Get Genuine Online Kit; 32 => 64 bit (Windows 7)

akflens · 05 Jul 2011

Hi, I recently acquired a Windows 7 Get Genuine Online Kit, and installed the 32 bit version. However I believe my PC is capable of running the 64 bit version, and I now want to upgrade to 64 bit. I have both the 32 bit and 64 bit CDs from the Get Genuine Online Kit, but the computer does not seem to even acknowledge them in the CD/DVD drive.

Is it not possible to upgrade from a 32 bit OS to a 64 bit OS when I (only) have the Window 7 (Home Premium) Get Genuine Online Kit.
Guess it might have been a non-genuine 32 bit OS before, but unsure ??

I have 8Gb RAM installed (but only 3.25Gb can currently be used), the processor is an AMD Phenom II X4 965 Processor 3.40 GHz

Any help please ??
Karl

Bare Foot Kid · 05 Jul 2011

Hello akflens, welcome to Seven Forums!

There is no upgrade path from 32-bit to 64-bit Windows, it will have to be a clean install and the best way forward, after you have copied out or made back-ups of the data you need to save to external media, is to do a wipe secure erase of the entire Hard Disk Drive, have a look at this information below.

You will have to reinstall all the programs/apps that you use as they integrate themselves into the Windows registry and are not moveable from one Windows installation to another so be sure to save the program installers and the product activation keys where applicable.

After you have made backups of everything you care to save and you want to do a real wipe "clean all" to the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) have a look at this tutorial at the link below, it over-writes everything, all the old Windows code including all the old Windows drivers, giving you the best possible space to install Windows 7 to; it goes hand-in-hand with a clean install.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7

Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

DeaconFrost · 05 Jul 2011

I'm surprised you'd even try the 32 bit version with 8 GB of system memory. As mentioned, you can directly upgrade to a new platform, but if the discs aren't being read in your drive, let's work on that issue first.

theog · 05 Jul 2011

Take look at the email from your Retailer, you will find a link to 32bit ISO & 64bit ISO.

akflens · 05 Jul 2011

Thanks guys,
1) When trying to install the 64 bit OS in the first place, it would not let me, guess because the non-genuine version probably was a 32 bit version (bought the PC second hand only to find the OS wasn't genuine, hence the purchasing of the "get genuine online kit). The only option at the time was to install the 32 bit version
2) I am afraid that if I wipe clean the hard disc and start afresh, that the get genuine online kit CDs don't support this, and I will eventually have to purchase a new full version set of Windows discs. Am i right?
3) The drive reads any other CD okay.

Thanks
Karl

akflens · 05 Jul 2011

No clues in the email from the Retailer by the way. Here I could only find a reference to the key activation. This works OK, but does not take me any further in using the (64 bit) installation CD.

Bare Foot Kid · 05 Jul 2011

Helloagain.

Keep checking back and don't do anything until someone with more experience with that kit you have shows up.

akflens · 05 Jul 2011

OK, thanks Bare Foot Kid

alphanumeric · 05 Jul 2011

Can you elaborate on your "the computer does not seem to even acknowledge them in the CD/DVD drive" statement? What happens when you insert a disk while windows 7 is running? If nothing happens, is auto play enabled? Can you browse to the disk in explorer and look at the contents? Have you tried to boot from these DVDs? Did you burn these disks or are they original media?

akflens · 06 Jul 2011

Nothing happens when I insert the CD, auto play is enabled and I cannot browse the CD in Explorer. Its like the CD is not there. I have tried to boot from the CD, but this does not work either. The CD is original ....but it is this "Get Genuine Onlline Kit". I just have this suspicion, that the purpose of the CDs/the kit is merely to make genuine a non-genuine version of Windows, and that all the normal features like boot, installation, repair etc are not part of the package ....this is what I am looking for confirmation of.
Everything else appears OK.