upgrading xp pro 32 to xp 64??

[conan60]

I`m "upgrading my computer right now,and therefore i`ve invested in a new
motherboard,new prosessor and new ram.... the mainboard has 4 slots for
ram,so i ordered 4 X 1024 ..... but then... the xp-pro 32bit does not "find"
more than 3 GB ram.... and after checing it out it seems like i have to
"upgrade" my operatingsysten to xp 64bit...... -so far i have not been able
to find any way to easy upgrade.... just a new clean install,witch means that
everything i do have on my system now is "gone"...... dont like that
idea....-anyone know a easy way to get 64bit operatingsystem??

 

[Sajjad Mehdi]

Hi steinar,

Try to copy the i386 folder from the 64bit edition disc and copy it to the c
drive.
then run the winnt32.exe file from the same i386 folder. this is a flat
upgarde. try this and check whether it upgardes.

before starting the installation try to disconnect the ram from the
computer, after you upgarde to the 64bit edition then you can connect your
remaining ram's.

 

[Tim Slattery]

I`m "upgrading my computer right now,and therefore i`ve invested in a new
motherboard,new prosessor and new ram.... the mainboard has 4 slots for
ram,so i ordered 4 X 1024 ..... but then... the xp-pro 32bit does not "find"
more than 3 GB ram.... and after checing it out it seems like i have to
"upgrade" my operatingsysten to xp 64bit...... -so far i have not been able
to find any way to easy upgrade.... just a new clean install,witch means that
everything i do have on my system now is "gone"...... dont like that
idea....-anyone know a easy way to get 64bit operatingsystem??

Your 32-bit OS cannot use a full 4GB of RAM, some of its 4GB address
space must be used to access video memory, BIOS, etc. See
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html

And you're absolutely right, going from a 32-bit OS to a 64-bit OS
(certainly in XP, but I believe it's also true for Vista) is not an
upgrade, you have to start from scratch. There is no easy way.

 

[Bob I]

Windows XP 64 bit is OEM. That means clean install, AND foregoing the
use of any hardware that you can't locate 64bit drivers for. Easy way to
get a 64bit operating system is to buy a computer that has it installed
by the vendor so you know it works.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I`m "upgrading my computer right now,and therefore i`ve invested in a new
motherboard,new prosessor and new ram.... the mainboard has 4 slots for
ram,so i ordered 4 X 1024 ..... but then... the xp-pro 32bit does not "find"
more than 3 GB ram.... and after checing it out it seems like i have to
"upgrade" my operatingsysten to xp 64bit...... -so far i have not been able
to find any way to easy upgrade.... just a new clean install,witch means that
everything i do have on my system now is "gone"...... dont like that
idea....-anyone know a easy way to get 64bit operatingsystem??

There is no way, easy or otherwise. A clean installation is required.

Why do you think you need more than 3GB? It depends on what apps you
run, but very few people running Windows Vista will see any
improvement in performance by going that high.

 

[conan60]

need more than 3GB?? probably not.... -just that the specs on the card said 4
slots-and i bought 4 ..... -so at the end (my end) i have 1 ram more than i
can use right now.....

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

need more than 3GB?? probably not.... -just that the specs on the card said 4
slots-and i bought 4 ..... -so at the end (my end) i have 1 ram more than i
can use right now.....

OK, but the point is that even if you install 64-bit XP, you will
still have 1GB (or more) than you can use. Windows will be able to see
it, but not make any real use of it.

Considering that you will get no performance benefit from installing
64-bit XP, get no extra use from the additional RAM, and may well run
into problems finding drivers for all your hardware, it's a bad
bargain. You make extra work for yourself and create the risk of
problems, in return for no benefits. I recommend that you *not* do
this.

 

[conan60]

thx! then i`l just keep the system as it is..... After all i do not have any
BIG problems,other than the irritating bit of having innstalled more ram than
i can get out.... machin is running just great-so i`l just let it keep on
going as it is.... -I`ve also been told that the 64bit system still has
several "issues" to solve-to get the 64 to run as it`s supposed!
-Thank`s everybody

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

thx! then i`l just keep the system as it is.....

Good choice, in my view.

After all i do not have any
BIG problems,other than the irritating bit of having innstalled more ram than
i can get out..

Understood. Sorry you didn't ask about that here before buying that
much RAM.

.. machin is running just great-so i`l just let it keep on
going as it is.... -I`ve also been told that the 64bit system still has
several "issues" to solve-to get the 64 to run as it`s supposed!

Really just one issue--availability of drivers for all your
hardware--but that one can sometimes be a showstopper.

-Thank`s everybody

You're welcome. Glad to help.