Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.
Hi,
I'm upgrading a Windows XP system (150Gb of programs and data), and looking to decide whether to upgrade to 64-bit or 32-bit Windows 7.
I don't plan to look up drivers for each of my programs (maybe just the most frequently used), but has anyone chosen to stay with the 32-bit Windows for driver or program compatibility, given how long the 64-bit version has been out at this point?
Thanks.
2012-09-12 16:17:18
what I can say is, lot of your applications may work under windows 64 bit. it won't matter when your are going from 32bit to 64bit. all the software will work. you have clearly said that you are going from 32bit XP to 64bit w7. the thing is if you are going from 64bit to 32bit, most of your applications will fail. so go ahead and upgrade! :)
2012-08-26 07:04:28
You cannot upgrade from WIndows XP to Windows 7. You have to make a clean install on your system. I would recommend running the WIndows Upgrade Adviser found at the Microsoft site. It will tell you which softwares are compatible with the new Windows & and which needs to be updated. Also I would recommend you upgrade to the 64bit version of WIndows 7
2012-08-25 03:09:52
I agree with Bruce but I would personally always recommend upgrading to 64 bit OSes.
2012-08-21 14:31:45
I don't think you'll encounter any driver problem but use windows 7 upgrade advisor to see if all your programs will run smothly
2012-08-21 13:28:57
you can do ityou can pass from the 32-bit XP to the 64-bit 7;it won't work the best for some programs but (at least) it will work!after the SO upgrade you could update only the mportant drivers... the ones that you use the most...
2012-08-20 21:07:30
Hello, the first question you should ask yourself would be: How much RAM is installed in the system? If you have 4 GB in the system and you are willing to add more RAM provided the motherboard can support more RAM, I would install the 64 bit operating system. Most recent program will work on it without an issue whether they are 32 or 64 bits. Unless you are using programs that are really old, you will not have an issue.Other thing is I always recommend a new install instead of an upgrade. In my experience, upgrades cause problems down the road....As mentioned before, if you get the 7 operating system with at least the Pro version, you can get and install the free XP PRO in a virtual machine so that you can still use older programs that work ok with XP.
2012-08-20 03:29:20
actually can you just reply me with ...... what is your machine's configuration???
2012-08-20 01:19:26
I was using 32 bit. Few months back i changed to 64 bit, i had some troubles installing some softwares. I realized that few of my drivers weren't installed, i downloaded them. and now, everything's fine!
2012-08-17 07:24:07
I think it won't messing around since it's supported widely and much better than Vista.
2012-08-16 16:07:48
Regarding 32 vs 64, I usually upgrade systems that have 3GB RAM to 32bit on the grounds that they will not benefit from the advantages of 64bit, but will benefit from slightly lower memory footprints. For larger system, I'd go for 64bit unless there was a specific reason (driver, applications) that would force my hand otherwise.There's pretty good driver support now for 64bit, but less so for external peripherals (printers etc), so I'd suggest you follow Bruce's advice and run the u/g advisor.
2012-08-16 08:43:44
probably no more than usual.
2012-08-16 05:08:01
Hello Joe!I suggest that you run some kind of SSD alignment utility after the clone procedure has finished. The reason is that a cloned system won't properly be configured to run on an SSD - rather, it will be aligned to run on a platter drive. Because of this, without alignment, you should
experience substantial performance loss
. However,
it's possible to create an aligned partition on the SSD, using the command line
, without resorting to paid for alignment software, like from Paragon.In all honesty, I can't tell the difference between a 32-bit and a 64-bit system. Supposedly, a 64-bit system runs faster and is more secure and robust but I've never noticed the difference. However, I have noticed that 64-bit mobile devices (particularly upgraded systems that weren't originally designed to operate as 64-bit) can have terrible battery life, compared to the 32-bit version.
2012-08-16 04:01:31
1st go for Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor as Bruce suggested.Do take a backup of your data separately.Make a list of all the programs you currently have.I have 64-bit Win7, but only 32bit supported programs install and work fine.
2012-08-16 01:52:25
Some applications can be installed and run under windows 7 64 bit, because it has an option where it will be installed, as 32 bit program or 64 bit program. I suggest you follow what bruce said at first, then you can decide whether you will upgrade or not.
2012-08-16 01:14:30
Run the
Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor
. It will tell you if something you are currently running is incompatible with Win7. For the most part, you are better off going with the 64-bit version unless your machine only has a 32-bit processor. If you are worried about program compatibility, get the Pro or Ultimate edition of Win7 so you can use XP Mode or use MS Virtual PC to run any incompatible programs that cannot be upgraded or you do not wish to upgrade. If you have ancient hardware you still wish to use, drivers could be an issue and they will show up in the Upgrade Advisor report.