How to Switch From 32 Bit to 64 Bit Version of Windows 10?

Windows 10 can run on 32-bit and 64 bit hardware architectures. If your device is running a 32-bit version, you can upgrade to a 64 bit version without purchasing a new license, but only if you have a compatible processor and enough memory. In addition, there is no in place upgrade path that can be switched, making a clean installation of windows 10 the only option.

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Although you can access almost the same functionality using any architecture, you will notice the advantage of the 64 bit version, which is the 32-bit limit bit, when the device can handle a large amount of memory (up to 2TB) instead of just 4GB.

The ability to use more memory allows you to run multiple applications at the same time while maintaining device responsiveness, as well as 64 bit and 32-bit applications. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, it can improve your productivity on memory demanding tasks. For example, when rendering a video, use a virtual machine and open a large number of tags on a web browser.
In this windows 10 guide, we will guide you through the steps to properly upgrade your device from 32-bit to 64 bit version of windows.

• How to check whether the PC supports the 64 bit version of windows 10
• How to upgrade from 32-bit to 64 bit version of windows 10

How to check whether the PC supports the 64 bit version of windows 10

Windows 10 64 bit is available only on compatible hardware. If your device is currently running a 32-bit version, before planning an upgrade, you must determine whether your computer contains 64 bit processors, at least 2GB of system memory, and whether the rest of the hardware has 64 bit driver support.

Use settings to verify 64 bit compatibility

To determine whether the processor on the device supports the 64 bit version of windows 10 through the settings application, use the following steps:

1. Open settings.
2. Click system.
3. Click about.
4. Under the equipment specifications section, check the system type details.

If system type reads a 32-bit operating system, x64 based processor, your computer is running the 32-bit version of windows 10 on a 64 bit processor. On the other hand, if it reads a 32-bit operating system, X86 based processor, then your device does not support the 64 bit version of windows 10.
On the about page, it's also a good idea to check that the device has at least 2GB of memory, which is the minimum requirement for using 64 bit.
If your device cannot run the 64 bit version, you should consider purchasing a new device that meets the minimum system requirements.

Verifying CPU compatibility with coreinfo

Although newer devices can of course run any version of windows 10, if your device has older hardware, you need to ensure that there are four basic features:

• Physical address extension (PAE).
• Do not execute (NX).
• Stream SIMD extension 2 (SSE2).
• CMPXCHG16b（CX16）。

To check whether the processor includes these features, you can use the Microsoft coreinfo command-line tool to perform the following steps:

1. Open the Microsoft sysinternals website.
2. Click the download coreinfo link.
3. Right click Coreinfo.zip Folder, and then select the extract all option.
4. Click the extract button.
5. Type the following command in the address bar and press enter to open a command prompt in the folder location. CMD
6. Enter the following command and press enter: coreinfo
7. Turn on the search function (Ctrl + F keyboard shortcut) and look for the following features:

• PAE。
• NX。
• SSE2。
• CX16。

After completing these steps, you should know if your processor can handle upgrading to a 64 bit version of windows 10.
The installation wizard should be able to detect any compatibility issues with the processor before continuing with the installation, but the coreinfo tool allows you to manually check these features in advance.

Verify driver compatibility

In addition, it is a good idea to check that other components such as graphics and sound cards are compatible with the 64 bit version of windows 10.
If your computer is running a 32-bit version, but the hardware is only a few years old, you are likely to find a 64 bit version of the driver, but this is not always the case. To avoid accidents, it is recommended that you check the device manufacturer support website to see if a 64 bit version of the driver can be found.

How to upgrade from 32-bit to 64 bit version of windows 10

Although you have the right to install a 32-bit or 64 bit version of windows 10 with the same license, you cannot perform an in place upgrade. You must perform a fresh installation of windows 10 to switch the architecture.

Create installation media

To perform a new installation of windows 10, you must create USB bootable media using the media creation tool. Connect a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of space to your computer, and then use the following steps:

If you don't have a USB flash drive, you can find many reliable and inexpensive drives on Amazon, such as the SanDisk 32GB USB drive.

Important: starting with the May 2019 update, Microsoft is updating the media creation tool, which includes some internal improvements and new color patterns using a new light color scheme instead of a purple color scheme. Therefore, depending on when you installed windows 10, the tool may look different, but the steps listed below are almost the same.

1. Open the official download windows 10 web page.
2. Under the create windows 10 installation media section, click the download tools now button.
3. Double click M ediaCreationToolxxxx.exe File to start the utility.
4. Click the accept button to agree to the terms.
5. Select create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) to select additional PC options.
6. Click the next button.
7. Clear the recommended options for using this PC option.
8. Select the correct language and version of windows 10, and make sure you select the 64 bit (x64) option for architecture.
9. Click the next button.
10. Select the USB flash drive option.
11. Click the next button.
12. Select a removable drive to create bootable media. Quick tip: if the flash drive does not appear in the list, click the refresh drive list option and select the drive.
13. Click the next button.
14. Click the finish button.

After completing these steps, setup will download the required files and create windows 10 64 bit compatible bootable media.

Install windows 10 64 bit

After creating the installation media, you must ensure that the device can boot from USB before continuing. This means that you need to access the basic input / output system (BIOS) or unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) firmware on the motherboard to change the boot order as needed.
Usually, this process requires pressing one of the function keys (F1, F2, F3, F10 or F12), ESC or delete, immediately after starting the computer. The only thing to note is that each manufacturer, and even the computer model, has different settings. Therefore, be sure to check the device manufacturer's support website for more specific instructions.
In the firmware interface, find the "boot" menu and configure the boot sequence to boot from the USB flash drive and save the new changes.
To perform a clean installation of windows 10, restart your computer using bootable media, and then use the following steps:
Notice: This is a friendly reminder that you will make changes to the current installation, which may cause problems or even data loss if you do not execute it correctly. It is recommended that you make a temporary full backup of your PC before continuing.

1. Use USB flash drive to start PC.
2. On windows setup, click the next button.
3. Click the install now button.
4. Type the genuine product key (if this is the first time windows 10 is installed), and then click the next button. If you want to re install windows 10 on Windows 10 to switch from 32-bit to 64 bit, click the "I don't have a product key" link to continue (assuming your device is properly activated).
5. Select the version of windows 10, if applicable. This selection must match the license activated version.
6. Click the next button.
7. Check the I accept license terms option to continue.
8. Click the next button.
9. Click the custom: install windows only (Advanced) option.
10. Select the partition where windows is currently installed (usually drive 0), and then click the remove button to remove the partition from your hard drive. Quick tip: if you have more than one partition, select and delete each partition on your primary hard drive (drive 0). Windows 10 will automatically recreate the required partitions during installation. In addition, you do not have to delete the partition on the secondary drive because it is not required.
11. Select the empty drive labeled drive 0 unallocated space.
12. Click the next button.

After completing these steps, setup will continue to install windows 10 64 bit. After multiple restarts, you must continue to use the on-screen instructions to complete the out of the box experience (OOBE) in order to create an account using a local or Microsoft account, set preferences, and select the required privacy settings.
On desktop devices, it's a good idea to open the windows update settings page from the updates and security section of the settings app, and then click the check for updates button to install the latest security updates and missing drivers.
If some drivers are not available through windows update, use the manufacturer's support website to download the missing drivers. Then re install the applications, including those designed for a 32-bit or 64 bit version of windows 10, and remember to restore the files from a backup.