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How Can I Tell Whether My Version of Windows is 32- or 64-Bit?

This article will look at how you can tell if your version of Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit

Table of Contents

1.Access Windows Search

2.Find the "About your PC" Setting

3.Looking at Your System Information

4.Locating the System Type

Why Do I Need to Know This?

When installing programs on computers, it is important to consider the Windows version that is running. In this article, we are going to look at how you can find out your Windows version.

 NOTE: You may notice some websites or application developers may use "x86" or "x64" when stating which version of Windows the app is designed for.

REMEMBER: x86 = 32-bit; x64 = 64-bit

You may find yourself looking to download a file, only to come across two versions of the same file. One version may read something like "for 32-bit only," or ..."(x86)," and the other may have "x64" or "..for 64-bit versions of Windows." It's important to know which file is compatible with your operating system.

WARNING: 64-bit applications will not run on 32-bit versions of Windows, while 32-bit applications will run on both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows.

Let's look at how you can find out which Windows version you are running:

Click on your search bar

Type "About your PC"...

Click on the "About your PC" system setting, and a new windows pop-up with your basic system information will appear

Look at the "System type" header

Your operating system version and CPU architecture should be listed there

NOTE: Do keep in mind that having a 32-bit (x86) processor can only work with 32-bit operating systems. Having a 64-bit (x64) processor can support 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.