How to Check if Your Computer Is 64 Bit

This article explains how to determine whether your computer/server is running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of a MS Windows Operating System.

Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Checking Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008/R2

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    1
    Perform the following steps on your computer:
    • Click on the Start Button.
    • Type 'System' in the Start Search box
    • Click "System" in the Programs list.
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    2
    Read the results. In the "System" window it will state either "32-bit Operating System" or "64-bit Operating System".
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Checking Windows XP/2000/Server 2003

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    1
    Press the WIN+R keys (Windows key and R). Type the following: sysdm.cpl and click OK.
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    2
    Click on "System Summary": Under "System Type" it will either state "x86" if a 32-bit version of Windows is installed, or "EM64T" if a 64-bit version of Windows is installed.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Checking Windows 10

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    1
    Type in the "Control Panel" search box.
  2. 2
    Click "Control Panel". Next, press "System & Security". Press "System" and read the results.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Checking Windows 11

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    1
    Open Windows Settings page. Open Windows Settings by pressing Win+I on the keyboard and the System page will be shown at first by default.
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    2
    Choose and view About. Scroll down to About at the bottom of System. Click on it so you can view the information in System type.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Checking Mac OS X

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    1
    Launch Terminal app (see Applications/Utilities)
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    2
    Type the following: "uname -a" at the prompt.
    • Note: do not use quotes. These were placed for emphasis.
    • Note: ensure to insert the blank space between "uname" and "-a" strings.
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    3
    Read the text. The terminal will display two lines of text. At the end of the second line, you will find wording such as:
    1. RELEASE_I386 i386 ; the latest "i386" means that you're running 32bits kernel
    2. RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64 ; the latest "x86_64" means that you're running 64bits kernel
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 27 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 333,385 times.
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Co-authors: 27
Updated: January 6, 2023
Views: 333,385
Categories: Computers
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