How to tell if all hardware will work properly with Win7 64-bit mode?

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Everything works well now with Windows 7 32 bit. I’ll be upgrading to 64 bit in a few days, but first I have to know that all my hardware fully supports and will work properly with the new OS. How can I confirm that?

TIA

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RFE,

Run the Win 7 Upgrade Adviser. HTH :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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It’s my experience running 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10TP that devices require 64-bit drivers. You might be able to get Microsoft’s Compatibility check to work but it basically for checking older versions of Windows. I’ve found it more reliable to just go to the device manufacturer’s site for each device and get the 64-bit drivers. The compatibility check may require doing the same thing to get the drivers. Sometimes the Windows Update drivers will work but sometimes they can be problematic.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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no no,

What I meant is how can I know BEFORE I update that my hardware is compatible at all with Windows 7 64 bit? that it’s not an older model or something which is not compatible?

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The Compatibility check IS for testing before doing the upgrade, you’ll need to be connected to the Internet when running it.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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The Compatibility check IS for testing before doing the upgrade, you’ll need to be connected to the Internet when running it.

It appears like it doesn’t have a few of the hardware that I have on my PC.

I want to know if my motherboard, processor, graphics card and sound card (external) are compatible with Windows 7 64 bit.

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…I want to know if my motherboard, processor, graphics card and sound card (external) are compatible with Windows 7 64 bit.

Look up your motherboard’s model number on the manufacturer’s support website. You should have to choose 64bit or 32bit before accessing the lists of available drivers.

You say you are running Win7 32bit; the same hardware should work as well, or better, with 64bit.

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Look up your motherboard’s model number on the manufacturer’s support website. You should have to choose 64bit or 32bit before accessing the lists of available drivers. You say you are running Win7 32bit; the same hardware should work as well, or better, with 64bit.

It looks like there are a lot of drivers for my motherboard for Windows 7 64 bit: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3771#driver Do I need to update them ALL? And, would you recommend to flash the BIOS? I’ve heard it’s not healthy…

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…would you recommend to flash the BIOS? I’ve heard it’s not healthy…

Flashing the BIOS is generally not recommended unless there is a particular reason for doing so, e.g.: BIOS seriously out-of-date, upgrade needed to support later developments, etc. I have upgraded the BIOS on many (hundreds) of customers’ computers without any failures. BUT be very sure to follow the upgrade instructions provided on the motherboard manufacturer’s website exactly (no shortcuts).

From the link in your #10 post http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3771#driver
GA-H67M-D2-B3 (rev. 1.1)
Intel H67 Chipset

Drivers for Win7 64bit

Audio
Realtek Function driver for Realtek Azalia audio chip (Including Microsoft UAA Driver in English edition) – too old, get the latest Realtek HD Audio driver (R2.75) from http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsCheck.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

Chipset
Intel INF installation – download the latest Intel chipset driver installer from https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/20775/Intel-Chipset-Device-Software-INF-Update-Utility- (File name: SetupChipset.exe) – install this before any other drivers.
Intel Management Engine Interface – the version on the Gigabyte website should be OK for your system.

LAN (Local Area Network, AKA “ethernet”)
Realtek LAN Driver – the version on the Gigabyte website is up-to-date so should be OK for your system.
Realtek Ethernet Diagnostic Utility – not necessary.

SATA RAID/AHCI
Intel SATA Preinstall driver – only needed if you cannot access the HDD after booting from Win7 installation DVD (unlikely).
Intel® Rapid Storage Technology – download/install v12.8.0.1016 from the Gigabyte support website.

VGA
Intel VGA Driver (for Ivy Bridge CPU) v15.33.8.3345
Intel VGA Driver (for Sandy Bridge CPU) v15.28.20.3347
As satrow says in his #12 post if you have the “Ivy Bridge CPU” you should upgrade your BIOS to at least the F6 version; otherwise both these VGA drivers are recent enough.

You could run “CPU-Z” to identify which CPU you have, see http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html but watch out for pre-selected unwanted “extras”. Otherwise open your case, remove the cooler from your CPU, wipe off any thermal grease, and google the CPU’s model number (be sure to re-apply thermal grease during re-assembly).

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For the External/Add-in cards check with the manufacturer if the Compatibility check doesn’t work. The motherboard and CPU nearly always work if you have at least 2GB RAM [more is better] and the CPU is at least 1GHz speed. Again Faster is better. Check what the board supports for RAM, I use http://www.crucial.com.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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Sources told me: No single consultation or a single test of a desktop or of a laptop generates a message of “sure thing” going from 32bit to 64bit for all pieces of hardware, internal and external. Make sure you have a resstorable image of your OS partition or hard-drive before beginning to commence getting started on making the conversion from 32bit to 64bit.

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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If you load 64 bit Windows you need 64 bit drivers, that’s the way it works. Download all the drivers to your hard disk and to an external store, USB stick etc. Then they are available for the upgrade.
Note: the hard disk controller drivers need to be unpacked to an external source so Windows can pick them up during installation.
Note 2: IMO you should re-load from scratch if going from 32 bit to 64 bit.

Flash the BIOS is you have a problem that needs fixing, otherwise leave it alone.

cheers, Paul

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We can only guess because you’ve only listed 1 item of your hardware

If you are using an Ivybridge CPU in that ‘board, I suggest you update the BIOS to F6, the last 3 updates were specific to that CPU family, F7 being for Gigabyte’s ‘utility’ software on that CPU family. (Frankly, I’d advise steering clear of any utility software, especially those that load drivers on boot).

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I’m going to suggest that the impulse behind “…first I have to know…” may be misplaced.

Most professional computer techs don’t really bother much with the Upgrade Advisors. RetiredGeek is correct, if you insist upon prior knowledge, then that’s the gold standard. However why bother? These tools tend to produce a lot of output to look at and it’s not always easy to interpret (disclaimer, I’ve not used the Upgrade Advisor myself. Maybe it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread).

In order to properly protect yourself, you must, repeat must, have at least one fresh, full backup prior to upgrading. And that’s regardless of whether you run the Upgrade Advisor or not. Therefore this implies that running the Upgrade Advisor is optional.

If the upgrade doesn’t work, you are going to do one of 2 things:

1). Restore from backup;
2). Upgrade your way out of any problems (hardware, software, at this level the concept is the same).

You see, you didn’t say why you are upgrading, only that you are going to do so. That implies that, despite the comment that “Everything works well now…”, for some reason you need 64-bit support. And without that requirement this upgrade is pretty minor, functionally speaking. You either must have 64-bit or why bother?

Windows 7 is 5 years old now. It’s mature. Most people would create the safety net of the backup (make 2 if you’re paranoid), then give it a try. 64-bit is likewise mature, with the earliest hardware and software support going all the way back to the late 1990’s (when it most definitely was not ready for consumer adoption).

So what if we were talking about Windows 10 instead? Then most people would create a specific test system, one that they don’t depend upon for day-to-day productivity. Whether that’s on a dedicated PC, or a virtual machine, there are several ways to accomplish that. So while I’m loathe to actually speak against the Upgrade Advisors, most of the time it’s difficult to justify spending a lot of time on them.

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I’m going to suggest that the impulse behind “…first I have to know…” may be misplaced.

Most professional computer techs don’t really bother much with the Upgrade Advisors. RetiredGeek is correct, if you insist upon prior knowledge, then that’s the gold standard. However why bother? These tools tend to produce a lot of output to look at and it’s not always easy to interpret (disclaimer, I’ve not used the Upgrade Advisor myself. Maybe it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread).

In order to properly protect yourself, you must, repeat must, have at least one fresh, full backup prior to upgrading. And that’s regardless of whether you run the Upgrade Advisor or not. Therefore this implies that running the Upgrade Advisor is optional.

If the upgrade doesn’t work, you are going to do one of 2 things:

1). Restore from backup;
2). Upgrade your way out of any problems (hardware, software, at this level the concept is the same).

You see, you didn’t say why you are upgrading, only that you are going to do so. That implies that, despite the comment that “Everything works well now…”, for some reason you need 64-bit support. And without that requirement this upgrade is pretty minor, functionally speaking. You either must have 64-bit or why bother?

Windows 7 is 5 years old now. It’s mature. Most people would create the safety net of the backup (make 2 if you’re paranoid), then give it a try. 64-bit is likewise mature, with the earliest hardware and software support going all the way back to the late 1990’s (when it most definitely was not ready for consumer adoption).

So what if we were talking about Windows 10 instead? Then most people would create a specific test system, one that they don’t depend upon for day-to-day productivity. Whether that’s on a dedicated PC, or a virtual machine, there are several ways to accomplish that. So while I’m loathe to actually speak against the Upgrade Advisors, most of the time it’s difficult to justify spending a lot of time on them.

One of the reasons I’m upgrading is because I’m using Photoshop quite often, and even with 16 giga RAM it doesn’t work as fast and fluid as it should (takes quite a while to even load this program…). Also, there is another photo manipulation program that I want to use, which works only on 64 bit Windows. Another thing is that I have folders with a lot of files in them, with few have jpegs of all sizes and quality, and every time I open one of these folders the PC halts for a few good seconds, something that I hope will stop happening with a 64 bit system.

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Well since your present 32-bit Win7 OS only supports around 3.2GB (+/- 0.5GB) of that 16GB of RAM (and only 2GB max. for an app) your fears are currently groundless.

The 2GB limit will remain for any 32-bit app you use. Any 64-bit apps should be able to use up to 14GB of that RAM.

It equally sounds to me as if you are asking about software working with 64-bit Win7 not hardware.

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I recently purchased Win & Pro 64 bit Toshiba L650 and had to from my side replace my otherwise lover duplex Xerox C2120 as only available driver limited available functions i had otherwise enjoyed. Enter nice new Oki C531dn most welcome addition to my Office. Fine line i don’t really understand between 32 and 64 bit Win 7 & 8…
Bye bye paid version of AOMEI Backupper is not compatible with 64 bit system evfen though they state it is Windows says its isn’t and it fails to install its image.
Soon bye bye True Image Home, (versions 2009, 2011 and 2013) unreliable, likewise Windows Image, tested both with computer still booting and neither could install images made. Bye bye Paragon Backup and Recovery, bye bye Paragon Drive Copy 2014 professional, while Paragon Partition Manager 2012 stays.
Enter Macrium v5 Reflect backup program (currently only have free version installed) but certainly I fully intend purchasing there latest version asap. Love its cloning ability.
Bye bye Seagate 2 trig external drive, enter Toshiba 2 trig external…
Bye bye Kaspersky Internet Security Service (bye bye) enter Spybot S&D professional addition, which now protects my computer challenging all my online traffic though Spybots Proxy Server, am very happy with the program.
Happy chappy Windows Defender turned off, Windows Firewall turned off, Windows Update turned off while however have my trusted Microsoft Office 2000 Premium in-cased in Sp1, Sp2 and Sp3 while Microsoft kindly still managed to install Sp4 on very nice L650, i like it.

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OK, I’ve installed Windows 7 64 bit, but I think I have a problem with the Windows Update module. I think it’s corrupted or something. During downloading of Windows updates it has also downloaded an updated version of this module, and since then it takes a LOT of time for it to search for available updates, very slow.

And also, there is an update that cannot be downloaded, a cumulative security update for IE 11. Gives an “Error 80092004” message. Anyway to fix this?

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OK, I’ve installed Windows 7 64 bit, but I think I have a problem with the Windows Update module. I think it’s corrupted or something. During downloading of Windows updates it has also downloaded an updated version of this module, and since then it takes a LOT of time for it to search for available updates, very slow.

And also, there is an update that cannot be downloaded, a cumulative security update for IE 11. Gives an “Error 80092004” message. Anyway to fix this?

I purchased a 2015 version of a Driver Update Disk, which updated quite a few drivers and some windows updates of eBay, for long time have not been happy with windows update, particularly after it locked some office 2000 registry keys that blocked adding features etc, in attempt to unlock sort windows support in turn received life time support to purchase a new office suit…errr
I know Windows Secrets supports Windows however from my side i actually wish to use Microsoft Software i paid for and certainly not leave planet earth and rent software i want to use and had ready paid for. So my first move was to turn-off and disable Windows Update, while doing my best to protect computer and therefore our shared computer community without heavy handed clandestine updates directed towards continually funding Microsoft’s coffers…
Am not sure whether you error 80092004 can or cannot be resolved by updating the drivers on your computer but might.

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I purchased a 2015 version of a Driver Update Disk, which updated quite a few drivers and some windows updates of eBay

There is no way I would EVER let that sort of software near my PC. It’s a recipe for very bad things to happen.
I hope you’ve been lucky and nothing untoward has happened.

cheers, Paul

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I purchased a 2015 version of a Driver Update Disk…

Driver Update? Malware.

Sorry, you’ve been had. “Driver Update” is known malware.

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Yes, support for gobs of RAM is one of the best reasons to go to 64-bit software. 32-bit software is confined to a 4 GB box due to addressing limitations and that 4 GB is partitioned between the OS and applications.

There is an extended capability for 32-bit systems called Physical Address Extension (PAE). My understanding of this is that it’s limited and ultimately it’s a hack, a workaround that you only use when you have no other choice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension

64-bit is a much cleaner solution that attacks the problem directly. Also, while Microsoft has been very reserved about advancing 64-bit software, 64-bit is clearly the future. Everyone is converting and eventually 32-bit software will stop being made. There may be niche markets and for compatibility, 32-bit software will be around for a long time. However Microsoft dropped the WOW16 subsystem in, I think it was either Windows Vista or 7. This was the end of official 16-bit support.

Windows on Windows (WOW) is how Microsoft supports older software that contain these bit width transitions.

By the way, in order to gain full benefit from 64-bit, your application needs to be 64-bit as well. You always get some benefit once you consider the OS and other applications. However when your performance constraint is Photoshop and 64-bit memory spaces will help Photoshop, then Photoshop itself really ought to be a 64-bit edition. Otherwise Photoshop itself will still be operating in a 4 GB memory window even though the rest of the computer is not.

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If the “other photo manipulation program” only works on 64 bits, and you must have it then you’ll have to upgrade. But don’t expect instant gratification when you do. I went from a 2-core 32-bit processor with 4GB RAM & 250GB spinning disk drive to a 4-core 64-bit processor and 16GB RAM plus 4GB of VRAM & a 500GB SSD, and I’m not blown away by the difference. Maybe of the two were running side by side I would appreciate the difference, but the truth is most people spend more time scratching whatever they scratch than waiting on folders to open.

David

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