Windows 7: Question about product key

I have a 32bit and 64bit Windows 7 disk, that I got from school.

Well I installed the 32bit, because I only had 3gb of ram at the time. Well now I'm thinking about installing more ram and going with the 64bit(clean install).

The question is, does my 32bit disk now become useless because I activated it on this computer, even though it wont be on there?

Welcome to Seven Forums the prestige.
No, your 32bit key should activate the 64bit, but not at the same time.
How To Switch From 64 to 32 Bit? Pay no attention to the bit about Toshiba.

The disk is not useless but the key can only be used on one machine. The same key should activate your 64 but but in case it doesnt it is only a simple phone call to MS

Activate Windows 7 by Phone
North America : (800) 936-5800

Wait what?

I'm confused now.


-I have 2 physical copies of windows 7 from my college
-1 is a 32bit(installed right now) and 1 is a 64bit(not installed)
-Both have different product keys
-I'm asking if I install the 64bit over the 32, is the 32 now useless?
-Can I install the 32bit ever again on a different computer(using the product key that I currently have activated on this computer?)



Are you saying I can install the Windows 7 64bit and use the 32bit product key, instead of the 64bit product key?

You are confusing between disks and licenses. You have a total number of 2 keys, so you can have at any given time a maximum number of 2 computers activated with those keys. Period.

32 bit and 64 bit keys are interchangeable- that means that any key say key A can activate either a 32 bit install or a 64 bit install, but only one at a given point of time.

You can have 5000 disks but if you have 2 keys, it means 2 computers can be activated, those can be both 32 bit or both 64 bit or one 32 bit and the other 64 bit.

Got it?

I didn't know they were interchangeable. So lets say you bought a 32bit disk and decided you wanted 64 instead, will microsoft charge you for a 64bit disk? Or is there a way to buy windows 7 64bit without a key for cheaper?


What am I asking though is, I have 2 different product keys each written on the disk. One is attached to the 32bit thats currently installed. I'm saying what if I install the 64, with the key thats attached to it(on the disk), and activate that. Can I re-use the 32bit key(because it wont be in use anymore) on a different computer since it currently isn't being used on a computer, or is it assigned to one computer even if its not on that computer anymore?

Answering the second question first, yes. Only OEM keys get tied to a particular computer, other types of keys such as retail are freely transferrable as long as they are used on only one computer at a given point of time. Your school would have some kind of volume licensing agreement with MS (AA likely) and those keys too are transferrable though there may be a limit on the number of transfers (ask school).

Second, when you buy a retail package, it comes with 2 disks (one 32 bit and one 64 bit) but only 1 key, you can use the key with either bit but again only one computer should be activated with this key at a given time. With other types of purchases, MS has no obligation to provide anything.