32 or 64? I want to upgrade to Windows 7

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poolboynaturel

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Sep 24, 2010
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Hello,
I am planning to upgrade a buggy Windows Vista (home) computer (Hp / Compaq) to Windows 7. The question is I understand 64-bit can access more memory, but my motherboard only supports 4 GB memory. (Which I have installed 4GB)
So the question is, if I am limited to 4 GB on board memory, is there any advantage to installing Windows 7 64-bit? Or am I better off just installing the 32-bit system?
The computer will run 64 bit according to Microsoft check tool.
 
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I take it your current Vista OS is a 32 bit instalation.
So the choice is, do an inplace upgrade to Windows 7 32 bit and preserve your current programs and settings, leaving about the same amount of usable ram as you have now, or, do a clean install by booting from the W7 dvd and using the custom install option and reinstall all your programs to use the remaing ram probably about an extra half a GB.
You would also need to backup your data and settings using the W7 Easy Transfer Wizard so that you can restore them after the instalation is complete.

To use the W7 Easy Transfer Wizard:
Browse to the DVD drive on your computer and click migsetup.exe in the Support\Migwiz directory.

It's up to you to decide if you want to clean install or upgrade, you will gain a small amount of ram going to 64 bit, but I doubt you will notice it in real use.
While most will recomend a clean install, a lot don't want the hassle of reinstalling all their programs, in particular ones that they have downloaded, be they ones they purchased or freebies that they would need to find again.
 
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@OP.
Before you decide 32bit/64bit make sure every hardware you've got is win7 64bit compatible.
Like motherboard drivers, graphics, USB devices, PCI cards, etc...
You could check on the motherboard manufacturers site to confirm that they have drivers for 64bit win7.
 
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😱 When I tried to order, it moved me to a page saying my shopping cart was empty. Apparently they ran out / misprinted or ?? Anyway if I make a purchase that I am not really secure with I always use the protection of PayPal. I bought a usb cable for a cell phone that was supposed to be a charging cable, but was not. PayPal got me near instant credit on the purchase. If it is not as advertised PayPal will refund your purchase and go after the seller.
 
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This computer is only used for home entertainment, hooked up to the widescreen and surround sound. It is getting a new graphics card with HDMI output and Blu-Ray burner. It doesn't have anything on it that I cannot afford to loose. It is only three years old, a HP / Compaq with an Asus Motherboard. I have been to Asus and cannot find out much about the board. I don't know that HP would say one way or another if it is Win7 64-bit compatible.
 
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:pt1cable: On the contrary using Google shopping Yahoo Price-grabber and etc I am seeing prices from legitimate highly rated resellers going from around $90 to over $240 quite a spread. The $65 open box (used) unregistered seemed to good to be true, however if someone bought it, it comes with two discs 32 and 64 bit. If they were using an existing license or keygen they could possibly have a clean license to sell.
I have no love for Microsoft. The only reason that I am thinking of upgrading is because for the last two months Microsoft "Support" has been trying to fix an 80070002 error code, and their final solution is "Clean Install" of the operating system. (My computer will not update nor install security updates.)

:sweat: I asked them if I could get a free upgrade to a stable operating system like Windows XP to replace Windows Vista but they would not go for it. :sweat:
 
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32-bit OS on a board that only goes up to 4GB max in my opinion is the best way.
It kind of gives you the best of both worlds especially if you have a 64-bit capable machine.
 
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If its 32bit, you will not be able to use all 4GB of RAM. Usable amount will be 3GB. Isn't that right?
 
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3.25 for me and I've seen some with 3.5 but yes, right.
so what, depending on his usage and the fact that it's an older system that only can go 4GB's...
even with 4GB the 64-bit version will not be as optimal as the 32-bit on his unit.
but in your defense, if he is to push that 4GB limit he has then yes, go 64-bit.
if not then 32-bit for me.
 
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3,402,823,500 is the largest 32 bit number, so you can seee the it is not possible to have more than 3.5G, 429,496,729,000 is the largest 64bit number,or 429G of memory, now the lesson
2,147,483,647 is the largest signed number, 4,294,967,295 is the largest UNSIGNED binary number, but Windows gives programs two ways to specify the portion of a file they want to read. One method, called "absolute addressing," requires the program to specify the exact location of the data it wants to see. To read or write the 100th byte of a file, for example, the program specifies byte 100 and the other is relative and it makes the offset number+ or _ , so the largest possible FILE for a FAT32 drive is 4GB minus 2 bytes, so where did 3,402,823,500 come from, we all remeber in Algebra and Calculus that we could create values for most anything, hence abstact math, leave it to the math tech's to come up with a short signed number, which is what the access to the memory uses( this is kinda over simplified but you get the drift)
 
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