It is possible to change windows7 64bit to 32 bit without re-install windows?

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Windows 7 and Vista Activation FAQ: how do language, version, 64-bit or 32-bit, and source affect ability to install and transfer Windows licenses?

It is possible to change windows 64bit to 32 bit without re-install windows? I install windows 7 64 bit on my PC last night and I didn't know that it was 64 bit but when I install some software it say your windows is 64 bit can't install. so I got problems, I don't want to format the windows or re-install the windows because it will take at-least 30 mins or more.

Is there any software or settings can change 64bit windows to 32bit in 5 mins or less?

Solution

No, there is no way to do this. The 32 and 64 bit versions are signifcantly different on a kernel level, and there is no way to change this without a re-install of the OS.

Windows' WoW64 subsystem can happily translate addresses and function calls from the 32-bit world to a 64-bit environment, so most 32-bit applications (with a few exceptions) should have installed in the first place.

For more details, see this article.

Comments

[Breakthrough]

Related: Windows 7 and Vista Activation FAQ: how do language, version, 64-bit or 32-bit, and source affect ability to install and transfer Windows licenses? (not an exact duplicate, but the answer can be found directly in the answer).

[soandos]

False. Many 32-bit processors come with 64 bit emulation, and 64 bit processors can certainly handle 32-bit.

[soandos]

Can't what be reversed?

[DreamsInHD]

This is completely wrong, the x86-64 instruction set contains the entire 32-bit instruction set (implemented in hardware.) Any 64-bit CPU of the x86 architecture should fully support 32-bit software.

[DreamsInHD]

It's no longer wrong information after the edit, but still doesn't clearly answer the question.

[wizlog]

So I should remove what comes before it?

[avirk]

Why don't you try community wiki..........