32bit or 64bit windows 7 how to tell

Knowing if your copy of Windows is bit or bit becomes very important when installing device drivers for your hardware and choosing between certain kinds of software. One quick way to tell if you're running a bit or bit version of Windows is by looking at information about your operating system installation in Control Panel.

However, the specific steps involved depend a lot on which operating system you're using. Another quick and simple way to check if you're running a bit or bit version of Windows is to check the "Program Files" folder. There's more on that at the very bottom of this page. Open the Control Panel. You can check your Windows system type much faster from the Power User Menu , but it's probably speedier that way only if you're using a keyboard or mouse.

With that menu open, select System and then skip to Step 4. Choose System and Security within Control Panel. If so, select System and then skip to Step 4. Choose System. System command from Run or Command Prompt. Find the Device specifications area Windows 11 , or the System area, located under the large Windows logo. Within there, next to System type , it will say either bit Operating System or bit Operating System. The second bit of information, either xbased processor or xbased processor , indicates the hardware architecture.

It's possible to install a bit edition of Windows on either an x86 or x64 based system, but a bit edition can only be installed on x64 hardware. Choose System and Security. Select System. Locate the System area below the oversized Windows logo, and look for System type among the other statistics about your computer. This will report either bit Operating System or bit Operating System.

Now you know whether you have Windows 7 bit or bit. Select Control Panel from the Start menu. Choose System and Maintenance. Didn't match my screen. Incorrect instructions. Too technical. Not enough information. Not enough pictures. Any additional feedback? Submit feedback. Thank you for your feedback! Pictures helped. Didn't match my screen. Incorrect instructions. Too technical. Not enough information. Not enough pictures. Any additional feedback? Submit feedback.

Details required :. Cancel Submit. Andre Da Costa Article Author. Product keys are not architecture specific 32 or 64 bit , the product key as long as its a corresponding edition will work with either. Click Start, right click Computer Click Properties Take note of the Operating System type: It will indicate if you have a 32 or 64 bit operating system installed.