32-bit and/or 64-bit? New Dell Latitude E6500 and semi-old D620.

Hi NBR people!

I have a Dell Latitude E6500 (bought 1st quarter of 2010) with these following specs:

OS Name: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P9700 @ 2.80GHz, 2801 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
Graphics Card: NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M
SMBIOS Version: 2,4
RAM: 4,00 GB

When I go to Control Panel > System, it says 32-bit. Does this mean that this is a 32-bit computer, or just that the OS is 32-bit, while the computer is 64-bit?

The other thing I wonder about is that whether my 2007/2008 Dell Latitude D620 is a 32-bit computer or a 64-bit. This computer has the following specs:

OS Name: Windows XP Home Edition, SP3
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU T7200 @ 2.00GHz, 2.00 GB of RAM.

The reason I wonder on this is because I'mma upgrade my Latitude D620 laptop to Windows 7 Pro, and for that matter I need to know whether it is a 32-bit or 64-bit. I also want to know whether the E6500 is a 32- or 64-bit.

Thanks!

 

Yes, the OS is 32-bit, while the computer itself supports 64-bit.

All Core 2 Duo processors support 64-bit executions; therefore, your D620 can run a 64-bit OS.

You'll need to download a 64-bit copy of Windows, as they do not come on the same installation DVD.

 

The difference between 3.2 gigs of ram (all that the 32bit OS supports) and 64bit with 4 gigs is pretty much nill. I also woudl not recommend it at all on the system with 2gigs of memory.

Given the differences and difficulty in obtaining 64bit utilities and drivers for older hardware, and given that you have two notebooks to do, I would recommend 32bit for both, just for simplicity and uniformity. You can probably get 64bit working on both, but odds are you will struggle with some of the original software, if it matters as well as a few drivers (webcams seem to be the most difficult).

 

Personally, I'd stay away from 64 bit unless you are running 6GB of RAM or higher. I've had more trouble with the stupid thing than it's worth.

 

Ignore the naysayers. Unless you use really outdated programs or peripherals, you shouldn't have any problems.

Get 64-bit for your E6500 at least. For the D620 it doesn't matter much... but I'd go 64-bit anyway. You might decide to upgrade the RAM, and also... we'll be seeing more 64-bit native software, which should give a performance boost. 64-bit Flash (now available as a preview/beta download) will make 64-bit web browsing a viable option, and this will improve performance. 64-bit also has some security improvements.

If you do decide on 64-bit on the D620, make sure Dell offers 64-bit Win 7 drivers for it.

btw, I moved from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Vista on my 2gb, 2.2GHz C2D system, and the result is... it's about the same. It does use a few more gb of disk space though. I also use 64-bit Win 7 on my Atom 330 nettop. That one came with it, so I never tried 32-bit on that system.

 

Not true. 64-bit OS can even run fine with 2 GB of RAM.

 

Ok, so all of you suggest that I should install the 64-bit version of Win7 Professional on my Latitude D620, and it will run smoothly without any problems? Or should I install the 32-bit?

Btw, there's a sticker on the E6500 that says "Intel Centrino 2 Inside", and a sticker that says "Windows 7".
And on the D620 it says "intel Core(TM) 2 Duo inside(TM)" and "designed for Windows XP + Windows Vista Capable".

 

I never denied that. But the stupid problems like extremely slow boot and sluggishness of the whole system is a little hard to ignore.

Also, drivers in 64 bit don't seem to be quite as "mature" as 32 bit drivers are, though that's more of the developer's fault.

 

Slow boot is due more to your hard drive fault or your fault.
My two windows XP 32 bit systems at work load in about 1-3 minutes. My windows 7 desktops that I built, and then my windows 7 laptop all 64 bit boot in under 1 minute to full desktop.. One of those desktops (64 bit w7) boots in under 40 seconds.

64 bit drivers in what? I've not run into an issue with 64 bit drivers being unstable. Sluggishness... slow boot. Sounds like user error.
At overclock.net 4gb is considered the recommended amount of ram for most gaming, and any average use. We are known for testing/tweaking our systems for the most performance, and 4gb is plenty enough ram for 64 bit.

2gb is very much usable under 64 bit windows 7. You can do it on Vista too buy requires installation mods also you will need to update.

@OP
Yes Windows 7 64 bit is your best bet. Not only is it safer, it's more stable, and it allows for better programming.

 

Trust me. I definitely don't think it's my fault, unless I got a faulty ISO or a bad disc burn.

Prior to my clean Windows 7 64 bit install, I had Windows 7 32 bit. Clean, no chipset drivers, absolutely nothing. It timed in at around 32 seconds boot on a 5400RPM hard drive.

I then later installed Windows 7 64 bit - absolutely clean, with nothing on at all, no chipset drivers, nothing, timed in at around 52 seconds. This was done on the EXACT same setup, there was no shrinking or resizing of partitions, just a format between the two installs.

Go figure. IMSM AHCI driver kind of eased the problem, but 64 bit is still glaringly slower in boot. And it feels a little more sluggish.

I honestly can't see how this can be my fault, unless as said before, I got a bad ISO or disc.

OP - go for 64 bit if you want. It SHOULD be better on the E6500 at least. I just wanted to share my experiences and give a little insight.

 

No, it doesn't require installation mods. I'm running 64-bit Vista on 2gb right now. It's fine. No mods.

...need to update what? Bring your OS up-to-date with SP2, sure, but you'll want to do that anyway.

btw, it is true that boot times are a little slower on 64-bit... but it shouldn't be that dramatic.

 

Thanks. Now I know that both computers actually can run 64-bit Windows OS thanks to you guys. I wonder why my E6500 came with a 32-bit Win7 Ultimate OS instead of a 64-bit from Dell though. Anyway, because it already has Win7 Ultimate I will keep that on that machine.

It is a little hard to decide whether I should install 32-bit or 64-bit on my Dell Latitude D620 due to the back-and-forth discussion here. I have backed up all my important files etc, and I just have to decide which bit-version Win7 Pro OS I should install.

 

If it makes you feel better you can reinstall Windows 7 and choose what bit you want. Say you get Home Premium 32 bit; you can install a fresh OS and install Home Premuim 64 bit with the same key. http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows-os-software/428068-legal-windows-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html

 

Why did you link to the download thread? I'm just curious, since I'm assuming he plans to buy retail.

I'd go with 32-bit on 2GB RAM, myself. Well, to be totally honest I'd just go out and buy more RAM and install 64-bit. Another 2GB stick couldn't cost too much.

 

That way if it isn't satisfied with 32 or 64 bit, he can change it without having to buy a whole new copy.

 

Apparently that 4gb requirement for installation was an issue isolated to some OEM vista copies. Sorry my bad..

 

On my HP DM3 64 bit ran much smoother than 32 bit. I now use x64 on every laptop even if it has 2GB.

 

i'd suggest 64 bit anytime.. been more smoother.. just check if dell has drivers for D620 in win7 64 bit.. i think they should.. if they have it for older optiplex 745 which i just installed win 7 on.

 

I'm pretty sure it comes with both disks when you buy it retail, though, and you can switch between them pretty much whenever (so long as you can deal with phone activation). The only exception comes when buying OEM versions. That makes trying them both out first rather easy, actually.

 

Can you check it out + link them? I have to install 32- or 64-bit Win7 on the Dell Latitude D620 today, and I am still not sure of which I should install due to all the back-and-forth discussions here etc.

 

Get 64 bit if you want a smoother experience and solid multitasking. Go with 32 bit if your anal about not going 64 bit with no proof what so ever

 

i checked .. there are 64 bit vista drivers which should work with windows 7...
Since anyways u are installing windows 7 , this won't make the difference.

 

I put in the x64 bit CD, and this comes up.

I do not want it to be "compatible with my version of windows", I want to get a NEW operating system, not a new one that is compatible with my old one. What is the problem here?

Also, when I finally get this thing to work, will the installation CD delete all the things on my computer? I want that, since I've already backed up all my important files and folders.

Also, will I get an option to create a D:/ disk and a C:/ disk? I have that now, which I think is very convinient.

 

Your under a 32 bit os XP so it cannot run 64 bit programs like the installation. Just bootmoff the installation discs you will need to do a clean install meaning everything gets ereased then w7 64bit is reinstalled.

Once w7 finishes installing you can create more partitions please google creating partitions on windows 7

 

I didn't quite understand that last there. I need to put the disk in, then restart my computer and press a key (boot) before windows starts, to start the DVD from the BIOS or something?

And you say that this will delete everything on my computer? Is the option to do a clean install in the boot-menu (after pressing the key before windows starts)?

Thank you guys for being patient with me. I've never done this before.

 

You cannot upgrade or do a setup.exe install of 64bit on a 32bit system.
You have to format and start entirely from scratch.

 

Yes, I understand that, but how can I format it? Can I do this by pressing the F2 button when restarting the computer? Please walk me through how I can make all this happen so I finally can enjoy my Windows 7.

I need this to be done today/by tomorrow.

 

ok i just used a dell desktops and D620 yesterday so i can help you. Basically when u start , press F12 in the dell load up screen. It will go into boot menu where u press CD or DVD drive. Than the windows 7 installation will come up where u delete all ur old partitions and install windows 7.. follow the on screen instructions and ur done.

 

This.

if that fails press F2, look for "boot priority" set CD to the 1st slot. F10 save/exit, it will reboot. Wait for the "Press any key to boot from CD...", press a key quickly and it will start the installation setup.

 

Yes boot off the DVD like explained and then choose 'custom setup', 'drive options' and then delete your current Windows partition. You can create new partitions the way you like it, and then choose the partition to install Windows on.

 

After installing Windows 7, the screen resolution is only able to get up to 1024 - 768. The text is unclear (will get a head ace) and the resolution is low. I had a much better resolution with my XP, and the text was clear and easy to read.

Why? This is very annoying.

 

You are probably running the generic Windows graphic driver, which needs to be updated. Try Windows Update first (as it should supply an appropriate driver).

If not, get it off Dell's website using your model/service tag number.

 

Yes install the appropriate driver either from Dell.com or from the manufacturer of the video card.

 

You may also wish to take a look at Device Manager, just to see if you are missing any other drivers after the Windows install.

 

If I split the hard disk (231 GB) into two 115 GB partitions, can this easily be modified later? Like, if I make a C drive and a D drive; can I make the D drive have more GB's than the C drive after installing windows 7, or is this only possible during the Win7 installation? - if I can make partitions in later time after installing Win7; how?

I will probably make 2 partitions (C and D), whereas Win7 is saved on the C drive, and personal files are on the D drive.

 

Yes, they can be easily modified with a 'condition':

I would recommend a maximum of ~100GB for C: and the remaining for D:.

To make C: smaller is no problem: simply go and 'Shrink' the partition you created.

The 'gotcha' is giving the 'freed' capacity to D: - this can only be done by deleting the D: partition and recreating it again (this will then use all the available 'unallocated' space - including any gained from shrinking the C: partition).

Before deleting D: you need to move all your data elsewhere. You also need to stop linking to D: if you've changed your 'temp' pointers and/or your personal folders too. (You can recreate them afterwards again).

This may help you with these issues:

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...-hitachi-7k500-benchmark-setup-specifics.html

 

There are apparently 3 disks (?) on the computer.
I have to mention that when I bought the laptop from Dell the OS was pre-installed, as well as the printer drivers and everything else was pre-installed on the computer. A couple of weeks ago, I bouth the Win7 Ultimate CD as well as the driver and utilities CD's (in the picture as well).

Name ------------------------- Total size -- Free space -- Type

Disk 0 Partition 1 ------------- 298.0 MB -- 288.0 MB --- OEM (Reserved)
Disk 0 Partition 2: Recovery - 750.0 MB -- 544.0 MB ---- System
Disk 0 Partition 3: OS -------- 231.9 GB -- 148.3 GB ----- Primary

What are the different partitions? ...
Should I keep the OEM (Reserved), or what? ... What about the rest?
When I go to "Drive options (advanced), do I click "format" or "delete", and on which should I do it on?

Picture under this line (sorry for the big size)

 

If you want to do a clean install you can format partition 3 and leave partition 1 and 2 as is.

Partition 1 needs to be there and partition 2 is used for recovery purposes.

Click on 'advanced' and 'format'.

 

What happens if I press "delete" instead of "format" when there is only one partition (C)?

As you can see on the other quoted post of mine, I want to make a D disk as well.
As tilleroftheearth stated, I will make it 100 GB and the rest on the D partition (and, if neccesary, change this in later time).

Do I just click advanced, and then create new partition or something like that?

Thanks for all the help. This is a great forum.

 

Yes click advanced and then delete partition 3. After that create new partitions the way you like it.

 

1. Do I have to delete partition 3 in order to make another partition 4?
And... Which one of these will become the C and the D drive? ...

2. Will Win7 automatically get installed on C?

3. After creating the 2 partitions (3 and 4?), is there anything else I need to make sure of before clicking 'next'?

This is my first time doing this, but one time has to be the first. Thanks for helping me.

EDIT: The Win7 OS disk was inside the computer when the picture on page 4 was taken.
EDIT 2: The Disk 0 Partition 3; I guess that is the current C drive?
Do I have to delete that drive, and make 2 other separate? (4 drives total; 2 (C and D) + 2 (the two top ones in the picture).

 

Ah! A picture is worth a thousand words!

First: I would do a complete re-install of your system and complete the 'create recovery DVDs' step right after it finishes. Without connecting to the Internet and without installing any programs (at all). This will let you get back to how the system shipped at least.

(The 'F10' recovery method may not work anymore if you install another O/S 'clean' - as you want to - but the disks will let you sell the system 'complete' as you bought it).


Second: Although not a lot of space is lost in partitions 0 and 1, do you think you will ever need to go back to an 'exact' as-new condition (HDD wise...)? If not, I would simply delete all partitions (using Advanced...) first.


Third: Keep in mind that with the current setup, you will only be able to create one more partition during setup (maximum 4 allowed) so you will not be able to create your 'D:' partition as you want (not even in Windows, once its loaded either (if I'm not mistaken) - because of a limitation in how partitions can be created. (This may mean that you have to delete all other partitions first anyway).

If you've made the Recovery disks (the Dell disks just seem to have the software and drivers, but not the actual O/S from the image I see above...) then you may as well follow my link before (but just use two partitions as you want).


Note: you choose the partition you want Windows installed by selecting it and clicking Next/Install. This will then always be the C: partition when booting from this HDD.

Good luck.

 

Here are the DVD's I got (picture down in the post). The Win7 OS DVD and 3 other Drivers and Utilities DVD's.

Didn't quite understand what you meant here. Should I continue do a clean install and then when everything is up and running, create the recovery thing you said? Even though I have the Win7 OS DVD? ...

Like Phil said on the other page; that Partition 1 needs to be there and partition 2 is used for recovery purposes.
Can I format the Disk 0 Partition 3 and create another Partition 4, or do I have to delete the Partition 3 and create two new partitions whereas one with 100 GB and the other 132 GB? Will the last partition automatically become the "D disk"?

I want the WINDOWS folder and Program Files etc installed in the C disk, and I will use the D disk to save my files and other stuff.

(why doesn't the picture resize itself to fit the message board?) ...
[*IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/9hrgu9.jpg[/IMG]

 

Sorry, no need to make a 'recovery DVD set' - you have it already.


You won't be able to make more than 4 partitions using the Windows Setup program.

Boot up your system, right click on Computer, choose Manage and then select Disk Management.

Right click on C: and choose 'Shrink'. When you have shrunk it to the size you want, right click on the unallocated area and right click and chose 'Create New...'. This will become your D: drive (or, possibly E: - because your system has a DVD drive, obviously. ).

Good luck.