This wikiHow teaches you how to determine how many bits your Windows computer is, which is typically 32-bit or 64-bit.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Windows 10 and 8
Step 1. Open Start
Click on the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen. The Start window will appear.
- You can also right click on Beginning (or press ⊞ Win + X) and click System in the menu that appears. If you do this, skip the next two steps.
Step 2. Open Settings
Click the gear icon in the lower left corner of the Start window. This will open the Settings window.
Step 3. Click System
The icon is a computer in the form of a monitor in the Settings window.
Step 4. Click About
This tab is at the bottom of the left column of options. Doing so will open a list of your computer's attributes.
Step 5. Look for the heading that says "System Type"
It's near the bottom of the "Device Specifications" section near the bottom of the window. There you will see either "64 bit" or "32 bit" to the right of "System type"; that's the number of bits on your computer.
Method 2 of 2: Windows 7
Step 1. Open Start
Click on the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen or press the ⊞ Win key.
Step 2. Right-click on Team
It's to the right of the Start window. Doing this will open a drop-down menu.
- If the Team app is on your desktop, right-click it.
- If you're using a laptop with a trackpad, press down on the trackpad with two fingers instead of right-clicking.
Step 3. Click Properties
This option is near the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Find the heading for "System Type"
It's under the "Installed RAM" heading on this page. You will see "64 bit" or "32 bit" to the right of "System type"; that's the number of bits on your computer.
Advice
- You can usually determine how many bits a Windows computer has by looking at the system specifications at a store or online.
- Running a 32-bit program on a 64-bit computer is completely normal and is sometimes necessary if you use old programs on your computer.