You can install either 32-bit or 64-bit Operating System on a 64-bit Hardware. You check whether you are running a 32-bit or 64-bit Operating Systems by following steps outlined below:
Method 1 – Checking using the command line
Steps:
- Log on to computer.
- Go to Command Prompt
- Type "SET Processor" (without double quotes)
- You will see the output similar to below:
- PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=x86 OR PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=x64
Method 2 – Checking using the registry:
Steps:
- Go to Registry Editor
- Navigate to the following location:
- HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
- In Right Pane, you will see a regitry entry; PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE. This entry stores either x86 or x64.
yeah that won’t work if you have a 32 bit OS installed on a 64 bit processor.
And won’t work if you have 64 bit OS when you use 32-bit cmd.exe. After typing “set processor” command you will see the output:
PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=x86
PROCESSOR_ARCHITEW6432=AMD64
So, OS is 64-bit and PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE shows 32-bit architecture.
Proper command would be:
if /I “%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%” equ “x86” if not defined PROCESSOR_ARCHITEW6432 (set OSARCH=32BIT) else (set OSARCH=64BIT)
instead of HKLM, I have HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on both of old and new windows laptops.