How to install Windows 32-bit version in my surface pro?

Anonymous
2013-05-09T13:44:46+00:00

I have a surface. But it pre-installed windows 8 Pro 64-bit. I don't want to use 64-bit software, so I wanna install a new 32-bit Windows 8 on my surface Pro. But when I boot from my installing media, I find that surface can't get in to installing screen... I feel bad about it, who can tell me how to install Windows 8 32-bit in my surface?

Surface | Surface Pro | Install and update

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Anonymous
2013-06-05T03:16:39+00:00

Sorry, but I think you're SOL.  My understanding of it is that UEFI has to have the same architecture as the OS you're trying to run.  The Surface Pro UEFI is 64-bit, and so you can only run a 64-bit OS on there.   

Unfortunately, the Surface also does not have the "Legacy Boot" option to emulate a BIOS like many other PCs have.

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Anonymous
2013-05-10T14:12:09+00:00

I said this once but I'll say it again: you can install x86/32 bit software on a 64 bit version of Windows. Just download and install the 32 bit version of Office. Your key will work for both versions...

Also 64 bit Office works with tons of other applications just fine. The better option is to contact those software vendors to see if they have an update to provide Office 64 bit support. I suggest you do that if Office is the issue.

You will not solve this issue by installing 32 bit Windows. If you want a quick solution, install 32 bit Office.

Your statement regarding memory/RAM for the Surface Pro is a little absurd as well. 4GB is not "too short." You're going way off topic here. 4GB is perfectly capable of running Windows 64 bit. Heck, you can only use 3GB max with a 32 bit OS.

Microsoft does not consider this a problem because it is a fact that 32 bit OSes are on the way out. Anyone still using 32 bit is doing so because of a third party vendor requiring it for some ridiculous reason or that vendor's unwillingness to provide updates for 64 bit support.

For your initial question, it seems you are actually wanting to use x86/32 bit Office. This is the solution: install the 32 bit Office and your "other applications" will work fine.

Please mark as answered.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-03-13T20:00:52+00:00

    Well, you are replying to an old post dated back in 2013, but, DO NOT downgrade the machine with 32-bit version.  But, you can buy the digital download version of Windows 10 32-bit from Microsoft but you will need the drivers as well.

    You are talking about a big pain in the tail section to do and you actually ruin the tablet in the long run.

    Your best bet in your circumstance is one of two paths.  1. You can remove all software relating to the camera from the tablet and then just plug in the camera and be able to move the pictures/videos over from the camera via the file manager since the tablet will look at the camera as an external drive.  Or, 2. You can get an ATOM based Windows 10 tablet which runs the 32-bit version of Windows 10 and use it instead and use the Surface tablet for post-production.

    There is a third method of using Hyper-V or other virtual machine software and install Windows 10 32-bit along with your current system but you run out of disk space at that point in doing that.

    Getting the 32-bit ATOM based tablet is the better bet in the long run and would recommend the Asus T102 (I have one) and it gets 12 hours of battery life plus it comes with a keyboard/touchpad cover and pen.  It also has a full powered USB port as well and the 128GB model is $400.  That way, you have a second machine in the mix and then later, use the higher performing Surface tablet for your post-production work.  In that case, you can transfer your media via a micro-SD card between the two machines.

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