This article is about how you can upgrade windows 32 bit to 64 bit. If you are still using 32-bit windows you might be having trouble running latest games and software which only support 64-bit operating systems. I will show you how you can upgrade your PC to 64-bit operating system without loosing your files in the current windows.

Why you need to upgrade to 64 bit operating system?

You must be wondering what are the differences between 64-bit operating systems and 32-bit operating systems and does it worth it to upgrade to 64-bit OS.  32-bit and 64-bit terms are refer to the processor architecture of your PC. 32bit operating systems will only allow your processor to perform 32bit amount of calculations at one time. Like wise in 64bit operating systems will allow processor to perform 64-bit calculations at one time.  so In windows 64bit version windows will allow processors to handle large amount of random access memory or RAM more efficiently. this will allow software and programs to run more smoother and faster.  That’s why most of modern games and software require 64-bit operating systems to run.

Is my computer capable of running 64-bit operating systems?

In order to run 64-bit operating systems your processor should be able to run 64-bit operating systems.  Almost all the modern processors and motherboards support 64bit operating systems. but its better to check your computer support 64 bit OS. you can do this in few ways

One way of doing this is.  Right-click on This PC and go to Properties.  In this properties window, under system type, your current windows version and your processor type is mentioned. if it says x64 based processor then your computer is capable of running the 64-bit windows version.

Alternate way of doing this is got start menu search box and search the word  About your PC. then go to about your PC menu. There you can see your processor architecture and current windows version. if it says

if your processor  is 32-bit (x86) . you’ll need to upgrade to 64-bit CPU, and your motherboard should also support 64-bit processors. its will be costly as buying a new PC if you are going to upgrade your processor.

Does upgrading will i lose files in my hard drive

The question that most people ask is that will i loose my personal files and applications when i upgrade from 32 bit to 64bit.  the answer is not simple  since it depends on your current windows version and what windows you want to upgrade.  currently most people using windows 7, so if you are using windows 7 and want to upgrade to windows 7 64 bit version. you can preserve all your Windows settings, personal files, and some of your installed applications (games and other software) after the upgrade. Some installed programs will not work after upgrade you will have to re install them.

Also hardware drivers such as WiFi and Bluetooth drivers and VGA card drivers will not be compatible with the new version of the windows so you will have to reinstall newer versions of those hardware drivers.  so its better to make sure you have copy of all the main drivers you need for your computer. if you have any older windows version than windows 7 you cannot upgrade to 64bit without loosing any files.  Its better if you backup all your important files to a separate hard drive or separate partition of you hard drive other than c drive, just in case if any thing goes wrong. 

upgrade windows with bootable USB pen drive

if you are using windows 7 ,8 or 8.1 you can upgrade to 64-bit version of that windows directly . but you can not upgrade to windows 10 64bit version directly first you have to upgrade to windows 10 32bit version and upgrade to 64bit version.

Step 1: First thing you have to do is download 64-Bit version of the windows you want to install.

Step 2: then download Rufus software from the website.  Plug a pen drive about with storage capacity of 8 GB.  Open Rufus software and select the pen drive you want to copy windows setup.  Then select the windows image file (ISO) you download in the first step. then click create disk.

Step 3: now restart your computer and press Delete key when your computer boot up to enter the bios setup. This key might be different in different computers. It will be shown in your boot screen. or you can find it from your motherboard manufactures website.

Step 4: after you enter the Bios setup screen. go to boot order section.  Then change the boot order as USB removable device as your first boot device and your current hard drive (HDD). This step is really important set your boot device properly or you will run in to problems.  Now save BIOS settings and exit.

Step 5: Now plug the bootable pen drive you created earlier and start you PC.  Then your PC will be automatically boot with your pen drive and windows installation setup will be shown.

Step 6: now follow the instructions in the setup. And select upgrade option in the setup to upgrade to 64-bit version with out loosing your files. then the installation will begin.  Allow installation to complete. system will restart few times during install.

Step 7: After the installation is complete, check whether all you computer peripherals are working properly . If not install their latest drivers.

This is how you can upgrade windows 32 bit to 64 bit.  If you have any questions please leave a comment or send me a personal message thanks for stopping by.