Solved Is it possible to install Win 11 on a 64-bit processor but a 32-bit BIOS

kelper · Oct 19, 2023

My standby laptop has a 32-bit BIOS and this prevents me from installing Windows eleven, even though its processor is 64-bit.

Is there a workaround?

Ghot · Oct 19, 2023

kelper said:
My standby laptop has a 32-bit BIOS and this prevents me from installing Windows eleven, even though its processor is 64-bit.

Is there a workaround?

What's the make/model of the laptop in question?
If it's Lenovo... there's tons of suggestions regarding that on the web.

kelper · Oct 19, 2023

It's my system 2

Ghot · Oct 19, 2023

kelper said:
It's my system 2

Most of the Lenovo solutions involved flashing the BIOS to 64 bit, with the associated dangers ofc.
You might want to just call HP and ask them about a work-around.

They may have a valid 64 bit BIOS/UEFI ?

neves · Oct 19, 2023

No. Or at least i'm not aware of any valid workaround - for Windows 64 bit (cause there are some Linux distributions that do have some boot-loader related workarounds). Anyway, even tho - the CPU has a 64 bit architecture - that system wasn't design to run a 64 bit OS (it's simply a very low budget design - in a time when 64 bit CPUs over-saturated the market).

PS. Why did you write in system specs - that it's running Windows 11 Pro?!

kelper · Oct 19, 2023

Ghot said:
Most of the Lenovo solutions involved flashing the BIOS to 64 bit, with the associated dangers ofc.
You might want to just call HP and ask them about a work-around.

They may have a valid 64 bit BIOS/UEFI ?

HP has retired all support for my antique....

neves · Oct 19, 2023

Ghot said:
Most of the Lenovo solutions involved flashing the BIOS to 64 bit, with the associated dangers ofc.
You might want to just call HP and ask them about a work-around.

They may have a valid 64 bit BIOS/UEFI ?

HP gave-up on that system more than a decade ago.

Ghot · Oct 19, 2023

kelper said:
HP has retired all support for my antique....

Yeah, I dunno. It's not like Microsoft would be likely to help.

kelper · Oct 19, 2023

neves said:
Why did you write in system specs - that it's running Windows 11 Pro?

Oops, now edited.

starchase · Oct 19, 2023

I think your issue is the Atom processor.

I have an Asus netbook, 1025C-MU17-WT, from Dec. 2012 with an Atom 2600 cpu that came with Windows 7 Starter. It has 1GB of RAM and I've updated it to Windows 10, 22H2, and it runs so slowly I have to resist hurling it against the wall. I actually upgraded it to Win 11 and it installed (on this 32 bit system) but that only ran so much worse so I went back to Win 10. A couple years ago I installed a Linux distro Peppermint and it ran pretty well, and was pretty simple to configure. But later removed it and it just runs Windows. I recently (last week) did put the latest Peppermint on it but the OS developed into such a mess it is near impossible for me to configure it to be useful, so I gave up on that. Of course the 1GB of RAM certainly contributes to the molasys feeling, but I'm not going to soak any money into this netbook. Not when I have the well-running HP Spectre.

Specs:
Asus Netbook ASUS 1025C Eee PC Flare series
ordered 12/3/2012 from buy.com, $257.98
Model: 1025C-MU17-WT
CPU: Intel Atom N2600 Dual-Core 1.6 GHz; Chipset: Intel NM10 Cedar Trail; Memory: Onboard 1GB DDR3 SDRAM; Storage: SATA 320GB 5400RPM hard drive; Graphics: Intel GMA 3600 integrated GPU

Berton · Oct 19, 2023

I recently junked my last molasses Notebook, an ACER Aspire running Windows Vista with 2GB DDR2 RAM and an 802.11g Wireless, talk about slow. The slowest I have now is a Lenovo IdeaPad with a 1.1GHz CPU and 802.11n Wireless, slow but still good with Win10.

kelper · Oct 19, 2023

starchase said:
I actually upgraded it to Win 11 and it installed (on this 32 bit system

Windows 11 won't install or run on a 32-bit system!

SlicEnDicE · Oct 19, 2023

No it won't work.

With that low amount of RAM I would not recommend anything beyond Windows XP or 7 32-bit version anyways.
What I would do, is to install a lightweight 32-bit Linux distribution on it and call it the day. It would run pretty good.

Berton · Oct 19, 2023

kelper said:
Windows 11 won't install or run on a 32-bit system!

Right, not even made for 32-bit, discontinued by Microsoft. Understandable considering it may be close to impossible to find a new 32-bit CPU. Even finding a 32-bit version of Linux is fading out for the same reason.
www.distrowatch.com

starchase · Oct 19, 2023

kelper said:
Windows 11 won't install or run on a 32-bit system!

Yeah, I read the posts, but I have to stand by my memory that the netbook did update to Win11, but I admit my memory isn't the most reliable, according to my wife.

starchase · Oct 19, 2023

Berton said:
Even finding a 32-bit version of Linux is fading out for the same reason.
www.distrowatch.com

Peppermint has both 32 and 64 bit downloads.

neves · Oct 19, 2023

starchase said:
I think your issue is the Atom processor. I have an Asus netbook, 1025C-MU17-WT, from Dec. 2012 with an Atom 2600 cpu that came with Windows 7 Starter. It has 1GB of RAM and I've updated it to Windows 10, 22H2, and it runs so slowly I have to resist hurling it against the wall. I actually upgraded it to Win 11 and it installed (on this 32 bit system) but that only ran so much worse so I went back to Win 10. A couple years ago I installed a Linux distro Peppermint and it ran pretty well, and was pretty simple to configure. But later removed it and it just runs Windows. I recently (last week) did put the latest Peppermint on it but the OS developed into such a mess it is near impossible for me to configure it to be useful, so I gave up on that. Of course the 1GB of RAM certainly contributes to the molasys feeling, but I'm not going to soak any money into this netbook. Not when I have the well-running HP Spectre.

Specs:
Asus Netbook ASUS 1025C Eee PC Flare series
ordered 12/3/2012 from buy.com, $257.98
Model: 1025C-MU17-WT
CPU: Intel Atom N2600 Dual-Core 1.6 GHz; Chipset: Intel NM10 Cedar Trail; Memory: Onboard 1GB DDR3 SDRAM; Storage: SATA 320GB 5400RPM hard drive; Graphics: Intel GMA 3600 integrated GPU

Checking the Drivers Page: Eee PC 1025C - Support has support for Windows 64 Bit - which means it comes with 64 Bit UEFI. That's why you can force a W11 install on it. His comes with 32 bit only.

NonGravis · Oct 19, 2023

The oldest processor I've gotten W11 to run on is a ~ 2006 dual core pentium in a Dell Latitude D620. In 2009 the ATOM was basically the slowest CPU on the market unless you went to AMD. It might run if a 64 bit BIOS exists, but why would you want to try. It would be like expecting a Honda Civic to tow a horse trailer.

Bree · Oct 19, 2023

starchase said:
I have an Asus netbook, 1025C-MU17-WT, from Dec. 2012 with an Atom 2600 cpu that came with Windows 7 Starter. It has 1GB of RAM

According to Crucial your 1025C has a single slot for RAM.

Memory RAM & SSD Upgrades | Crucial.com

Crucial Memory and SSD upgrades - 100% Compatibility Guaranteed for - FREE US Delivery.

www.crucial.com

So does my Acer Aspire One AOD270, another netbook with an Intel Atom N2600. You can actually put a 4GB RAM in that slot, and the Atom is capable of making 2.99GB of that available for the OS to use. I've upgraded mine to the max, and added an SSD. It now runs W11 quite well. It was really fiddly to open it up and get inside though....

Bree said:
Well that went rather well I thought. Only took an hour and a half to fit the 4GB RAM and the SSD - I had feared it would be longer

...I can't say it's fast now, but it's certainly not slow any more. It's certainly up to running a native boot .vhdx of Windows 11 now, which before was no more than a painfully slow 'proof of concept'. Now it's quite usable, in fact I posted this from it.

Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware - post #1,062

If you want to try, this video shows how:

starchase · Oct 19, 2023

Bree said:
According to Crucial your 1025C has a single slot for RAM.

View attachment 74777

Memory RAM & SSD Upgrades | Crucial.com

Crucial Memory and SSD upgrades - 100% Compatibility Guaranteed for - FREE US Delivery.

www.crucial.com

So does my Acer Aspire One AOD270, another netbook with an Intel Atom N2600. You can actually put a 4GB RAM in that slot, and the Atom is capable of making 2.99GB of that available for the OS to use. I've upgraded mine to the max, and added an SSD. It now runs W11 quite well. It was really fiddly to open it up and get inside though....

Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware - post #1,062

If you want to try, this video shows how:

Hmmmmm. That doesn't look like RAM, it looks like a drive! The link Bree copied brings me to a Crucial page that says they don't have any Memory upgrades but they do have a Storage upgrade. An SSD for $209.99!!! Eeeek!!, see the image:

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