Why does booting from a 64 bit Win 8 USB install work on a 32 bit laptop?

Posted by Arabella on Super User See other posts from Super User or by Arabella
Published on 2012-11-03T22:06:03Z Indexed on 2012/11/03 23:05 UTC
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32-bit

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windows-installation

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windows-8-upgrade

I upgraded a 64 bit Windows 7 laptop to Windows 8 through the Upgrade Assistant, creating a bootable USB without any problems. I installed it successfully. Before I purchased an upgrade for my 32 bit Windows 7 laptop, I decided to boot from the USB with the 64 bit ISO to see what happened. The Windows 8 install screen came up with all the options. Should it not have detected that the laptop is 32 bit and therefore the install should have given an error?

I cancelled the install before it did anything, but now I want to know if I need to download the iso again after purchasing the upgrade on my 32 bit laptop? I've read the answers to this question, which confirms what is said in this article - a 32 or 64 bit iso will be downloaded depending on the hardware of the computer you are upgrading. If that is the case, then why did it boot into the install screen?

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