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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.
One way is to use a virtual machine as Win 7- 32bit and try again.
Thank you for your suggestions! Yes, I will get a back-up Win7 Pro 32 bit laptop, but I surely would have liked to have the Surface Pro. While my MYM is a DOS program, neither of the other two I mentioned will run on Windows 64 bit OS. I have been a loyal Microsoft customer for many, many years and I find it appalling that the company would not give customers a way for legacy program to work with the Windows upgrades. I'm not asking for support, I have never contacted Microsoft on any support issue, but for heavens sake, please give us a way to run the older programs that will not work on a 64 bit OS.
I appreciate your reply, however the programs I am trying to run do not work well in a virtual machine environment. I did try, but the outcome was not good. As I mentioned in another reply, I will get a Win7 Pro 32 bit laptop, but it would have been nice to be able to purchase a Surface Pro so that one could take advantage of the newer technologies. Plus, when MS decides to no longer provide Win7 security updates, it will leave me in the same situation I am in now with WinXP. I guess one of the main issues is vulnerability while on the Internet, although I use every possible antivirus, malware, etc. option.
