All modern Intel and AMD personal computer processors support 64-bit computing. For most techies, running a 32-bit operating system on such processors is as sacrilege as installing a rev limiter on your car that cuts engine power in half. However, we, ordinary users, do not read processor commands. By and large, we don’t care what nameplate is stuck on the processor. What reasons should force us to switch to a 64-bit version of the operating system?
Let's start with the fact that the issue of changing the platform bit depth is not new, and this is not the end of the world at all. Previously, all processors were 8-bit. Then there was a transition to 16 bits, which some gaming computers and consoles could not transfer. The last revolution with the transition to 32 bits happened a long time ago, when Intel released the i486 processor. You will also be interested to know that the 64-bit operating system is also not an invention of our century. The first of these systems was developed back in 1985. It was UNICOS.
What are the benefits of upgrading to 64-bit Windows?
How can I check the bitness of my version of Windows?
It may well be that you already have the 64-bit version installed. Over the past two years, new computers and laptops have increasingly begun to be equipped with this particular version of the operating system. To establish this fact, open File Explorer and find the “My Computer” shortcut. Right-click on it and select “System Information”.
If the sign says “64-bit,” then that’s it—your computer has already made the transition to a modern platform with both feet.
What will it take to migrate to 64-bit Windows?
First, let's find out if your processor is ready for this. To do this, in the same “System Information” window, select “Device Manager” and find the processor. By the name of the model we find it on Google.
The standard method offered by Microsoft is this. Open the Control Panel and type “Counters and Productivity Tools” in the search box. There will be one element left. In its window, click the button with the printer (shown in the figure).
If the received report says that 64-bit support is present, then feel free to continue.
The transition to the 64-bit version of the operating system itself is carried out by completely reinstalling the system. To avoid losing user data, you will need to first create a backup copy and restore it from the backup copy after installing Windows x64.
What problems may arise
That's right, switching from one platform to another can be fatal for some of your old devices on your computer: old modems, unsupported video cards, printers. You can use a tool from Microsoft called Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. This application will give a clear answer regarding the presence of drivers for all your devices.
Also, those programs whose developers have not made new versions capable of running on 64-bit systems may stop working. Although Microsoft claims that almost all 32-bit programs do not lose functionality even in the 64-bit edition. This seems to be true. For example, I did not encounter any incompatible programs when changing the bit depth.
It is absolutely critical to install in compliance with the bit depth of anti-virus programs, drivers, system utilities: for 64-bit - 64-bit versions. In other cases, if there is doubt about the readiness of the 64-bit version of the application, it is better to use its 32-bit version for now.
There are two options: stay on a 32-bit operating system and be content with 3.5 GB of memory, or switch to a 64-bit system. At the same time, there is a possibility that you will have to stop using some old devices and programs.
But the performance gains for systems with a large amount of RAM are so obvious that there is no need to cry about some modem produced in the last century.