If i buy a used laptop that had 64 bit Windows OS installed (Win 7 or Vista or XP) can I overwrite the existing OS by installing a 32 bit Windows 8.1 Pro ? Alternatively, could I reformat the HD and then install 32 bit Windows 8.1 ?

What has this to do with data recovery or hard drives?

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Sabo Computer Repairs & Data Recovery

Why so hostile ? I really need to know the answer to this question and would appreciate information.

I note that Dmitry said one of the primary rules of this board is "be nice". Also, please note that the scope of this board is defined as follows: "Data recovery and disk repair questions and discussions related to old-fashioned SATA "

Hi Spildit:

Thanks so very much for this info.

I simply asked a (rhetorical) question, to say that your question is irrelevant to this forum. Nothing personal, I just think it diminishes the usefulness (signal-to-noise ratio) of a forum if people don't stay on topic, and I don't see how your question is related to "Data recovery and disk repair questions and discussions related to old-fashioned SATA."

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Sabo Computer Repairs & Data Recovery

I fail to see any hostility to Larry's question. If people spent a little time to Google, and also to submit question to appropriate forums, the quality of answers (IMHO) would be better, along with the willingness to answer. There are both windows 7 and 8 forums.
One tip though is to try and not take offence to things that you have no possible way to gauge the tone.

I am guessing you probably are not that experienced messing with Operating Systems and may not fully understand where the 64bit / 32bit part of the equation comes in. I have seen some people talk about it in a variety of ways and I am sure some people think that a hard drive may be different in a 32bit machine as opposed to a 64bit. Maybe that's it, but whatever the reason, always be prepared to take advice/hints/redirection in whatever form it comes in, and try not to get too worried about "tone" or "what it sounds like", most of the time you end up getting it wrong