Why Does It Say 64 Bit When I Installed 32 Bit?

R

RARON435

Bit poster
A new iMac bought last fall, running Lion 10.7.2. I installed Parallels 6 and then upgraded to Parallels 7. I installed Windows 7 Professional SP1 32 bit....that's what it says on the disk. However, when I open Parallels and Windows and click Control Panel->SystemAndSecurity->System it clearly says "System Type: 64-bit Operating System".

This is significant because I want to install an old program that will not run under a 64 bit operating system.

Any ideas as to what happened?
 
Hi,

when you install Windows on a virtual machine, it acts as Windows installed on any real computer.
So, in this case, the issue is with Windows itself.
If it says "64-bit Operating System" in Control Panel->System, you do indeed have 64-bit version installed.
If you bought Windows on a dvd disk, there is a small possibility that the wrong installation disk have been packed and shipped to you.
(also, is it possible that disks for both 32 and 64-bit versions have been sent to you and you accidentally chose the wrong disk?)
You can try to download the .iso file for 32-bit system and create a new 32-bit Windows 7 virtual machine using that file:
http://www.downloadcrew.com/article/25013-windows_7_professional_sp1_32-bit
Also, are you sure your program will not work with 64-bit Windows?
You should take a look at this articles, maybe they will help:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384249(v=vs.85).aspx
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/...and-64-bit-Windows-frequently-asked-questions (Can I run 32-bit programs on a 64-bit computer?)

Are you sure there is absolutely no mention of 64-bit system on the package (and the disk), which were sent to you?
 
I Have The Answer To My Own Question

Thanks very much for your informative answer. Unfortunately, the true answer is embarrassing: I made a mistake.

I now realize the disk I found for 32 bit Win 7 is one I bought last summer to install on a MacBook Air. A couple of months later I purchased an iMac and bought and installed 64 bit Win 7 on it. I don't presently know where that disk is but I deduced this string of events by looking through purchase invoices and checking the MacBook Air, which indeed has the 32 bit version installed on it.

The program I want to use is in fact 32 bit only but I can buy the upgrade for it which is not much money and is compatible with 64 bit.

So I have egg on my face, but now I know the rest of the story.

Thanks again for chiming in.
 
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