64 dual core processor...changed to a 32bit system...

[joko]

i upgraded my vista laptop to win7
on vista it was a 64bit machine... it is now a 32bit...

on looking in device manager, there is a yellow ! mark over the coprocessor...

it will not let me update drivers - it says it has a probelm and isnt using any respources, but cannot find anything to fix it


is my computer now running at half its capabilities? is that how it works?

is half the dual core processor just not working?

my computer is quite sluggish - even after doing a factory reset... and i have trouble with stuff like streaming etc.
(i keep most files on a separate hard drive so its not full)

how can i turn it back to a 64 bit ? i cannot reistall vista as i dont have disks any more.

any ideas

thanks

[rojash]

Whether it shows as 64 bit or 32 bit is is dictated by the version of the OS that you installed. If you were running 64 bit Vista, you should have installed 64 bit W7.

If it says it's 32 bit, either your Vista was also 32 bit, or you purchased the wrong version of Windows 7.

The coprocessor is the bit the does the maths and nothing to do with how many cores there are.

It sounds as if you complete screwed up the installation.

Have you downloaded and installed the Win 7 device drivers for your Motherboard?

As you haven't given any hardware details at all, it's difficult to give any serious advice.

[joko]

cheers rojash, its a compaq presario f500.

i think it must be the worng version of windows then - its definietly 64bit ... can i update it or something? change it to a 64 bit somehow?

i havent installed anything manually for the motherboard, just what it updates itself with.

i have been using this version for about a year now though... and after a while the ! disappeared... but because i have reformatted it is showing again - but i cannot remember what i did.

[joko]

my mum has the correct version on her pc... can i make a disk from hers and use it to correct mine?
thanks

[joko]

i have just looked in device manager and it says it is a ACPI x86 based PC !

what does that mean?

thanks

[rojash]

Right-click Computer.
Choose Properties
On the page "view Basic information about your computer"
In the section "System", next to "System Type" it will say either 64 or 32 bit operating system.

That tells you whether you've installed 32 or 64 bit Windows.

In Device Manager, under computer it should say ACPI x64-based PC.
-----------

You've still not told us anything about your hardware.

[rojash]

Sorry - just noticed that you said it's a Compaq Presario F500.
According to the Compaq support site, they don't have drivers suitable for Windows 7. They do support 64 bit Vista, so your system should be capable of running 64 bit Windows 7.
If you purchased the 32 bit version of Windows 7, then No, you can't use someone else's 64 bit disks, as you will not be able to activate it.

[joko]

thanks rojash

yes it says its running a 32bit in properties

but in device manger it says 86...not 64

so yes looks like its the 32bit version of windows...

what can i do then? to make it a 64bit version?

with my mums disc i meant use them to upgrade...rather than install a completely new OP...would that work?

many thanks

[rojash]

"would that work?"
No.
After you had finished the installation, you would have to activate it. The activation would fail, because it's already installed on another pc.

[joko]

ah i see, ok thanks.

so how do i install the 64bit version? is it on the same win7 disc but i have to change options or something? or would i need a new disk?

or am i best leaving it at 32?
the machine is sluggish you see so im wondering if thats why...?

[joko]

apparently the disk has both versions on, but it wont work anyway because i dont have over 4gb of ram installed, so i will leave it as 32

thanks for the replies

[rojash]

"but it wont work anyway because i dont have over 4gb of ram installed, "
Where on earth do you get that idea?

[joko]

i was told on a microsoft forum that without a least 4gb of ram installed it wouldnt be worth installing the 64 bit system.
that it would struggle and wouldnt work well....
my machine only has 2 and i think it cannot take anymore... i upgraded and bought the highest i could.

is that not correct? i apparently do have the 64bit version on the same disk, so could custom install.

would it make my machine work better, faster etc?

i ran the upgrade adviser software and it seemed to think my machine could handle win64 ... but this guy on the forum said it could run it...it would work... just not well...

i am considering just trying it and see...but not sure if i could go back to 32 if it didnt work well...?

[rojash]

Guy on forum was talking out of his bottom

[MarkRae]

I think the Microsoft bod got his wires slightly crossed. The thing about 4GB is that that is the MAXIMUM amount of RAM that a 32-bit operating system can address directly - it's just mathematical - so it's not worth having more than 4GB on a machine with a 32-bit operating system. In practice, though, a 32-bit OS will typically have access to around 3.5GB.

I think that you have little choice here but to bite the bullet and purchase a 64-bit Windows 7 licence...