How do I determine if an unbootable copy of Windows is a 64-bit or 32-bit installation?
Solution 1
If you see a folder in the root of that drive named Program Files (x86)
then it has 64-bit Windows installed.
Solution 2
A slightly more accurate way of detecting 64-bit windows is to look for folder %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64
(commonly Windows\SysWOW64
) since it contains the binaries windows uses to launch 32-bit applications it should not be present on 32-bit windows installations.
This is a little more accurate than checking for Program Files (x86)
because I recall seeing an installation option somewhere in Windows Vista which allows that folder to be renamed, but I've never seen one for SysWOW64.
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Zombo
Updated on September 18, 2022Comments
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Zombo over 1 year
I need to reinstall Windows on a laptop. I have the product key (its on the laptop), and I know it is Windows 7 Home Premium.
I need a way to determine if 64-bit or 32-bit Windows is installed, so that I can download the correct one from Microsoft. The computer is messed up so I do not have access to Windows to check it with
systeminfo
.I took out the hard drive and hooked it to another computer, but when I run
systeminfo
it just gives information for the host computer, I did not see a way to change this.-
Ramhound almost 12 yearsYou do understand the product key for Windows 7 Home Premium can be be used to install 32-bit or 64-bit installation. If the HDD is attached to another computer then you can view the contents of the HDD and determine what you had installed per Fran's answer.
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afrazier almost 12 years-1: It's not officially possible to relocate
Program Files
orProgram Files (x86)
via an unattended setup anymore. It was possible with XP. Obligatory Old New Thing Reference -
Bob Davies almost 12 years"not officially possible" does that mean "unofficially it's still possible"?
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afrazier almost 12 yearsIt's not possible with the WAIK. I wouldn't be surprised if someone's come up with a nasty hack that appears to work though. N.B.: I'm not talking about people simply junctioning the folder to another drive, which is also unsupported, but actually renaming
Program Files
. -
Bob Davies almost 12 yearsGood to know thanks. Though I think I'll stick with my option since in my experience it's slightly less fallible than the alternatives.
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Ramhound almost 12 yearsWhy exactly was this voted up so many times? The user was running Windows 7 Home Premium. There is NO WAY he doesn't have Program Files (x86) if a 64-bit version was installed.
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Colin over 5 yearsI am so confused because it's an old laptop, I don't have it right in front of me, but I do have the SSD (I upgraded it eons ago). I has BOTH
\Program Files (x86)
AND\Windows\SysWOW64
, and both folders have lots of stuff in them.