Although we're gradually transitioning into a fully 64-scrap PC world, not anybody is currently running a 64-bit version of Windows. Knowing if your Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit is important when it comes to installing some software, peculiarly drivers.

Finding out if you're running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows isn't difficult, though, and there are multiple means for you to do and so. In this commodity, let's wait at four of the most simple and like shooting fish in a barrel ways to determine which version of Windows is running on your PC.

System Information

My pick for the simplest and nigh straightforward way to determine if you're using 32-flake or 64-bit Windows lies inside Windows' organisation data.

To locate this, press the Windows + 10 keys, then click on Arrangement. A new About window volition popular up, first showing your PC'southward protection status.

Halfway down this folio, you'll notice the Device Specifications heading.

Hither, the information listed as your Organisation Blazon will evidently state which version of Windows you're running.

Command Prompt

Another elementary way to figure out the architecture of your processor and if you lot're running 32-scrap or 64-bit Windows is by using the Command Prompt.

Blazon cmd into the search bar of your Windows Start Menu. The best match should be Control Prompt. Rather than opening information technology like you would normally, right-click on the search result and select Run every bit Administrator.

When the Command Prompt terminal has opened, type in the prepare pro control. Later hitting the Enter key, the prompt will return a list of information about your car'south processor and operating system.

Here, there are three ways to decide which version of Windows yous're running:

  • PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE
  • PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER
  • ProgramFiles(x86)

The processor-specific flags should point whether you're using a 32-bit or 64-scrap processor.

Unless yous've changed your PC's hardware, the presence of the ProgramFiles(x86) flag should tell which version of Windows y'all're running. This volition only appear if you're on a 64-scrap version of Windows.

Plan Files

This uncomplicated trick is a spinoff of the Command Prompt method. Again, if your machine has never gone through a hardware change since installing Windows, the presence of multiple Program Files folders tells you lot everything that you need to know.

First, navigate to your C: drive in Windows Explorer.

If you're running a 32-scrap version of Windows, yous should only come across the Program Files folder (and all programs within of it volition be 32-bit).

Still, for 64-bit versions of Windows, the Programme Files folder will contain 64-bit applications, while the Plan Files (x86) folder will contain all 32-bit applications.

The 64-scrap versions of Windows have backward compatibility with 32-bit applications, only the 32-flake versions of Windows cannot run 64-bit applications. This is why the folders are structured this way.

If you'd like to know more, check out Assist Desk-bound Geek'southward article explaining why 64-bit Windows needs two Program Files folders.

Task Manager

While this method takes a bit more than endeavor than the others, it also provides information specific to the applications you're currently running.

  • To get started, printing the Windows + X keys, then click on Task Managing director. Another common shortcut is by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys.
  • When the Task Manager window pops up, the commencement matter you need to practice is be sure that you lot're seeing the full details. In the bottom-left corner, if information technology reads Fewer details then y'all are. If it reads More details, click the arrow icon to the left of this text to aggrandize this window.
  • Now, switch to the Details tab. By default, the information nosotros need to see is not shown here. To display information technology, right-click on whatever of the column headings (Name, PID, etc.) and click on Select Columns.
  • In this window, fill in the checkbox beside Platform and click the OK button.

There will at present be a Platform column that displays the software architecture of each of your running processes.

It should speedily be like shooting fish in a barrel to effigy out which version of Windows you lot're running based on this: 32-scrap will accept no 64-bit applications shown, while 64-fleck versions of Windows are apparent if even a single awarding is 64-fleck.

Every bit the number of newly released systems running a 32-bit architecture go on to plummet, the confusion between 32-flake and 64-bit versions of Windows volition become less of a problem. Until then, though, information technology'south better to be safe than sorry!