Identifying your system type is also important when upgrading. If you're running a 32-bit version of Windows, upgrading to 64-bit can help unlock the full potential of your computer.

More and more frequently, users are installing the 64-bit version of their operating system of choice over the less capable 32-bit version.

A few editions of 64-bit Windows 7 provide a Windows XP Mode that solves some backward-compatibility problems, but it isn’t a universal panacea.

The 64-bit support baked into Build 21277 can run native x86-64 applications or take 32-bit applications like Chrome for Windows on ARM and run them in 64-bit mode.

Microsoft has sent a statement to Neowin about how Internet Explorer 10 will run in the 64-bit and the 32-bit version of Windows 8, in both the desktop and "Modern" user interfaces.