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skim234
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
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 Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:34 am Post subject: Changing 32-bit to 64-bit Windows 7? |
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| My father just visited me and brought me a Gateway notebook cpu that came with Windows 7 pre-installed. There are no discs, as it came with no optical drive. I do have an external DVD-Rom drive though. Is it possible for me to upgrade from 32 to 64 bit without having to buy a full version? TIA |
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orosee
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:19 am Post subject: |
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Well you can do a fresh install of x64 over the currently installed x86, but that's not an upgrade per se (that's how you write it!). You can get an x64 image from the internet but without a DVD burner that won't help much. All you need to be legal is the license code, it should be printed on/glued to the underside of the computer. If not then that's odd but there are tools that can retrieve this code from the registry, just google "magic jellybean" and there you go.
I don't know if you can copy the disk contents to the hard drive (you'll need a second partition) and install from there, again maybe just google "windows 7 install from hard drive" or similar.
Perhaps the computer has a recovery partition that holds both x86 and x64 versions? Check the CPU first if it is able to run 64 bit OS.
Can you find a "backup disk" maybe at Yongsan? As I said, the license is in the activation code, not in the disk. So you would be legal if you install the version of WIndows 7 (e.g. Home Pro) that is already on your computer, but with the x64 option.
I pretty much did it this way myself (internet download etc.) but I have a DVD burner in my comp.
Good luck, Windows 7 is nice. BTW if you are not sure that you need x64, leave it as it is. Some of my most used software (Paintshop Pro 7) doesn't run on W7x64  |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 3:29 am Post subject: |
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| Windows 7 is very nice, but if I were any owner of Vista, I'd be hard-pressed to bother updating. I'd probably just turn off some Vista features I don't want, and use some web tweaks to speed it up a bit. Actually, that's what Windows 7 feels like, save for a few little bells/whistles that are convenient, but one can do without. If you're coming from XP, then by all means, upgrade to Windows 7. |
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Darkray16
Joined: 09 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 3:34 am Post subject: |
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| just go download the damn thing. there are activators everywhere and hell there is even a Dell OEM copy going around that doesn't require activation. |
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skim234
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 3:34 am Post subject: |
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| bassexpander wrote: |
| Windows 7 is very nice, but if I were any owner of Vista, I'd be hard-pressed to bother updating. I'd probably just turn off some Vista features I don't want, and use some web tweaks to speed it up a bit. Actually, that's what Windows 7 feels like, save for a few little bells/whistles that are convenient, but one can do without. If you're coming from XP, then by all means, upgrade to Windows 7. |
I'm trying to switch from Windows 7 32-bit to 64. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| skim234 wrote: |
| bassexpander wrote: |
| Windows 7 is very nice, but if I were any owner of Vista, I'd be hard-pressed to bother updating. I'd probably just turn off some Vista features I don't want, and use some web tweaks to speed it up a bit. Actually, that's what Windows 7 feels like, save for a few little bells/whistles that are convenient, but one can do without. If you're coming from XP, then by all means, upgrade to Windows 7. |
I'm trying to switch from Windows 7 32-bit to 64. |
Sorry, had two windows open and got my threads mixed-up. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:59 am Post subject: |
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There's not a big lot of difference between x32 and x64 unless you want to use more than 3.3GB of RAM........Only x64 Windows can use more than 3.3GB of RAM.....
You can't upgrade from x32 to x64 so easy. It will take a new installation. |
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skim234
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:55 am Post subject: |
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| eamo wrote: |
There's not a big lot of difference between x32 and x64 unless you want to use more than 3.3GB of RAM........Only x64 Windows can use more than 3.3GB of RAM.....
You can't upgrade from x32 to x64 so easy. It will take a new installation. |
Which I don't mind, since Gateway likes to cram my stuff with crap. It's still not as bad as Dell. At least I didn't have an AOL free trial. |
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skim234
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| orosee wrote: |
Well you can do a fresh install of x64 over the currently installed x86, but that's not an upgrade per se (that's how you write it!). You can get an x64 image from the internet but without a DVD burner that won't help much. All you need to be legal is the license code, it should be printed on/glued to the underside of the computer. If not then that's odd but there are tools that can retrieve this code from the registry, just google "magic jellybean" and there you go.
I don't know if you can copy the disk contents to the hard drive (you'll need a second partition) and install from there, again maybe just google "windows 7 install from hard drive" or similar.
Perhaps the computer has a recovery partition that holds both x86 and x64 versions? Check the CPU first if it is able to run 64 bit OS.
Can you find a "backup disk" maybe at Yongsan? As I said, the license is in the activation code, not in the disk. So you would be legal if you install the version of WIndows 7 (e.g. Home Pro) that is already on your computer, but with the x64 option.
I pretty much did it this way myself (internet download etc.) but I have a DVD burner in my comp.
Good luck, Windows 7 is nice. BTW if you are not sure that you need x64, leave it as it is. Some of my most used software (Paintshop Pro 7) doesn't run on W7x64 |
Thanks for the info. My cpu is a 1.3 GHZ Pentium dual core, 320 GB, 3 MB RAM. The Gateway EC1430U. Are these good enough specs? I do plan on upgrading ram to 4 GB soon. |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I have both Win7 32 and 64 (the former is on my laptop and the latter is on my desktop). I like Win7, so far, but there is not a lot of difference between the performance of my laptop and desktop. My desktop has the hardware to use 64-bit (such as 3 GHz, 8 GB RAM), but my laptop does not. I would recommend your sticking with the 32-bit (besides, as mentioned before, some software does not operate with 64-bit). |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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| bluelake wrote: |
| I have both Win7 32 and 64 (the former is on my laptop and the latter is on my desktop). I like Win7, so far, but there is not a lot of difference between the performance of my laptop and desktop. My desktop has the hardware to use 64-bit (such as 3 GHz, 8 GB RAM), but my laptop does not. I would recommend your sticking with the 32-bit (besides, as mentioned before, some software does not operate with 64-bit). |
Any software released recently will be fine in the x64 environment.
Now that the industry standard for memory in new PC's is 4GB, every software developer is aware that x64 compatibility is a top priority.
I would imagine that Windows 7 x64 will be the OS installed by default in all PC's and laptops from now on.
The era of 32-bit is coming to an end.....good thing too. |
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spanky1off
Joined: 21 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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just trying to get my head around installing windows 7. and have a couple of questions
if i install on my main hard drive it will wipe everything? i dont mind that in the boot partition...but will it also wipe anything on other partitions?
or is it just like xp and will only effect the boot partition unless i choose to remove extended partitions manually
is gaming compatability affected by whether or not its 32 bit or 64 bit? |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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| spanky1off wrote: |
just trying to get my head around installing windows 7. and have a couple of questions
if i install on my main hard drive it will wipe everything? i dont mind that in the boot partition...but will it also wipe anything on other partitions?
or is it just like xp and will only effect the boot partition unless i choose to remove extended partitions manually
is gaming compatability affected by whether or not its 32 bit or 64 bit? |
If you want to completely replace the previous OS, then you will be given the choice early in the installation process which partition you want to install it on. You can choose to format the partition for the OS. This will wipe everything, but only on that partition.
If you don't format the partition then Windows will keep your old installation (although inoperative) just in case you want it again sometime.
x64 is considered to be a little faster in gaming than x32.......but you will have to make sure that the game you install has an x64 executable file to click, or you will just be playing the game in x32 even though you have x64 Windows.
The biggest advantage of gaming in x64 Windows is that you can install 4/6/8/12/16 GB of RAM and therefore the PC can load all the game into your RAM rather than get it more slowly from your HDD. General gameplay will be more stable and speedy. |
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spanky1off
Joined: 21 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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| cheers matey...much appreciated |
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martypants
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ulsan, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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| eamo wrote: |
| bluelake wrote: |
| I have both Win7 32 and 64 (the former is on my laptop and the latter is on my desktop). I like Win7, so far, but there is not a lot of difference between the performance of my laptop and desktop. My desktop has the hardware to use 64-bit (such as 3 GHz, 8 GB RAM), but my laptop does not. I would recommend your sticking with the 32-bit (besides, as mentioned before, some software does not operate with 64-bit). |
Any software released recently will be fine in the x64 environment.
Now that the industry standard for memory in new PC's is 4GB, every software developer is aware that x64 compatibility is a top priority.
I would imagine that Windows 7 x64 will be the OS installed by default in all PC's and laptops from now on.
The era of 32-bit is coming to an end.....good thing too. |
You likely WON'T see any performance difference betwee x32 and x64 - unless you are running very large applications that consume more than 4GB of ram or are running so many programs simultaneously that they run out of 4GB of ram - in either case, you'd need more than 4GB to see any difference.
In very large, memory intensive applications, you might actually see a slow down going to 64bit. Each time an address is loaded, it requires twice the width in bits and would tax the system in getting data in and out of the processor.
If the hardware drivers on the laptop are not up to 64bit, then don't upgrade. You'll hate life when stuff doesn't work - hardware drivers are going to be the things that screw up your switch the most.
Most 32bit apps will work fine in 64bit. Beware - there are some applications that don't play nice but I haven't seen a definitive list yet.
Unless that laptop is a beast with more than 4gb of ram already I wouldn't bother going to 64bit. |
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