32 or 64 bit how to tell?

Jackcheese · External Since: Jan 11, 2009 Posts: 1

I cannot find out what i have 32 or 64 bit Windows
System property don't tell me what i have

Microsoft Windows XP
Media Center Edition
Version 2002
service pack 3

I cannot find any info. on Media Center XP

pip22 · External Since: Jan 11, 2009 Posts: 1

'How to determine whether a computer is running a 32-bit version or a
64-bit version of the Windows operating system'
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827218)

Ken Blake MVP · External Since: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 7325

On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:25:57 -0600, Jackcheese
<Jackcheese.3lvdxu.RemoveThis@no.email.invalid> wrote:

>
> I cannot find out what i have 32 or 64 bit Windows
> System property don't tell me what i have

Almost certainly you have the 32-bit edition. Almost anybody who has
to ask the question is running the 32-bit version.

But if you want to check to be sure, enter WINVER at the Start | Run
line.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Jackcheese · External Since: Jan 11, 2009 Posts: 1

Still won't help it just get's back to System Property's
Media Center edition is not normal
I upgraded to the Intel 64 Q6600 CPU Quad core , so if the CPU is
64 bit then Media Center Edition is also 64 bit for it to
run?:confused:

Jackcheese · External Since: Jan 11, 2009 Posts: 1

OK this is what i found out my old CPU is a EM64T duo core
my new CPU is a EM64T Quad core so im a 64 bit
I still don't know is Media Center Edition is what?:confused:

Patrick Keenan · External Since: Feb 02, 2005 Posts: 1757

"Jackcheese" <Jackcheese.3lvdxu.RemoveThis@no.email.invalid> wrote in message
news:Jackcheese.3lvdxu@no.email.invalid...
>
> I cannot find out what i have 32 or 64 bit Windows
> System property don't tell me what i have

Actually, it does. If it says nothing, it's 32 bit.

It only tells you 64 bit if that's what's installed.

> Microsoft Windows XP
> Media Center Edition

32-bit. Media Center was only available in 32-bit.

> Version 2002
> service pack 3
>
> I cannot find any info. on Media Center XP

Despite its name, this seems to be the XP version *least* suited to
multimedia uses. Most multitrack recording apps don't support it, as the
MC extensions cause havoc with recording music.

HTH
-pk

Bruce Chambers · External Since: Jun 26, 2005 Posts: 6836

Jackcheese wrote:
> I cannot find out what i have 32 or 64 bit Windows
> System property don't tell me what i have
>
> Microsoft Windows XP
> Media Center Edition
> Version 2002
> service pack 3
>
> I cannot find any info. on Media Center XP
>
>

If you have to ask, you're almost certainly running the 32-bit
version of WinXP. I'm not trying to be facetious; I'm sure you'd have
noticed paying several thousand dollars more for the Itanium or Itanium
II CPU required to run the original 64-bit version of WinXP Pro, or
whether or not you purchased a computer with an AMD Athlon64 or Intel
EM64T CPU.

There are, of course, no 64-bit versions of WinXP Home, WinXP
TabletPC, or WinXP MCE. Also, because WinXPx64 is available only as an
OEM license, it doesn't come in a box.

Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Overview
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/overview.asp

To verify for yourself, Click Start > Run, type in "Winver" and
press <Enter>. If the resulting dialog box does not _explicitly_ state
that you have "Windows XP 64-Bit Edition" or "Windows XP Professional
x64 Edition," then you have a 32-bit OS.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

PA Bear [MS MVP] · External Since: Jan 08, 2009 Posts: 294

If you'd purcha$ed x64, you'd know it.

Jackcheese wrote:
> I cannot find out what i have 32 or 64 bit Windows
> System property don't tell me what i have
>
> Microsoft Windows XP
> Media Center Edition
> Version 2002
> service pack 3
>
> I cannot find any info. on Media Center XP

Shenan Stanley · External Since: Mar 03, 2005 Posts: 7789

Jackcheese wrote:
> I cannot find out what i have 32 or 64 bit Windows
> System property don't tell me what i have
>
> Microsoft Windows XP
> Media Center Edition
> Version 2002
> service pack 3
>
> I cannot find any info. on Media Center XP

Windows XP Media Center Edition is 32-bit only.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Shenan Stanley · External Since: Mar 03, 2005 Posts: 7789

Jackcheese wrote:
> I cannot find out what i have 32 or 64 bit Windows
> System property don't tell me what i have
>
> Microsoft Windows XP
> Media Center Edition
> Version 2002
> service pack 3
>
> I cannot find any info. on Media Center XP

pip22 wrote:
> 'How to determine whether a computer is running a 32-bit version or
> a 64-bit version of the Windows operating system'
> (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827218)

Jackcheese wrote:
> Still won't help it just get's back to System Property's
> Media Center edition is not normal
> I upgraded to the Intel 64 Q6600 CPU Quad core , so if the CPU is
> 64 bit then Media Center Edition is also 64 bit for it to
> run?:confused:

Jackcheese wrote:
> OK this is what i found out my old CPU is a EM64T duo core
> my new CPU is a EM64T Quad core so im a 64 bit
> I still don't know is Media Center Edition is what?:confused:

First - you have a 32-bit operating system. If you have Windows XP Media
Center, it's 32-bit. Nothing you can do about it as there is no 64-bit
version of Windows XP Media Center Edition. Windows XP Media Center Edition
(all releases of it) were/are 32-bit.

Second - you did not mention you changed out hardware when you originally
posted or that you were having troubles. More than likely you changed a
*lot* more than just the CPU. My bet is you changed your motherboard and
memory as well - at the *very least*. Would I be correct?

No matter if I am or not - you probably will have to do a Repair
Installation after doing an upgrade like that in order to get Windows XP
back to normal. No matter what - if you keep the same OS - you will still
be running 32-bit software on a 64-bit *capable* system. Not that there is
anything wrong with that - but if your plan was to upgrade to 64-bit for
some reason (which I doubt) - then you didn't do enough research before
spending the money. Wink

Make sure your backups are current.
- Best case scenario - you already have a very recent disk image and backup
set.
- Second best - you can put that drive in an external case or another
machine and make a completely current backup image.

Essentially your currently installed HAL(Hardware Abstraction Layer) has
gotten the shock of its life – as you likely changed all sorts of components
on it. As far as it is concerned, it was turned off with a certain set of
components - now you are turning it back on and all those components have
changed. I'd liken it to going to sleep one night and when you get up in
the morning - you are in a familiar bed, but all the arrangements of
everything in your home is now different and - wait - that's not your
couch.. Whose TV is that?!

In order to get around that and help Windows XP (the HAL specifically)
adjust to its new surroundings and basically understand what happened and
how to use all the new equipment - you need to perform a repair
installation.

A Windows XP repair installation should be fairly benign. It should not
harm anything - just fix certain files/registry values, etc. In other
words - your stuff (files, favorites, email, contacts, applications, etc)
should all remain intact and virtually untouched.

*HOWEVER* - don't take the chance. A computer's data has a great advantage
over many things in life in that the data can be completely and totally
duplicated - backed up - in case of a disaster on the original copy. I
suggest a full backup (better yet - a full disk image) before you do
anything... ANYTHING else.

Anyway - my suggestion would be to ensure you have a current backup (and/or
image) of the stuff on the hard disk drive in the system, then the Repair
Installation.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341
and/or
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Know that you *may* (most likely) have to activate your license of Windows
XP after the repair installation. Worst case - you may have to activate via
telephone.

You should also verify that Windows Updates are working properly *and* are
current. Sometimes a repair installation can cause hiccups - especially if
your Windows XP installation CD is not the same service pack level as your
installed Windows XP system. You may (most likely will) have to install the
latest service pack and possibly most (if not all) of the post service pack
updates over. Also - if you have IE7 (or later) installed - that will
likely be broken and you will have to install IE7 (or later) again in order
to get it working (Windows XP came with IE6 - therefore the repair install
will put it back on.)

If your windows updates are not working...

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\net stop wuauserv
--> Click OK.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\regsvr32 %SystemRoot%\system32\wups2.dll
--> Click OK.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\net start wuauserv
--> Click OK.

Download the latest version of the Windows Update agent from here (x86):
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237
.... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root
of the C:\ drive, do the following:

Close all Internet Explorer Windows and other applications.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemDrive%\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /WUFORCE
--> Click OK.

(If asked, select "Run.) --> Click on NEXT --> Select "I agree" and click on
NEXT --> When it finishes installing, click on "Finish"...

Reboot.

Log on as an user with administrative rights and open Internet Explorer and
visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and select to do a CUSTOM scan...
(Every time you are about to click on something while at these web pages -
first press and hold down the CTRL key while you click on it. You can
release the CTRL key after clicking each time.)

Once the scan is done, select just ONE of the high priority updates
(deselect any others) and install it.

Reboot again.

Come back - let us know if that worked.

If it did work - try it again - selecting no more than 3-5 at a time. The
Optional Software updates are generally safe - although I recommend against
the Windows Search one. I would completely avoid the Optional Hardware
updates.

Did I mention backups?
Worth mentioning again...

BACKUPS!

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

"John John · External Since: Jan 08, 2009 Posts: 16

No, not at all, these are not pure 64-bit chips, 32-bit operating
systems can run on them.

John

Jackcheese wrote:
> Still won't help it just get's back to System Property's
> Media Center edition is not normal
> I upgraded to the Intel 64 Q6600 CPU Quad core , so if the CPU is
> 64 bit then Media Center Edition is also 64 bit for it to
> run?:confused:
>
>

"John John · External Since: Jan 08, 2009 Posts: 16

Jackcheese wrote:

> Still won't help it just get's back to System Property's
> Media Center edition is not normal
> I upgraded to the Intel 64 Q6600 CPU Quad core , so if the CPU is
> 64 bit then Media Center Edition is also 64 bit for it to
> run?:confused:

I may be wrong but as far as I know Windows XP Media Center is only
available in 32-bit version.

John