Computer became 32 bit when I upgraded 10 Windows 10

About a week ago I went to a pawn shop and bought my laptop. It's an HP Envy, Windows 10, but I forgot the model number. Anyway, the sticker on the bottom says "Windows 7" so I'm assuming it was upgraded to Windows 10. It was 64 bit, with 8 GBs of ram. AMD A6-4455M APU with Radeon HD Graphics. 2.1 Ghz.

When I got home, I decided to factory reset my laptop. I left it running and went off to do other stuff. When I came back, I found a blue screen of death with the message saying something along the lines of an unexpected boot.

I looked up a bunch of information for about an hour, but eventually I was able to fix the problem by re-booting windows 10 using a flash drive.

I installed Windows 10 for a different computer using a Windows 7 laptop with 4 gbs of ram and a 64-bit processor. However, when I booted my new laptop, its specs changed.
Instead of 64 bit, it was 32 bit with a "64-bit processor" and because of this couldn't use the 8 gbs of ram available. How do I fix it so it's 64 bit again?

Okay nevermind then, thanks forums

Toxiconym said:

Okay nevermind then, thanks forums

I guess you found your answer?

Download the 64bit version, make a dvd or usb key, reinstall.

Maybe it was a stolen, then pawned laptop that has internal issues?

The setup was from a laptop that had only 4GB RAM. Even though the CPU is 64-bit capable, the OEM decided to install 32-bit Windows 7 for better compatibility with older applications and devices. So you installed a 32-bit version of Windows and you can only use 4GB RAM officially. There are patches for Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows 7 32-bit and Windows 8/8.1 32-bit that enable more than 4GB RAM and you can then use the full memory of your laptop. So you have 2 options:

1) Download the 64-bit version of Windows 10 and install it. You can officially use all the available RAM, use applications that demand a 64-bit version and do not install on 32-bit Windows etc. You lose some compatibility with old devices that might not have 64-bit drivers and old 16-bit games/programs if it happens to have some. For those install Windows XP in a Virtual Machine and use them there.

2) You keep the 32-bit version and wait for a Windows 10 PAE patch to be available. You then patch the kernel and enable the full memory. You have all the benefits (compatibility-wise) of a 32-bit version but your system might give a blue screen in some rare cases. Also you cannot use 64-bit applications (such as new Adobe Premiere which is 64-bit only).

If you don't have any old devices or programs/games go for the 64-bit version.