How to find out the xp system level. Bit sizes of processors and operating systems

Before installing a driver or program, you must know which bitness of the Windows operating system installed on your computer: 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64). Windows x86 or 32-bit system supports no more than 4 GB of RAM, while a 64-bit system supports more than 4 GB. For example, Windows 7 Home Premium in the 64-bit version supports up to 16 GB of RAM. More advanced editions of Windows, such as Professional and Ultimate, support up to 192 GB of RAM! To determine which version of Windows is installed on your computer, follow these steps.

Windows 8 bit depth

There are 2 ways to determine the bitness of Windows 8. If one method does not work, try another.

Method 1: View the System window in Control Panel

  1. Type "System" in the search field and then tap or click Settings.
  2. Click the System icon.
  3. If you have the 64-bit version of Windows 8 installed, the System type field in the System section will indicate this. And if you have a 32-bit version of Windows 8, it will indicate: 32-bit operating system.

Method 2: Open the System Information window

  1. Drag your cursor near the right edge of the screen, then tap Search. Or, if you're using a mouse, move your pointer to the bottom right corner of the screen and click Find.
  2. In the search field, enter “system information.”
  3. Click on "System", and then click on the "System Information" button.
  4. The box under the item title will say System Type Windows 8 64-bit. Or the System Type box will say Windows 8 32-bit.

Windows 7 bit depth

In the window that opens, find the System type item

Windows Vista bit depth

  • Windows x64 - in the System type item it will be indicated: “64-bit operating system”
  • Windows x86 - in the System type item it will be indicated: “32-bit operating system”

Windows XP bit depth

I note that the vast majority use a 32-bit operating system.

Method 1

In the window that opens, find the System item

  • if you are using a 64-bit version of the operating system, the System item will indicate: Microsoft Windows XP version x64
  • if you are using a 32-bit version of the operating system, the System item will indicate: Microsoft Windows XP version x32

Method 2

  1. Click "Start"
  2. Select "Run"
  3. Enter the “CMD” command in the window that appears, i.e. call command line
  4. Enter the command "winver"
  5. Click "Start"
  6. Select "All Programs"
  7. "Standard"
  8. Item "Service"
  9. Click on “System Information”

Method 3

Thanks to this method you will receive complete information about the system. Usually the question arises where it is written about the bit depth, so if the text “x86 Family” is present, then the system is 32-bit.

Question: Why is it not always possible to see the necessary information in Windows XP (in the first two methods) or why is there no “System” item?

Answer: Because Windows XP SP3 (third patch package) has a large number of assemblies and the first two options are not relevant in all assemblies, for example, in some assemblies only the 3rd method of checking the system bitness works.

Any computer needs an operating system, because without it it is completely unable to perform any tasks. A common OS that most users have already used and are still ready to use is Windows.

However, even such a familiar Windows for some PC owners remains not fully explored, because it is fraught with some “secrets”. In this regard, it does not bother every PC owner to know how to determine the bit capacity of the system.

Such information helps in some cases to solve technical problems. Especially if you plan to perform actions yourself, relying on technical support tips.

To find out the bitness of the operating system, a couple of clicks will be enough

Determining the bit depth of an already installed operating system is not difficult. Each user can follow the indicated steps to find out the bit capacity of the system and processor, among other things.

Definition in Windows XP

Currently, it is almost impossible to find computer equipment that has a 16-bit processor installed. They were replaced by more successful and fast-acting ones, the bit depth of which is 32 and 64.

Windows XP, which was very popular a few years ago, was almost always accompanied by 32-bit processors. Only after a short period of time did their 64-bit “colleagues” appear.

Wanting to be informed about their computer equipment, PC owners are actively interested in how to find out the system bit depth in Windows XP. It is not difficult to answer this question.

The PC user must open the context menu by right-clicking on the “My Computer” shortcut. A list of submenus will be displayed there; select “Properties”. After you click on this submenu, an information table will open in which its bit depth will be indicated next to the system name.

If the user finds one of these inscriptions “x64 edition”, “x64 edition”, it means that the OS is 64-bit. If only the type of operating system is indicated - Windows XP, without any numerical indications, then the system bit rate is 32.

Many experienced users know another option on how to find out the system bit rate. But, if you use their recommendations, you will have to deal with the command line, which is not always clear to beginners.

Definition in Windows 7 and 8

If Windows 7 and 8 are installed on your computer, you should follow almost the same steps as in the case described above. The user should right-click on the “Computer” shortcut, go to “Properties” and read the information that opens on the screen.

Among several parameters, the user will be able to find the line “System type”, which indicates the bit depth.

Also, the user can determine the bit depth of the system by viewing “System Information”. Click on “Start”, a line oriented to performing a search opens, enter the word “system” in it, after completing the search the item “System information” will be displayed. The OS bit depth will be indicated there.

By the way, there are several more methods that are simple, but at the same time allow you to understand how to determine the processor bit size - 32 or 64.

It’s enough to go to “My Computer”, go to local drive C and look at “Program Files”. If there is only a single copy of the designated folder, then the processor bit will be 32. If there are two folders, one of which is “Program Files (x86),” then the processor bit will be 64.

From all of the above, it is not difficult to understand that there are several ways to easily find out the processor bit rate, so even a beginner can cope with this task, identifying the most acceptable option for himself.

Advantages and disadvantages of Windows of different bit rates

Experts consider bit depth as a property of the OS that allows you to simultaneously operate with a certain amount of information. Beginners, having become familiar with this concept, decide that a 32-bit processor is significantly inferior to a 64-bit one. However, not everything is so simple, each OS has a number of its own advantages, which go along with the disadvantages, so it doesn’t hurt to find out which OS to give preference to in each specific case.

Benefits of 64-bit Windows

A 64-bit processor can work twice as fast and, accordingly, process twice as much information as a 32-bit processor.

Another significant advantage of a 64-bit processor is that it does not have a limit on the amount of RAM of 4 gigabytes - there can be much more memory in a computer with such a processor.

However, such an OS also has disadvantages. Experts consider it quite “gluttonous” in relation to RAM. The installed memory of 4 GB will not be fully available, since about 1 GB is required to ensure the operation of the OS itself, another small part is required for the video card, so sometimes only about 2 GB remains to ensure the functionality of programs, which is immediately accompanied by some problems.

For correct and fast operation of the processor, experienced users equip their computer equipment with additional RAM.

However, along with such advantages, there are also disadvantages of this bit capacity. In particular, not all programs are adapted for it, so before downloading applications and programs to your computer, you should first find out whether they are suitable for installation. It is also quite difficult to find the appropriate drivers, so before switching to a new bit OS, it does not hurt to familiarize yourself with the list of available drivers and make sure that those are available, without which it is impossible to subsequently ensure normal operation of the computer.

So, before taking actions aimed at changing the bitness of the operating system, you should weigh the pros and cons, find out about the availability of the most necessary drivers, without which the performance of the equipment will be reduced to zero. Only after such balanced considerations can the PC owner begin to change the system bit capacity.

Hi all;). Don't know where to look at the system capacity? In this article we will tell you how to find out the bitness of your Windows system. It would seem a simple question about the bitness of the operating system, but many Windows users do not know what operating system they have installed. First, let's define what the bitness of the Windows operating system is, and then we'll figure out how to check the bitness of the system. Almost all versions of operating systems Windows XP, Windows 7 And Windows 8(except for the entry level) have two bit depth branches: x64 and x32 (or x86, which is the same).

Briefly, the bit capacity of the operating system can be characterized as follows: the ability to process a 32- or 64-bit command in one cycle of processor time. The main differences between x32 and x64 are the ability to use more RAM in the 64-bit version of Windows. In Windows x32 versions, the system cannot use more than 4 gigabytes of RAM. Let's figure out how to find out the system capacity.

How to find out the system bit rate

To begin with, a few words about why you need to know the bit depth of Windows at all. It's simple. This knowledge will be needed when installing programs, drivers and even games. Some "legacy" programs do not support 64-bit versions of Windows. And when installed with a driver from the official websites of component manufacturers. Equipment manufacturers first ask you to indicate the bit depth of the operating system when downloading drivers.

So, the first, not too detailed way to determine the bitness of the Windows operating system is to right-click on the “Computer” or “My Computer” icon and select “Properties”. The system type will be indicated in the window that appears. Let's take a closer look at all three operating systems.

How to find out the bitness of Windows XP

At the time of the popularity of Windows XP, 64-bit versions of this operating system were not as popular as their 32-bit counterparts. Apparently that's why the developers from Microsoft They did not indicate the bit depth of Windows XP x32. In other words, if your system does not indicate that this is a 64-bit version, then it is 32-bit. Here's how to find out. Right-click on “My Computer” on the desktop and select “Properties”.

As you can see, the tab demonstrates that the system is 64-bit. If this is not written, then you have a 32-bit Windows XP. By the way, on the official Microsoft website they are not looking for easy ways and offer the following ways to find out the bit depth of Windows XP:

Through the "System Properties" window in the "Control Panel"

  1. Enter command sysdm.cpl and click OK.
  2. Next, open the “General” tab.
    • If your computer has a 64-bit version of the operating system installed, in the section "System" 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional will appear< Год выпуска системы > .
    • If your computer has a 32-bit operating system installed, in the section "System" Windows XP Professional will appear< Год выпуска системы > .

Through the "System Information" window

  1. From the Start menu, select Run.
  2. Enter the command winmsd.exe and click OK.
  3. If you select "System Summary", go to item "CPU" in the Item detail pane item. You need to remember the specified value.
    • If a 32-bit system is installed on the computer, the value of the item "CPU" will start with x86.
    • If the value corresponding to the processor starts with IA-64 or AMD64, then this is a 64-bit version of Windows.

A bit complicated for an untrained user. Let's move on to Windows 7.

Windows 7 operating system bit depth

Now let's find out how to determine the system bit rate Windows 7 or Windows Vista. It’s simple, right-click on “Computer” again.

After this, you just need to look at the information about the system.

Employees Microsoft do not give up, and go their own way in search of the capacity of the system.

Open the "System" window in the "Control Panel"

  1. Click the “Start” button and enter the word “system” in the “Start Search” field. Next, you need to select “System” in the list.
    • If your computer is running a 64-bit version of Windows, then in the "System type" under the item "System" the 64-bit operating system is displayed.
    • If your computer is running a 32-bit version of Windows, then in the "System type" under the item "System" the 32-bit operating system is displayed.

Open the System Information window

  1. Click the “Start” button and enter the word “ system" in the "Start Search" field. Next you need to select the item "System Information" on the list.
  2. If you select the option in the navigation bar "System Summary", then the operating system information is displayed as follows.
    • If a 64-bit version of Windows is installed on the computer, the value "x64-based PC" appears in the element "System type".
    • If a 32-bit version of Windows is installed on your computer, in the section "System type" will appear "x86-based PC".
WITH Windows 8 everything is the same as with Windows 7. Just look at the system details. Or use the methods to determine the bit depth of the system using methods from Microsoft presented above.

Surely many of you have heard about one of the characteristics of the operating system - bit depth. Currently, there are 32 and 64 bit versions. Designated bit depth as follows - 32 bits - x86, 64 bits - x64. Bit depth is a way processing data by the central processor. RAM is used to process information.

Modern processors are overwhelmingly 64-bit, to fully utilize all the capabilities of the CPU and RAM recommended use x64 system.

How to find out the bit depth in Windows XP

In order to find out the bit depth using the system, you can use the tab Are common V Properties, right-click on the icon My computer.

As you can see, in this case the bit depth is not specified. The fact is that for Windows XP the bit depth value is not indicated in this window if used 32-bit version (which is more typical for XP). If the version 64-bit this will definitely be mentioned there indicated.

The same properties can be viewed using Start \Execute(or Win+R) – enter in the input field sysdm.cpl And OK for confirmation.

And if you enter the command in the same window winmsd.exe, then they will open.

There is a point here CPU, next to which it is indicated bit depth.

Determine bit depth in Windows 7, 8, 10

There are many methods for determining such information; consider the built-in system tools and one of the special utilities.

Using dxdiag

By entering the word " dxdiag" in the window Execute, you'll get into DirectX Diagnostic Tools, in which we can determine what we need on the tab System.

Through computer properties

To open system properties in all versions of Windows, the combination will work Win+PauseBreak.

Either through properties right-click on the Computer icon on the desktop or in the menu Start.

Special utilities

There are many utilities that show, among other data, bit depth information(CPU-Z, AIDA64, Speccy, etc.). For example, in Speccy system characteristics can be viewed in the main window in the section Summary(summary information).

Advantages of x86 (32 bits) and x64 (64 bits)

Now let’s take a closer look at what advantages an OS with a particular bit rate has.

64-bit will give an increase productivity compared to 32 bits due to the possibility of using more RAM And multi-core CPU.

It is worth noting that not all devices have drivers for a 64-bit system, so before installing, make sure you can download and install them on the official website. Also on x64 they can don't make money rare, but at the same time programs you need, for which the corresponding software has not yet been created - this can be either a complete failure or instability during the operation of the program. At the same time, currently, fewer and fewer developers are producing new programs for the 32-bit version of Windows.

Main minus x64 is its demands on the processor - a 32-bit processor will not be able to work with a 64-bit OS.

Is it worth switching to x64 if x86 is installed?

If the question is whether it is worth installing x64 on your computer, you should proceed from its parameters. For example, if you have installed more than 3 GB RAM, such a transition will be quite reasonable, because x86 is not able to use a larger amount of memory and the capabilities of the RAM will be used not completely. Switching to the 64-bit version in this case will lead to improved performance.

If you have a powerful PC, with a multi-core high-performance processor and a large amount of RAM, then switching to 64 bits will be fully justified. For a standard office PC, such a transition would be inappropriate - it will not provide an increase in performance.

When installing Windows, many people have a question: which version to install - 32 or 64 bit? Let's look at the differences between the 32 and 64-bit versions, which one is better, and whether it is possible to change the version after installation.

Differences between 32 and 64 bits

The main difference between a 32-bit system is that it does not support RAM larger than 4 GB. 64-bit versions of Windows support up to 192 GB of RAM. There are a few caveats here: not all motherboards allow for such a large amount of RAM, and Home versions of Windows are limited to 16 GB.

Sometimes, even when installing the OS, you can see the designations x64 and x86. x64 are 64-bit versions of the OS, x86 are 32-bit. All modern processors support both architectures - x64 or x86.

One of the disadvantages of a 64-bit system is the higher consumption of RAM. Therefore, there is no point in installing it on old computers. In addition, it may simply not be supported by the processor.

Another difference is that there are often separate versions of programs for 32 and 64 bits. The performance increase for 64-bit versions of programs is up to 20%. At the same time, when running 32-bit applications on a 64-bit system, there is a slight drop of 2-3% in operating speed due to the WoW64 subsystem, which emulates a 32-bit environment.

If you have a more or less modern computer and RAM costs 4 GB or more, feel free to install the 64-bit version. If the RAM is less than 4 GB and you do not plan to expand it, use 32-bit.

How to determine your Windows version

You can find out what OS version is currently installed using the computer properties.

Right-click on “My Computer” and open its Properties. On Windows XP, information about the operating system will be on the “General” tab; on Windows 7, 8 and 10 the window looks a little different, but information about the system is there.

Windows XP x64

Windows 7 32-bit (x86)

How to determine 64-bit processor support

You can find out whether the processor supports 64-bit using the free Speccy program https://www.piriform.com/speccy/download.

Open Speccy and look at the CPU information.

In the "Instructions" line, look for a mention of 64-bit. For example, if there is:

  • Intel 64
  • AA-64,
  • AMD 64,
  • EM64T.

    • This means your processor supports 64-bit instructions. Even some x86 processors can understand 64-bit instructions.

    Another way without installing programs is to find out the name of your processor (for example, in Device Manager, you can open it by pressing Win + R and entering the command devmgmt.msc) and look for its specification through a search engine: architecture and command set.