Upgrading from Windows 7 Ultimate x86 to x64

[Pedroc1999]

Hi, i have been told that windows 7 x64 is works better with older computers because it doesn't reserve any memory. If i copy my program files and documents to my hard disk drive.Will I be able to copy them back to program files after I have upgrading to x64 and will, they work


please reply soon

 

[seavixen32]

Welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

You cannot upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version. You would have to carry out a custom (clean) install.

All your personal data would need to be backed up to an external source so that you can copy it back afterwards, but all your programs and applications would need to be re-installed.

32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions

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

It has nothing to do with older computers or "reserving memory" as you put it, it's a simple case of being able to utilise more RAM.

32-bit versions of Windows 7 can cope with up to 4GB of RAM, whereas 64-bit versions can handle up to 192GB.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa366778(v=vs.85).aspx

 

[Arc]

Welcome aboard, Prdro

Actually, Windows 64 bit uses two different program files folder. One is Program Files, that contains all 64 bit programs, and the other one is Program Files (x86), containing 32 bit apps. So if you paste 32 bit apps in the program files folder in 64 bit, which one is reserved for 64 bit apps, it would not be a right job.

The best way is to install programs once again, after having a clean install with 64 bit windows.

 

[theog]

As your spec's say 1gb of ram, I would stay with 32 bit.

 

[bobkn]

The minimum RAM that Microsoft specifies for Windows 7 is 1 GB for the 32 bit version, 2GB for the 64 bit version. Thesemay not absolute requirements, but if the machine is the one in your system specs (1GB of RAM), you don't want to install X64.

Also: it's not permitted to do an upgrade-in-place from any 32 bit version of Windows to a 64 bit one. 32 bit Windows can be used to qualify for the use of an X64 license, but you'd need to do a custom (clean) install.

You generally can't copy programs. An installed program has Windows Registry entries that wouldn't be copied, so it usually wouldn't work. (There are programs that will run without being installed, but they are few.)