Is Windows 7 Home Premium 32 or 64 bit?

[jsteph]

Hi all,
Sorry for the seemingly dumb question, but I keep seeing ads for desktop machines that, under the OS description, it just says "Windows 7 Home Premium".

It does not specify 32 or 64 bit, while the other versions of Windows 7 always seem make a point of specifying either 32 or 64. So the issue is, I'm ordering a PC online, and I don't want to get it home and find out it's 32 bit.
Thanks,
--Jim

 

[vacunita]

Like any other version Windows 7 Home Premium can be either 32 or 64 bit.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/64-bit-support

Whichever system you choose, Windows 7 is ready. All packaged retail editions of Windows 7 (except for Home Basic) include both 32- and 64-bit software.

It comes down to the Manufacturer. And whether the CPU is 32 bit or 64 bit. Without knowing the make and model of PC there's no way to know whether its 64 or 32 bit.




----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Behind the Web, Tips and Tricks for Web Development.

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[flyboytim]

Microsoft is "encouraging" the OEM market to push 64-bit versions to hasten the demise of XP and legacy hardware and software. Starter versions are only 32-bit.

http://www.fxxxingcomputers.co.uk

 

[jsteph]

Thanks all.
The machine has the OS Pre-Installed, so it looks like if, for some reason, the OEM pre-installed the 32-bit version I could re-install it as 64-bit because the media comes with it.

It's a 64-bit cpu (are there any new 32-bit cpus being sold?) so I'd have to assume they went with the recommendation from MS.
Thanks,
--Jim

 

[cdogg]

Well technically speaking unless you have 4GB of RAM or more, there's no real performance advantage to using the 64-bit version in most circumstances. In fact, there will be some limitations as noted in the link below. Are they serious limitations to consider? Probably not. Chances are you won't notice any difference in most applications, but thought I'd mention it anyway.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384219(v=vs.85).aspx

Carl

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test
a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln
[tab][navy]For this site's posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[Sympology]

Most of the downsides in that link referto Itanium chips, so not an issue here.
Where possible, if it's not going to cause a headache, I'd go 64bit as more and more software will port over to it.

Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

 

[cdogg]

Sympology,
A lot of the information at that link is referring to WOW64 in general and not Itanium. The parts that do apply to Itanium point that out clearly so as not to confuse the reader. It would be absurd to discount the entire link.

There should be no question from a technical standpoint that 32-bit applications will run slightly slower using WOW64 than they would under a normal 32-bit operating system. WOW64 is an emulation layer translating instructions that pass in and out of 32-bit apps into 64-bit instructions. This extra layer along with other factors mentioned at the link above will cause some decrease in execution time. As I said before, you may or may not notice the difference. How much slower depends on the application.

Now with all that said, I will make different recommendations based on the situation. The point that I was trying to make is that it's not necessary to "always" push 64-bit.

Carl

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test
a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln
[tab][navy]For this site's posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[strongm]

Sympology is correct. Most of the negative information concerning WoW in that link is specifically for the Itanium. Only under Itanium (IA-64 instruction set) is WOW64 an emulator, and suffers performance issues because of that emulation. As outlined in the linked page.

On x86-64 it is essentially just a very lightweight compatibilty layer, and runs 32bit threads using 32bit system DLLs (the same DLLs you'll find in XP ...) natively (as your own link states). There is no translation from 32bit intructions to 64bit instructions. None. Just some API thunking when making (theoretically rare) calls to the NT kernel. Performance of 32bit apps under WOW64 on x86-64 is pretty much comparable to native 32bit performance on the same CPU (and for some types of applications can actually be better)

 

[xwb]

64-bit stuff is only a problem if you have an app which uses a late loading 32-bit DLL and has been compiled for "any cpu". It loads up as a 64-bit app then falls over when it tries to load the 32-bit DLL. These cases are quite rare.

 

[PRPhx]

A really easy way to find out if your OS is 32 or 64 bit is to open the control panel and then double click on the system icon. Once it opens, look under the System heading. It should say either 32 bit OS or 64 bit OS.

As far as 32 vs 64 bit OS, I'd say that 32 bit OS are dead or will be soon. As far as server OS, Win 2008 is the last 32 bit OS. Windows Server 2008 R2 is only 64 bit, as far as I can tell. Several web sites I've looked at all say that windows 8 will only be 64 bit

Take a look here. It mentions back in 2009 that Windows 7 may be the last 32 bit OS.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com.../thread/505cbf9b-50b0-49f7-a057-1bdd6adbaaae/

 

[tf1]

The only possible problem with 64-bit is if you have any legacy hardware that doesn't have new 64-bit drivers and the 32-bit drivers refuse to install. This is only likely to happen with quite old peripherals though.

I upgraded three of my home computers from 32-bit to 64-bit over December and January without a hitch.

Regards: Terry

 

[vacunita]

As far as 32 vs 64 bit OS, I'd say that 32 bit OS are dead or will be soon. As far as server OS, Win 2008 is the last 32 bit OS. Windows Server 2008 R2 is only 64 bit, as far as I can tell. Several web sites I've looked at all say that windows 8 will only be 64 bit

If you think 32 bit oses are dead, you don;t work in the support sector.

I support several large companies that still use Windows XP 32 bit, and haven't even considered moving to Win 7 let alone a 64 bit version.

32 bit may be winding down, and no longer being sold in new machines, but to say it is dead is really going out there.

They may die in a few more years when Windows 8 (64 and 128 bit) hits the scene, and Vista is on its way out of its support life.



----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Behind the Web, Tips and Tricks for Web Development.

http://behindtheweb.blogspot.com/

 

[goombawaho]

No, I'm sorry Vacunita. Microsoft is going to confiscate all PCs running any 32bit operating system in 2014. There WILL be a door to door search to sniff out and destroy all PCs and media. Time to get cracking.

Me? I'm going be buried with my windows 2000 CD in case I need it in the after life. I'll probably include a set of DOS disks as well in case I go the wrong way. The other place still has DOS, you know.

But seriously, it would be great if we could get the ball rolling to get everyone that steadfastly refuses to update that 12 year old back office application running in a DOS shell or the equivalent. You know what I mean.

 

[tf1]

Haven't you upgraded to WfWGs yet?


Regards: Terry

 

[Turkbear]

Can I upgrade to that from Windows 286?





To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[vacunita]

No, I'm sorry Vacunita. Microsoft is going to confiscate all PCs running any 32bit operating system in 2014. There WILL be a door to door search to sniff out and destroy all PCs and media. Time to get cracking.

Ha ha, I'm hiding my Win 3.1 and Install floppies in a fireproof safe embedded in a bomb shelter's wall somewhere in the New Mexico desert.

Heck I know of another company, that refuses to update their IE6 to anything. Their IT department just does't want to bother with the hassle of deploying a newer version of IE.

You'd think with all the complaints I hear about newer websites not looking right in IE6 they'd at least try to update to IE7 but nooo. Some IT departments just refuse to update unless absolutely, positively, inescapably necessary.

----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Behind the Web, Tips and Tricks for Web Development.

http://behindtheweb.blogspot.com/

 

[tf1]

In reality, Microsoft do understand that there is need for legacy software. MSDN Subscriber downloads still has a whole load of nostalgia for download: OSs from DOS 6.0 onwards and Office from 95 (v7) onwards.



Regards: Terry

 

[goombawaho]

Heck I know of another company, that refuses to update their IE6 to anything. Their IT department just does't want to bother with the hassle of deploying a newer version of IE."

^^^^^Aren't these type of people (companies, IT departments) doomed at some point in the future? Time CAN stand still forever?!?!?!

 

[vacunita]

As I said, they'll upgrade when they think its "absolutely, positively, inescapably necessary"

Probably just before they are run over by progress. And they'll update just enough so they can survive a while longer without updating anymore than necessary.





----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Behind the Web, Tips and Tricks for Web Development.

http://behindtheweb.blogspot.com/