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Upgrade 32 Bit Vista to 64 Bit

Post Date: 2011-12-07
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MarkT View Drop Down
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Posts: 56 		  Quote MarkT Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Upgrade 32 Bit Vista to 64 Bit
    Posted: 07 Dec 2011 at 8:56pm
Ok. Assume I am a newbie....a rank amature. Assume I know nothing.
 
I want to upgrade my Digital Storm System from 32 bit to 64 bit, so I can take advantage of more RAM (currently only have 2GB).
 
My system is 64 bit capable, so here is my question.
 
Do I clean unstall a 64 bit version of Vista, then convert to a 64 bit version of Windows 7?
 
Or do I upgrade to a 32 bit version of Windows 7? And then clean install to a 64 bit version of Windows 7.
 
Or am I an idiot and should just send my computer back to DS and let them upgrade me! Help.
 
Thanks everyone.
 
MarkIm%20with%20Stupid
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jmaster299 View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote jmaster299 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 07 Dec 2011 at 10:08pm
Check This for a Vista to Win7 how-to-guide.Basically you can go from Vista to Win7 Home Premium using the "Anytime Upgrade" option that will preserve your files. If you are doing a clean install it does not matter which one you use as it's a fresh install and will wipe your drive.

The Anytime Upgrade is also cheaper then a normal full version too.

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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 2:25am
You can't upgrade your 32bit to a 64bit, it has to be a fresh install of 64bit.


Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers
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MarkT View Drop Down
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Posts: 56 		  Quote MarkT Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 5:08pm
Thank you for the comments....the problem is that I can only go from 32 bit Vista to 32 bit Windows 7.
 
Perhaps I should have asked this? If I have 32 bit Windows 7, how much RAM will it recognize? I am currently only using 2GB RAM because of the 32 bit Vista limitation.
 
For games like Arkam City, Dues Ex, Mass Effect 3 (when it comes) I want to be able to take full advantage of everything, and it looks like have 8 GB of RAM would be the way to go. ( I have an NVIDIA 470 1.2GB card).
Mark T.
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jmaster299 View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote jmaster299 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 8:11pm
Windows has been weird over the years regarding the amount of RAM it can utilize for it's operating system. 32bit XP was 3GB, but it was my understanding that with 3GB of system RAM installed the OS had the room/ability to use up to 1GB of VRAM giving you 4GB total for use in games.

Even in Win7 MS still cheats people on RAM. For Win7 Starter it's limited to 2GB for both 32bit and 64bit/ All 32bit editions above Starter are capped at 4GB and even Home Basic is still capped at 8GB for 64bit.

You want to go with at least Home Premium, which is 16GB, but Professional will be better. On that note you will most likely be upgrading your OS again before we reach a point where we need more then 16GB of RAM in a gaming rig.

When playing things like Arkham City I am sitting at only 40% RAM usage with just basic programs running in the background so 8GB is definitely enough.

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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 9:33pm
As jm299 said you want to go win7 premium 64bit if you want 8GB of ram.

Edited by DST4ME - 08 Dec 2011 at 9:33pm

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MarkT View Drop Down
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Posts: 56 		  Quote MarkT Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 10:00pm
Thank you again, for your comments.
 
I currently have Windows Vista 32bit Home Premium. So I would go to Windows 7 Home Premium.
 
Last Question:
 
If I backup all my save games, that were played under Vista 32, will those save games still work when I do a clean install of Window 7 64 bit, or even Vista 64 bit?
 
I promise, I know hardware more than I know software. I am typing this on my other computer which is XP...LOL. If it works dont break it.
 
Mark
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DST4ME View Drop Down
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 10:05pm
NO you would not go win 7 home premium cause that would be 32bit.

you need a 64bit win 7 home premium which you can't upgrade to from a 32bit, you are looking at a new 64bit os with a fresh install.

only games that don't use regkeys and folder/file path will work in the new os, otherwise you looking at a new install for those games.

I own a few pcs with xp on them, nothing wrong with that.

Edited by DST4ME - 08 Dec 2011 at 10:06pm

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jmaster299 View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote jmaster299 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 11:16pm
Game saves is one of the reasons why I love STEAM. Any of their newer games will sync to the STEAM Cloud servers storing your saves and key-binds to be used from any computer.

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