How to Upgrade to 64-bit OS?

[musmin2415]

Ok, so I know this question only partially belongs here, but I'm in a bit of a bind and I'm hoping someone can give me some simple advice. I bought an old HP Pavilion a6400f PC (32-bit Vista OS) for my 8-yo daughter just so she can play one of her favorite games. First obstacle, I needed to upgrade nearly everything except for the mobo. Ok, no big deal - still cheaper for me in the long run. I've built my own A/V rig in the past, so I figured it'd be fun to take this on. Researched everything - the GPU, RAM, CPU, PSU - to make sure it was all compatible, etc. However, the final obstacle that I haven't been able to figure out is what I should do about the OS in order to upgrade it to 64-bit. Like I said, this was cheap (estate sale), and there were no discs that came with it. So, I'm stuck with a 32-bit Vista OS. My question....

- Should I upgrade to 64-bit Vista OS or 7? (Keep in mind, this is a 'junk' PC, just to get my daughter by for a year or so.)
- If 64-bit Vista, how??? I've googled it and I'm a little unclear on whether I can do this for free.
- If 7, my A/V rig has 64-bit 7 Pro, but I doubt I'll be 'allowed' to use that license to install it on a second PC.

Just trying to get by spending as little $$ as possible Thanks for your time!

 

[ignatzatsonic]

What's the over-riding reason why you have to do anything at all? There's nothing inherently wrong with a 32-bit system for the purposes you describe.

You say you bought it so your daughter can play a favorite game "for a year or two". As far as you've said, she is able to do that successfully.

What can't she or you do with the PC that you'd like to be able to do with it?

I'd generally balk at spending say $100 on an OS for a single-purpose machine if all was well. Is all not well?

Do you know that the current hardware supports a 64-bit OS?

If you insist on moving to 64-bit, I suspect your best bet would be to buy Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit OEM. I don't even know if you could buy Vista if you wanted to--at least a new copy.

Retail copies of Win 7 include both 32 bit and 64 bit discs and you can use one or the other, not both. But retail copies are extinct.

I can't recall the licensing details on Vista re changing from 32-bit to 64-bit. My guess is that you'd have to pay again, if you can find it at all.

If you now have the original HP motherboard and the original Vista installation, I'd certainly assume that license will be invalid if you switch motherboards.

You could not legally put the OS on your machine onto hers as well.

 

[musmin2415]

Main reasons for upgrading...

Thanks so much for the reply!!

What started this is that the game that she LOVES looks like crap and is almost unplayable on her PC currently. So, the reason it looks horrendous is because of the stock GPU (or lack-there-of) that it came with. It (the game) recommended the older GeForce 210 series. Fine, no problem. But of course, once you upgrade one area, it starts a chain-reaction. The only reason that I'm still trying to follow through with this is because all the upgrades are fairly dirt cheap and I thought it'd be fun (which it is). Another main reason for upgrading to a 64-bit system is so I can utilize 4 GB of RAM and more.

So, once the upgrade is finished, this is what my daughter's PC's specs should be (and yes, from what I've read & researched, the mobo supports a 64-bit system):
OS: 32-bit Vista -- original OS that came with PC
MoBo: IPIBL-LB (Benicia) -- original mobo that came with PC
CPU: Intel C2D E8500
GPU: GeForce 210 series
RAM: 4GB-8GB of RAM (it currently has 3GB, so I just ordered a couple of 2GB 'sticks')
PSU: 400w

 

[AddRAM]

Well, you can`t upgrade to a 64 Bit system, you have to do a clean install.

In your case, do you want to reinstall Vista ???????

I would purchase and install Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - Operating Systems - Newegg.com

No clue where you`d get it from.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[musmin2415]

I really appreciate the advice, but this PC just has to get my daughter by for another year or two, and by that time, she'll get an upgrade in the form of a hand-me-down from another family member. Spending $100 on another license for 7 isn't a wise choice for me. I might just give it a shot and stick with the upgrades I mentioned, but leave the OS as 32-bit to see how it handles the game. Then I'll decide whether to purchase a Vista 64-bit installation DVD from eBay and do a clean install. It may seem like a lot of work and a hassle, but I enjoy this stuff, so it doesn't bother me. As long as I'm saving a few bucks and it makes my daughter happy, I'm good with it.

 

[AddRAM]

There`s no need to purchase a Vista 64 bit installer and key, you already have a key, your key is good for 32 or 64 bit versions of Vista.

Your problem is getting a 64 Bit Vista installer, which isn`t hard to find at all.

You said you just ordered 2 2GB sticks, that`s still only 4GB and no reason to go to 64 bit yet.

I would never buy an OS from EBay, Not no way, Not no how.

Although some have reported success, I would just try to find one or call up the manufacturer for 64 bit install media.

 

[musmin2415]

Hey thanks for the reply! (And love the thumbnail - lol)

Ok, I'll look for an installer. And to clarify, the PC already came with 4 sticks of RAM -- (2) 1 GB, and (2) <1 GB. So, I was just planning on taking out the <1 GB sticks and replacing them with the (2) 2 GB.

 

[DavidE]

I agree with all the previous advice.

Test the game with Vista 32 Bit and see how it performs with all your hardware upgrades.
You may see you don't need a 64 Bit OS.

 

[Ztruker]

Post post here:

Vista ISO download

and ask Peter (Ex_Brit) to send you the link to the versions of Vista you need, 32 or 64. Include your E-mail address mucked up, like abc at xyz DOT com then edit your post and remove it as soon as you receive the link.

The ISO Peter provides has both SP1 and SP2 applied.

Pick up the Tutorial: How to Download a Vista ISO and Create an Installation DVD or USB here:

STEP THREE
To Create Vista Installation DVD or USB Flash Drive with ISO File

During the install, when asked for the key, don't enter it. You will then be given a menu where you can chose the version you want to install. Make sure you pick the version that matches the install key you have.

Activate once the install is completed.

 

[musmin2415]

Post post here:

Vista ISO download

and ask Peter (Ex_Brit) to send you the link to the versions of Vista you need, 32 or 64. Include your E-mail address mucked up, like abc at xyz DOT com then edit your post and remove it as soon as you receive the link.

The ISO Peter provides has both SP1 and SP2 applied.

Pick up the Tutorial: How to Download a Vista ISO and Create an Installation DVD or USB here:

STEP THREE
To Create Vista Installation DVD or USB Flash Drive with ISO File

During the install, when asked for the key, don't enter it. You will then be given a menu where you can chose the version you want to install. Make sure you pick the version that matches the install key you have.

Activate once the install is completed.

HUGE thank you! First, I'm going to see how everything performs with the initial upgrades. Then, I'll see if it's going to be necessary to follow through with the 64-bit upgrade. Thanks again!! (I might just try it out of curiosity!)

 

[musmin2415]

PC not fully shutting down

Not that it's a huge deal, but I just wanted to update this thread. Everything went pretty much as planned -- replaced the PSU & CPU, then added a GPU card and RAM. Everything works great and it accomplished what I needed it to -- supply my 9-yo with a workable system until a more extensive upgrade is necessary. So yes, everything is working great, HOWEVER, the PC doesn't seem to fully shut down. Whenever I click 'Shutdown', it always gets hung up at the very end and the fans remain on and won't turn off unless I perform a hard shutdown and hold the power button on the tower for a few seconds. It doesn't have me too worried because every time I start it back up, it doesn't give me any sort of error / warning stating that it didn't shut down correctly. I googled and reset the bios, etc., but it still does it. I'm thinking about going back to my old PSU and seeing if it still does it with that one. Anyway, suggestions are welcome, but I at least wanted to finish out this thread! Thanks everyone!

 

[Ohio937]

Any issue going to the E8500? I have a a6400f which I use for my daughter minecraft server and testing different things. With the current E2200 it does not support virtualization and there are a few things I would like to test out. I can get a E8500 for next to nothing but want to make sure there are known issues.

Thanks

 

[musmin2415]

Any issue going to the E8500?

Hey there! No issues whatsoever that I can tell. Everything is running smoothly with no glitches.

However, I'm still having the shutdown issues that I mentioned above, but I'm not sure how a GPU could have anything to do with that. I even did a clean vista install, put the old RAM back in, and even put the old PSU back in, and STILL the same problem. I guess the I could always remove the graphics card and see if that fixes the issue, but again, why would that have anything to do with the fans remaining on after shutdown.

 

[Layback Bear]

Just going by memory, their was a program or bios that would keep the fans on after shut down until the cpu cooled to a certain temperature.

Just a thought from my 3 brain cells.