I have vista 32 bit and want to install win7 64bit, is it possible without formatting?

The short answer is you can not upgrade your 32 bit Windows to 64 bit, you have to clean install. Even if it were a straight same version of 32 bit Vista to same version 64 bit Vista upgrade it is not possible.

You can however dual boot, but this has other issues and is not recommended, instead create a second partition (or just use a second drive if you have one) back up all your personal data to that, then reinstall your new copy of W7 to the C: drive remembering NOT to format the 2nd partition when you do so! Sadly you will have to reload all your programs, re-setup all your email programs etc but at the end of it you will have a (much) better and faster OS.

What you can do before installing W7 64 bit is download the drivers to the second partition or wherever you are going to keep your data backups, this saves time particularly if W7 can't find your LAN or wireless drivers and you are left without a network connection.

If your processor is a 32-bit processor, Windows 7 won't work. But if your Processor is a 64-bit processor, you can install Windows 7. Now how to know what kind of processor you have (32-bit or 64-bit) I am not sure of yet. But I think a good rule of thumb could be if you have a 32-bit OS installed, more than likely you have a 32-bit processor.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/3...

Can I upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows?

No. If you are currently running a 32-bit version of Windows, you can only perform an upgrade to another 32-bit version of Windows. Similarly, if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, you can only perform an upgrade to another 64-bit version of Windows.

If you want to move from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows Vista or vice versa, you'll need to back up your files and then choose the Custom option during Windows Vista installation.

common, sixty 4-bit Os can help 32-bit utility yet on the alternative, 32-bit OS can't help sixty 4-bit OS. yet maximum builders come out with 32-bit utility variants the main. So, that's certainly suggested to get a sixty 4-bit OS than a 32-bit one.

you cant install a 64 bit software on a 32 bit system

It's possible as long as your computer is compatible, but I would suggest reformatting. It's the best thing for your computer, and I would do it once a year at least, especially if you're not using a solid-state drive.

only if your comp is already a 64bit

forget windows 7 & get google chrome instead much faster & less troublesome..................