Upgrading Windows XP 32 to 64 bit
The Windows XP professional operating system comes in two different formats, these are; Windows XP 32 bit and Windows XP 64 bit. When you are using a 32 bit operating system, it means that your computer has smaller 32 bit size. This will give rise to more bottlenecks which can eventually slow down your system as a process needs to wait for the other process to finish, before beginning. Alternatively, you are restricted to a maximum of 4 GBs of RAM on a 32 bit operating system, and when it comes to 64 bit OS, there is no such limit.
If you are currently using the 32-bit version of the Windows XP operating system, you may upgrade it to the 64 bit version if your computer has a 64 bit processor. In this process, you will need to install the 64 bit operating system over your currently installed 32 bit operating system. So ensure that you back up your data that you don’t want to lose, or else there is a chance that it may get erased during the installation.
Microsoft help instructions to upgrade Windows XP 32 bit to Windows XP 64 bit
- Start your computer from the Windows XP 64-bit disc by inserting the disc into the hard drive of your computer. Restart the machine and once you see “Press Any Key to Boot from CD-ROM…” appearing on the screen, press any key on your keyboard. To boot from the CD, you may have to press a boot menu key (usually DELETE or F12) depending on your computer configuration.
Upgrading Windows XP 32 to 64 bit
- Wait a few moments until the pre-loading sequence finish. After that, press the “Enter” key and then press the “F8” key to launch the pre-installation process and agree to the installation license terms and conditions.
- To erase the currently selected partition, Press the “D” key and press “L” to confirm the deletion and to write a new partition to the drive, press “Enter“.
- To accept the current partition size, Press “Enter” and then time to begin the installation process, press “Enter” a final time.
- When prompted, enter the product key for your Windows XP 64-bit operating system and then click “Next” to finish the installation.
That’s how the Microsoft help team asks you to upgrade Windows XP from 32 bit to 64 bit.
