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I currently have a 32-bit Windows 7 installation, and want to do a clean reinstall to 64-bit Windows 7.
If I back up my 32-bit drivers/download the original OEM 32-bit drivers for my new 64-bit installation, will they work? Some? Hit or miss?
Windows 7, Dell Studio 1735 - 64-bit capable.
studiohack
Posted 2011-01-02T02:00:56.830
Reputation: 13 125
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Windows 7 is pretty good when it comes to picking up new drivers. It would probably work, but I would suggest not to bother with backing them up. Windows picks most of them up upon boot and via Windows update, and you don't want to be stuck with 32-bit drivers on a 64-bit OS which could be hindering your performance. Certain ones (i.e. video card) I would recommend grabbing the latest manually, as the Windows update website doesn't seem to contain the latest revisions all the time.
John T
Posted 2011-01-02T02:00:56.830
Reputation: 149 037
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Before you do the clean install, go to Dell website and download drivers for 64bit and save them on a different partition or USB drive. In particular, pickup the chipset and ethernet drivers.
Those backup drivers program never seems to save all the misc application that goes along with the driver. You can still use it, but I won't solely depend on it.
fseto
Posted 2011-01-02T02:00:56.830
Reputation: 1 311
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Seems like no one ever said this, so I thought I would:
WOW64 is only for applications. Drivers must be compiled for the system on which they will be run.
user541686
Posted 2011-01-02T02:00:56.830
Reputation: 21 330
32-bit drivers will flatly not work on a 64-bit Windows install. – Jamie Hanrahan – 2015-02-22T05:21:49.710
would the internet drivers work, or how would I get the drivers to work for that w/o backup? – studiohack – 2011-01-02T02:07:09.677
Windows 7 picks up most new hardware on boot. This is what I've experienced at least. At work I have made a generic Windows 7 ghost image on a desktop and applied it to a bunch of laptops and workstations without issues. – John T – 2011-01-02T02:12:55.613