I am planning to install Win7 over Vista Ultimate 32-bit. Since I have some old hardware, my thought was to start with the 32-bit version of Win7. Question: If I go this route, how easy/hard is it later to go to the 64-bit version of Win7, since some future aps may be 64-bit?
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32-bit to 64-bit
Home » Forums » AskWoody support » Windows » Windows 7 » Questions: Windows 7 » 32-bit to 64-bit
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Viewing 4 reply threadsAuthorReplies-
WSTonyE
AskWoody Lounger -
WSSundog
AskWoody Lounger -
WSbobjuch
AskWoody Lounger -
WSchimo79
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 12, 2010 at 3:19 pm #1197846No, but you can’t use both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions on different systems.
Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
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joep517
AskWoody MVPJanuary 12, 2010 at 3:30 pm #1197852Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
A change from 32-bit to 64-bit does not consume an additional license. If you are really concerned upgrade the other two machines first.
Joe
--Joe
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WSbobjuch
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #1198020Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
Yes. I haven’t done it myself but others here have reported that works without having to call Microsoft to do a reset.
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WSbobjuch
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #1198632Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
Yes. I haven’t done it myself but others here have reported that works without having to call Microsoft to do a reset.
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WSbobjuch
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #1199088Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
Yes. I haven’t done it myself but others here have reported that works without having to call Microsoft to do a reset.
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WSbobjuch
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #1200226Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
Yes. I haven’t done it myself but others here have reported that works without having to call Microsoft to do a reset.
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WSbobjuch
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #1201069Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
Yes. I haven’t done it myself but others here have reported that works without having to call Microsoft to do a reset.
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WSbobjuch
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #1201939Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
Yes. I haven’t done it myself but others here have reported that works without having to call Microsoft to do a reset.
-
WSbobjuch
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #1202682Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
Yes. I haven’t done it myself but others here have reported that works without having to call Microsoft to do a reset.
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WSbobjuch
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #1203578Does this mean the original 32 bit license will allow the original 32 bit Win 7 system to be again upgraded to 64 bit Win 7 and that there will be no hiccoughs when it attempts to validate at Microsoft?
I do understand that a clean install will be required and I do understand that it must be the same system.
I upgraded from Vista to Win 7 32 bit but am now considering doing an upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 on that same system. In my case, I have a three license “Family Pack” copy but I need all three licenses and want to be certain this upgrade to 64 bit will not consume an additional license.
Yes. I haven’t done it myself but others here have reported that works without having to call Microsoft to do a reset.
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WSTonyE
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 12, 2010 at 1:06 pm #1197771This site can help you with that – Paul Thurrott’s SuperSite for Windows: Clean Install Windows 7 with Upgrade Media
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WSTarbo
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 12, 2010 at 1:37 pm #1197800Is this an older system or is the older hardware referred to mainly peripherals? I ask because unless you have a pressing need for more than 3.25 gigs of RAM, which almost no one does at this point, there is no advantage to going with 64-bit, especially if its an older system that can’t support more than 4 gigs of RAM anyway, and, there’s still a fair amount of hardware and full-feature device support lacking in 7 64-bit.
Edit: I also think its going to be quite some time before 32-bit software goes the way of 16-bit, if it ever does, since 32-bit is both a very efficeint size and very well-supported in 64-bit operating systems where kernel access is not required and even 64-bit software has to be written in such a manner to work around not having kernel access due to the “hardening” of the Win 7 kernel in 64-bit iterations. The latter is good since it keeps out the viruses as well but Win 7’s UAC and ability to run well in non-admin mode (unlike XP which is not very useable in anything but admin mode) makes 32-bit as practical to use as 64-bit for those who aren’t too savvy on the Internet;as long as those safety precautions are employed of course.
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WSSundog
AskWoody LoungerJanuary 12, 2010 at 5:11 pm #1197873 -
joep517
AskWoody MVPJanuary 12, 2010 at 5:41 pm #1197883Sorta related: One of my two Vista 32 bit machines has developed a problem with Windows Installer that does not permit some?all? new software to be installed. Does this need to be dealt with before trying Paul Thurrott’s Clean Install recommendations? (Thanks for that link!)
If you mean you are going to perform a clean install of Windows 7, then you don’t need to worry about the installer problem. The Windows 7 installer will be loaded from the DVD. You should be sure to run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor – Download – Microsoft Windows before you try the upgrade.
Joe
--Joe
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