Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2015 January 12

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January 12

PENTIUM 4 PROCESSOR

I am having problem knowing the bit (32/64bit) on my processor the processor is pentium 4 (presscote)2.8Ghz.can some one help me with this because i wanted to try installing window 7.so i wanted to choose corectly when the setup show X86 or X64 which one do i have to choose. 219.94.83.162 (talk) 01:25, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

As far as I know, there is no combined 32-bit and 64-bit edition of Windows, so you won't be able to choose during setup. If you have both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7, then:

• If you have more than 4 GB of RAM, the processor is almost certainly 64-bit capable and you'll need 64-bit Windows 7 to use the RAM.
• Otherwise, I'd just install the 32-bit version. Even if your processor is 64-bit capable, it will run 32-bit Windows fine, and there's not much reason to prefer 64-bit. Also, the 32-bit version is more likely to be compatible with your other hardware.

-- BenRG (talk) 01:54, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

It appears from List of Intel Pentium 4 microprocessors#Prescott (90.C2.A0nm) that 64-bit capability depends on the model number. 2.8 GHz isn't enough to tell. Note that in either case it can run 32-bit, and an old PC may have other hardware which only works with 32-bit. PrimeHunter (talk) 02:17, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

Don't know if I'd entirely agree with that. If you have more than 2GB or definitely more than 3GB, using the 32 bit version of Windows may very well limit the amount of RAM you have available. And it may also limit the amount of RAM available to any programs, if there are 64 bit versions of them available, or they are large address aware. (Note in particular that some programs may have non large address aware 32 bit versions, and 64 bit versions. You can potentially modify the executable to make it large address aware, but there's no guarantee the program will work, or use any more than 2GB.) And remember, the amount will depend on how you set up the kernel, it's a tradeoff situation. Now you may not want many programs using more than 2GB if you only have 4GB, but there will likely be cases when it's okay, e.g. certain games or other high memory programs when you don't have much going on in the background. There are also those programs which will gain a significant advantage from the 64 bit registers and other extensions not available unless you're using long mode, not particularly common perhaps outside of certain scientific and maths cases but they definitely exist, e.g. SHA-2 512. While these are minor compared to the potentially memory advantages, in modern times I'm not convinced compatibility is really a bigger advantage or a reason to stick with 32-bit (although I wouldn't personally bother with the 64-bit on anything less than 2GB or perhaps even 3GB). Also the Prescott is very old now, and was never that good, so in this particular case, it may be better to stick with 32 bit unless you're sure of a memory reason to go 64-bit.

In terms of determining whether the CPU does support 64 bit mode, CPU-Z should be able to tell you if you already have Windows running, whatever version. There are other options, but it's probably one of the simplest if you're not particularly sure what you're doing. Look for EM64T or something else with 64 in the instructions set list.

Nil Einne (talk) 02:14, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

) Thanks so much for the info.Its really helpful — Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.94.83.162 (talk) 08:05, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

MS Word 2007: Can't Add Section Break

I'm trying to add a section break to a Word document in order to have a different footer on the following page. However, Word will not let me click anywhere on the page to add the section break (or any text, for that matter). The page has a large linked spreadsheet and no other text; all the other pages have the same thing, but there is a little room in the lower right-hand corner of the page to click and add the section break. I don't think the table itself is the problem, because I've resized it half its normal size, and I still can't click anywhere on that page. In fact, if I click on the previous page, then press the right arrow, it skips the page I'm trying to format entirely, and goes directly to the page after it. Can anyone tell me why I can't click on an otherwise unremarkable page? OldTimeNESter (talk) 15:46, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

It sounds to me like the spreadsheet takes up all the usable area on the page. The place where you are clicking must be within the margin of the page, so it won't let you type, or do anything else, there. My suggestion. scale down the spreadsheet, do what you want, then scale it back up, if there's still room. StuRat (talk) 16:06, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

Best to simply select the place immediately after the spreadsheet. Untested, but it should work if you click on the spreadsheet, then hit the "End" key. You can then insert the break.--Phil Holmes (talk) 10:14, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

He seemed to be saying there is no place after the spreadsheet, on that page. I've seen that before, too. Basically the spreadsheet is the full size of the page, so there's no room for a blank line after it, or even a blank space, to be used to insert things. StuRat (talk) 05:18, 14 January 2015 (UTC)

And I was saying that there's always space after the spreadsheet, even if you can't click to select it. Try the end key.--Phil Holmes (talk) 10:12, 14 January 2015 (UTC)

Does Word (or this version of it) still have a "Reveal codes" feature to help you see invisible marks and where you're trying to insert/delete them? I'm told that can be a big help in situations like this (although me, I always forget to try it). —Steve Summit (talk)`

Finding things online

How can I find something without having to go through many pages or listings? Like if I want to find a question about medicine I can't5 get through without many sites coming up/ I'm a PC dummy as you can see! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.97.181.198 (talk) 21:23, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

The key is to be specific when you do a Google search. Don't search for "cats" (and certainly don't search for a synonym for "cats", as that could be quite distracting). Instead, if you are interested in "breeding of lilac-point Siamese cats", type that. Then beware of only slightly related ads that show up at the top and side. Skip right past those, and start with the actual hits below. StuRat (talk) 23:28, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

Here are google's tips for effective searching [1]. They have a little tutorial to try, and have generally good advice. SemanticMantis (talk) 15:33, 13 January 2015 (UTC)