32 bit to 64 bit route

poppellerant

Unless you have more than 3GB of memory installed, I would stay with your existing 32-bit installation of Windows. If you do have more than 3GB of memory installed, then by all means install 64-bit Windows in order to gain use of your memory.

esuhl

NiftyDigits wrote: »

The OP can install 64 bit Vista using the same licence.

Are you sure? I thought the preinstalled OEM Vista installations were specifically licensed as either 32-bit or 64-bit...?

If I remember rightly, part of the benefit of buying the retail version was that you got both 32- and 64-bit DVDs.

poppellerant wrote: »

Unless you have more than 3GB of memory installed, I would stay with your existing 32-bit installation of Windows. If you do have more than 3GB of memory installed, then by all means install 64-bit Windows in order to gain use of your memory.

As above, PAE enables 32-bit Windows machines to address up to 64GB of memory through paging, so you'll still make use above the supposed 4GB limit for 32-bit machines.

NiftyDigits

esuhl wrote: »

Are you sure? I thought the preinstalled OEM Vista installations were specifically licensed as either 32-bit or 64-bit...?

If I remember rightly, part of the benefit of buying the retail version was that you got both 32- and 64-bit DVDs.



As above, PAE enables 32-bit Windows machines to address up to 64GB of memory through paging, so you'll still make use above the supposed 4GB limit for 32-bit machines.

I'm sure....

System

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Does this machine have a brand name and model number?

Yes it does and yes I'm still here. It is an Acer Aspire 9420

NiftyDigits

Do you have somewhere to whence you can back your data up? An external hard drive?

You have the option to 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2-800 PC2-6400 Laptop (SODIMM) Memory for £27.50 and to run a clean install of the operating system.

There will be a noticeable improvement in the performance of the laptop, if this is to what you are aiming.