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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?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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.
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.
I have a genealogy program from 1987 and a WordPerfect Shell program that are a 16 bit programs. They work under a 32 bit OS but will not open in a 64 bit OS. These program are very important to me. I would like to be able to take my Surface Pro 2 Tablet to libraries and directly enter data in the genealogy program.
Is there any way to accomplish this on my Surface tablet?
R G Clarke
If all else fails, Install a small virtual machine using the built in hyper v software, deploying an older operating system, then run your application inside it.
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?
I also need Win7 Pro 32 bit as many of my legacy programs will not work on a 64 bit OS. I know the 'naysayers' are going to say "ditch the programs", however the programs have no upgrade and are vital to my needs. One in particular is Managing Your Money DOS ver 12. I can neither import or export the data to put it into another program and I have many years of data, so changing programs is not an option. The other two programs are just as 'antiquated', but again they have no viable upgrade. Therefore, if it were possible to utilize Win7 Pro 32 bit on a Surface 3 Pro, I would buy one today! I have tried using the virtual machine mode in Win7 Pro 64 bit and that is not an option. Please, please be kind to the 'old ones' and offer any kind of constructive help! Thanks in advance for your consideration!!
Well, if all of your old software is "DOS" based, even though DOS is long gone and extinct, running DOS programs is not.
Instead of trying to downgrade, you can look at this program: DOSBOX (opensource) available at this web link: http://www.dosbox.com/
Before doing anything, though, go through the tutorial they have on the web site and also look at any other information you can find on it before downloading/installing it.
This program first came out for Linux and is popular but they did make a Windows version also and have a "Windows installer".
Also note that the DOS version maybe too low for your DOS programs to work. That was a problem with it and it emulated DOS 5.x and not 6.x. It is opensource and free, so, there is no cost in trying it.
Your only other option is to find an off-lease laptop or desktop with Windows 7 pre-installed on it and use that machine instead of one of these tablets. There are no drivers for all components for Windows 7 for the Surface line. Windows 7 does have most generic drivers but not for everything.
As for an off-lease machine, you are going to have to hurry up in that option; they are currently being upgraded to Windows 8.1. Windows 7 is history and is supposed to have been removed from the market. There are a few places still selling it (leftovers).
