Windows 10 Upgrade 32-bit to 64-bit

Windows Client (10, 11, 12)
1

So, Windows 10 Upgrade is being rolled out worldwide, and I have ‘reserved’ my upgrade.

Currently my computer is running Windows 7 Pro 32-bit. I’m planning to ‘upgrade’ it to Windows 10 64-bit (via fresh install, of course).

After reading many references, these will be the steps I’ll do:

  • Let the “Get Windows 10” app upgrade my OS to Windows 10 32-bit

  • Note the activation key

  • Download the Installation Media for Windows 10, but choosing 64-bit instead

  • Perform a clean install

  • Reactivate using the activation key in Step #2

(Of course I’ll backup my data first.)

However, I still have some questions:

  • On Windows 7, the activation key does not differ between 32- or 64-bit versions. Is it still so with Windows 10?

  • Will I be able to download a different architecture on Step #3?

  • Is there anything I need to prepare beforehand?

Thank you for your assistance.

2

The thing with the free Windows 10 upgrade is that your hardware is whitelisted, and a generic key used (not like the Windows 8.1 upgrade where you get a unique key). This means that you can let the Get Windows 10 app upgrade you, then reinstall Windows using a 64bit ISO.

Unfortunately, this also means that since no one except Microsoft themselves knows which hardware is used to fingerprint the PC, if one part breaks, you can safely assume you have to go back to Windows 7 and upgrade once more.