Can we install a 64-bit OS in a system having 32-bit processor?
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You've tagged this x64 so you're talking about PCs - can you really buy 32-bit only processors nowadays? My 2004 desktop is 64-bit. – Rup Apr 07 '11 at 10:25
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1Funnily, you can install a 64 bit OS in a virtual machine on a 64 bit processor running in 32 bit mode under a 32 bit operating system. Don't ask me how this works, it is pure madness, but it sure works perfectly well (using it every day). – Apr 07 '11 at 10:36
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2its cause of vt extension related witchcraft. – Journeyman Geek Apr 07 '11 at 14:15
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1Can you fit a 2" pipe *inside* a 1" pipe? – Ondrej Tucny Apr 07 '11 at 14:31
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1sure. all you need is to bend space itself. – Journeyman Geek Apr 07 '11 at 14:44
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Processors have been supporting 64 bit instructions for a LONG time. – surfasb Jun 30 '11 at 04:47
4 Answers
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No,
You can install a 32bit OS on a machine with a 64bit CPU, but not the other way around.
Twelve47
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The only option would be emulation (such as qemu), but that requires a 32bit system underneath, and won't be very useful in practice (very slow, RAM still limited)
Patrick Georgi
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The quick answer is no
The longer answer is, there's quite a few reasons you wouldn't want to do so, even if you could.
- 64 bit windows may perform worse than 32 bit windows with less than 4 gb of ram this may or may not be true for linux
- 32 bit only systems were phased out by intel in 2004 AMD did it around 2005 so there's no point running the latest and greatest os on it.
- your processor may be 64 bit, and be running 32 bit - check it up - in which case there's no issue- other than that you may want to run a 32 bit OS
Its more likely that the hardware for your geriatric 32 bit era system is supported on a 32 bit os than a 64 bit os
it is more likely that your software will run on 32 bit than 64 bit , tho there's sxs on windows, and the ability to run mixed libraries on linux.
it just wouldn't run. If it did its a 64 bit system. If it didn't you wasted your time. You can check with something like cpu-z or SIW on windows, or lshw on linux.
Journeyman Geek
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