Windows 7: Upgrade from 32 bit to 64 bit problem

Hi,
I would like to upgrade from 32 bit to 64 bit in order to use the full 4GB ram i have.
I have downloaded and burnt the 64bit iso, but when i try to install it i get the following message:





what do I do, to upgrade to 64bit?

Thanks!

You can't upgrade from 32 to 64 bit. Sorry, you have to go from 32 to 32 or 64 to 64.

Clean install 64 bit if you want. Copy all your programs and files to transfer over.

Do you know whether it is possible to use Windows Easy Transfer to move programs installed in 32-bit Windows Vista to 64-bit Windows 7? I mean, will things work in the latter the way they did in the former without problems?

I intend to do a clean install of Seven/64 on the same disk I will remove Vista/32 from. And I want to avoid, if possible, the pain of reinstalling a huge lot of stuff, let alone re-registering software like Office 2007, TuneUp Utilities, WinZip, and others.

Sad to say but currently the programs are set up to run on 32 bit so even if you use Windows Easy Transfer the programs would not be able to sinc with the 64bit platform. You can backup files but the program you would need to reinstall

Thanks, Shinobi73.

No problem check back in case you need any more assistance!

Has an easier option come along now, so I don't have to manually reinstall all my programs if I wish to convert from 32 bit Windows 7 to 64 bit Windows 7?

Hi Sheep,

Nope, unfortunately not. To go from 32 to 64 bit, you have to re-install.

Important: if you have 32 bit Home Premium, you MUST install 64 bit Home Premium. The versions must be the same, or the installation will not work.

Regards,
Golden

That is unfortunate, I think I will wait until I upgrade my hardware or I will have to go through activation twice. Thank you for your help.

I've had a look round and this seemed like the best place to post this. From what I understand it's a clean install to go from 32 bit to 64 bit. But I've also read that the DVD copies come with a DVD for each, and the license key works for both.

I downloaded mine from DigitalRiver with a student discount as an upgrade from Vista to windows 7 pro 32. I now need to go up to 64 bit. If I download a copy of pro 64 bit, will my license key work on it? Or will I need to buy a new key? Will I just need to buy an upgrade or will I need to buy it in full? I'm still technically a student for another 2 days yet (although as far as I'm aware the license should be legit for ever once it's paid for, right?).