64-bit instructions. That is the first meeting of the term "upgrade".
The second meaning of upgrade, is "Can I pop in the DVD and install the O/S without losing any of my old programs or settings?" That is a very different meaning. According to Microsoft you can not "upgrade" from a 32-bit system to a 64-bit operating system. So you cannot go from Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit without doing a Clean Install which wipes out everything on your drive and then you rebuild it with the new operating system. If you go this route you'll want to back up everything you want to keep, and you will have to reinstall all of your programs. Microsoft has a chart which lists the so-called "upgrade path" for all of its O/Ss. You can Google for it. "Windows 7 upgrade chart" found it for me. I hope this clarifies things for you.

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also...
May 13, 2010 6:17AM PDT

You forgot the third meaning of upgrade; does the Windows 7 license for the free or paid upgrade allow the 32 to 64 bit change? The answer is yes in both cases. Also, a single W7 license allows either 32 or 64 bit installation. I vaguely recall that once you install W7, technically, you're not "allowed" to change it from 32 to 64 or back, even with a new clean install, but there really isn't any way for them to stop you or enforce it.

Aside from the 32 vs. 64 bit question, you can also download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if your system is Windows 7 ready.

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Re: Can I upgrade Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit?
May 8, 2010 9:54AM PDT

Yes, all you need is the right type of CPU and enough RAM, I use an Athlon 2.2GHz dual core CPU, with 2Gb RAM, it runs OK.