change windows 32 bit to 64 bit

I have windows 7 32 bit which I recently upgraded to windows 10. I am looking at changing it to 64 bit for faster gaming. Is there an easy way to do this  ?

G'day alexfam, and Welcome to BC.

 

In a nutshell....No.

 

In the majority of circumstances, you are looking at a new/second hand PC

 

Does Your CPU Have the Required Features?

Some of the first 64-bit CPUs don’t have the required features to run 64-bit versions of Windows 10, even if they are 64-bit compatible. Specifically, Windows 10 requires PAE, SSE2, and NX. Microsoft has more information about this here. PCs will also need support for CMPXCHG16b, which some of the first consumer 64-bit processors didn’t include.

The 64-bit version of Windows 10 will refuse to install if your CPU doesn’t support these things. If you’d like to check before you begin the install process, download and run CPU Z.

“SSE2” will appear under Instructions if it’s supported. “EM64T” or “AMD64” should indicate that PAE is supported. “VT-x” or “VT-d” always indicates that NX is supported.

 

 

THIS ARTICLE explains more

Sure...buy either a retail or System Builder version of Win 7 64-bit...with valid license (the 32-bit version licenses do not apply to 64-bit versions.

 

The sole exception that I am aware of would be the Win 7 Upgrade Family Pak versions where purchasers received both the Win 7 64-bit install disk and the Win 7 32-bit install disk) and install same.  The family packs were available for less than $100 but are now off the market.

 

Louis

Hi thanks for the help. I have attached a CPU Z report to check if my pc can run 64 bit ?

my second question is would the pc be faster in gaming with a 64 bit system ?

It may run faster, but more-so if you have more RAM. 32-bit Windows can only see 4GB max (more around 3.75GB after the video chip and other things allocate some). In practice, if you ignore the RAM (assuming you had less than 4GB anyways), you might only see a small performance gain in gaming, only due to the game being able to allocate more memory at once; this would be done more in the GPU's memory though.

You do have to wipe the system to goto 64-bit, there is no simple "upgrade". If you have a legitimate key for Windows (OEM sticker on the machine, retail copy, or VLM), you can use it for 32 or 64 bit. Nowadays, I've rarely seen a CPU that does not support 64-bit to be honest.

Would you advise me to install more RAM regardless if I change to 64 bit or not ?

And secondly I do have an OEM sticker , so can I ask what is the procedure to change to 64 bit ?

You currently have 16 GB RAM (2x8192 MB sticks).

 

You don't need to install more RAM, you just need the x64 OS to utilize it.

 

Regards. . .

 

jcgriff2

If I reset my pc how do I specify 64 bit on restart? 

Couldn't look at the CPU-Z specs last night on my phone, so I had to speculate at first there. You definitely have a capable CPU and 16GB of RAM, it's a wonder why your system had 32-bit to begin with, it has wasted that extra potential this whole time basically...

 

You need a 64-bit Windows 7 installer disc. Since this has a Gigabyte motherboard and no OEM product information logged, I will assume this is a custom build? Did someone build it for you, or did you build it yourself? You should have a Windows 7 disc that came with the system; it will come with a 32-bit and a 64-bit disc if it was retail, OEM would be whatever bit you specified on ordering it.

 

If you don't have the discs, and you are 100% sure you have a good Windows 7 product key, then you can download an ISO from Microsoft's website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

 

You have to COMPLETELY WIPE your computer to do this. As a warning, you will need to backup your data, and all programs will need to be re-installed. You will be booting to the disc installer, FORMATTING your hard drive, and loading Windows as a clean install. From there, you will have to install any drivers Windows missed (you may need another computer and a flash drive if Windows doesn't automatically install a network driver to allow you to get online). You will then have to install any Windows updates, all of your desired programs, and transfer data; this will be a CLEAN slate.

 

Not meaning to intimidate you, just making sure you are aware of what you are wanting to do and what it will entail if you are not experienced with reloading a Windows PC.

_{Yes it is custom built , I bought it a few months ago , it came with a windows 7 32 bit disk and was factory reset when I got it.}

 

_{Now there is another problem , I have tried to factory reset it but it automatically loads windows 10. It seems stuck in windows 10 even with full reset, Maybe there is a way to factory reset it or load a windows 10 64 bit system ?}

Edited by hamluis, 14 January 2016 - 06:51 AM.

Great now I have installed windows 7 from the disk , then I downloaded a windows 64 bit  ISO file from Microsoft and installed it so I now have windows 7 64 bit installed.

I may try to upgrade to windows 10 now , I assume it would automatically upgrade to windows 10 64 bit now ?

Yep, it will upgrade to the same bit-version of Windows 10. Make sure Windows is activated before trying the Windows 10 upgrade; sometimes it doesn't activate during the install if setup didn't grab the network drivers for you, and it may throw a fit about eligibility when trying the upgrade.

Is it good to upgrade to windows 10?  Because i'm good with my Windows 7.

I honestly find that a hard-to-answer question; it may vary based on your specific needs and usage. I've had people love it, and some people hate it. I've had it work beautifully for most customers, and for others it has completely broken their computer (normally due to pre-existing issues with the hardware/software, or just goofy unforeseen incompatibilities). It almost the same thing each time a new OS is released.

 

I believe there are similar topics already posted on the forums that you can search for.

Now I have upgraded to windows 10  64 bit and working great and showing 16 GB  RAM. Thanks again to all who helped.