If you bought a PC in recent years, you probably have a 64-bit version of Windows 10. Unlike the installation of Windows 32-bit (x86) which allowed the installation of 32-bit programs only, a 64-bit (x64) Installing Windows 10 allows you to install 32-bit and 64-bit architecture programs. Now, to improve your Windows 10 experience for higher performance, users may want to determine whether an installed program is 32-bit or 64-bit. Fortunately, it is easy to determine whether an installed application is 32 or 64 bit.
The difference between 32-bit and 64-bit architecture
Windows is currently available in two architectures, 32-bit and 64-bit. The main difference between the two is the amount of memory supported by them and the performance. Windows and 32-bit programs support the use of 3 GB of RAM, however, 64-bit programs and windows support more than 4 GB of RAM and provide additional security benefits. For this reason, a 64-bit application on 64-bit Windows can run a little faster. In addition, Windows and 64-bit programs are generally larger than 32-bit. Read this article to learn more about the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.
Upgrading 32-bit applications to 64-bit
In native mode, a user cannot upgrade a 32-bit Windows installation to 64-bit. The same goes for applications, so you will need to uninstall the 32-bit application, then install the 64-bit application, if available.
Lily: How to tell if the computer is running Windows 10 32-bit or 64-bit.
32-bit or 64-bit application – How do I know?
In this guide, we will explain the different ways to determine whether the software or program installed on your Windows 10 system is 64-bit or 32-bit architecture. You can follow these methods to check if the application is 64 bit or 32 bit.
- Using the task manager
- Analyze its properties
- Using file explorer
- Checking the About or Help menu
Let’s examine these methods in detail.
1) Check if an application is 32-bit or 64-bit using Task Manager
1]Open the ‘Start ‘ menu and search for “Task Manager” Then click on the top result to open the application. Or try the quickest way to get there using this keyboard shortcut – ‘Ctrl + Shift + Esc ».
2]Click the ‘Details’ tongue.
3]Now right-click on a column header and choose “Select columns“
4]In the ‘Select columns“, Check the box”Platform’ and press the ‘buttonOKAY’ button.
5]This action adds the platform column to Task Manager, so that you can confirm which 64-bit and 32-bit applications are running on your computer. For each running application or process, this column tells you whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit.
Once the above steps are complete, you will understand the architecture of the applications running on your system.
2) Check if an application is 64 or 32 bit, by analyzing its properties
Another method that works very well to verify the architecture of an application is to analyze the properties of the executable file of this program. Follow these steps:
1]Locate the launcher file (* .exe) or one of its shortcuts.
2]Now right click on it and select “Properties ”
3]Go to ‘Compatibility’ tongue.
4]Now check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for”And open the drop-down list. Note: If this drop-down list starts with Windows Vista, the application you have selected is a 64-bit application. If the list starts with Windows 95, the application you have selected is a 32-bit application.
In this example, the list starts with Windows 95, so it is not a 64-bit application but a 32-bit application.
NOTE: Do not apply the compatibility setting and close the ‘Properties ” without making any changes.
3) Check whether an application is 64-bit or 32-bit using File Explorer
You can follow these steps:
1]Go to ‘File explorer“
2]In the left navigation pane, click ‘This PC“
3]Under the ‘Peripherals and drivers“, Double-click on the link”Windows (C 🙂 » drive on which Windows 10 is installed.
4]Confirm 64-bit applications opening the Programs Files folder and 32-bit applications opening the Programs Files folder (x86).
Normally, when an application or program is installed on a Windows 10 system, it is located in one of the following folders on the C drive: Program files or Program files (x86).
64-bit applications are usually installed in the “C: Program Files” folder, while 32-bit applications are installed in the “C: Program Files (x86)” folder.
But there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, the 64-bit version of Google Chrome installs in the “C: Program Files (x86)” folder. We could not find the reason for this exception, you may encounter other 64-bit applications that do the same.
4) Check the About or Help menu
Few applications also indicate whether they are 32-bit or 64-bit in their “About or Help” menu. Google Chrome, for example, you can access its “Settings menu “ and click on ‘Help me’ then go to “About Google Chrome ‘. This opens a new tab containing details of its version number and the application architecture.
But it is not a very reliable solution because it is not a standard method of software developers to include this information in their applications. In addition, currently, very few applications offer the architecture of the application in their About and Help information.
So these are some of the simplest methods that can be used to check whether an application is 64-bit or 32-bit, without using third-party tools. Try them out and let us know which one has worked for you. And, if you have other tips, please share them with us in the comments section below.
