Trying to install Windows 7 on a 32 bit P4 system, keep running into roadblocks

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Hey guys. So I have a old p4 3.0ghz Northwood system with a Radeon HD3650 (AGP) card that I'm trying to install windows 7 32 bit to. First I tried to install it via USB, but kept running into issues trying to boot to the USB drive. So I gave up on that and decided to try installing the OS with another system, used sysprep with generalize and tried to stick it in the other system. I have Windows 10 64 bit installed on 1 partition and windows 7 32 bit on a seperate partition (I did it like this because I just wanted to see how this system would perform with an SSD. I don't have any extra SSD's to do this with so I thought using a partition would work) I'm assuming this is incompatible? When it boots up, I see the choice for Windows 7 and Windows 10. It doesn't matter which I pick, both boot straight into the 64bit Windows 10 install.

I'm guessing at this point my best option is to either use a dedicated drive and try again, or to try and find a DVD-R and install it directly to the P4 system. Does anyone have any work arounds?
 
I believe the problem is that you tried installing an older OS after the newer OS. Your best bet would be to follow the steps you suggested in our last sentence. USB Flash drives have been hot or miss for me for installing Windows 7.
 
USB Flash drives have been hot or miss for me for installing Windows 7.

Agreed, especially on older computers. Just keep a spare DVD drive and Win7 install discs handy. It's a pain to hook up an IDE cable sometimes but in the end it probably would have taken less time than it took to make this thread and it's a fairly foolproof solution.
 
As suspected the DVD install worked. That said, when it boots it asks to run chkdsk every time, I assume because of the 64 bit OS installed on the other partition. Not a big deal as I can just skip it.
 
Any suggestions on what to use this thing for? I'm struggling to think of stuff. I was hoping to use Geforce NOW on it but they don't support 32 bit so my plans are ruined. I kind of knew this but was hoping it was more of a not supported thing than a it doesn't work at all thing.
 
Any suggestions on what to use this thing for? I'm struggling to think of stuff.

Unfortunately a single-core P4 system is going to be painfully slow for anything anyone would actively use it for. I would think background tasks at this point. Like if you needed a "disposable" computer for a dusty garage or similar where all it has to do is be able to stream Pandora. After a year it's going to have so many spider-webs and other creatures living in it, it will be pretty much trash, so that would be perfect.
 
Unfortunately a single-core P4 system is going to be painfully slow for anything anyone would actively use it for. I would think background tasks at this point. Like if you needed a "disposable" computer for a dusty garage or similar where all it has to do is be able to stream Pandora. After a year it's going to have so many spider-webs and other creatures living in it, it will be pretty much trash, so that would be perfect.


Yeah maybe if I can get this crap bgears benspirer sound card working. Would probably sound better than just using a phone.
 
Simlilar problem. with HP Athalon 3200+ system. I MAY (lol) see if uATX motherboard will fit and go to fm2 motherboard. If I can't try to find "newest" HP motherboard that will fit case.
Sigh. Went to Enermax period power supply amd 4850 AGP card back when.
Would like to have old case "surprise" user.
fwiw built a 1st gen Intel system I am happy with. Motherboard I had purchased on sale and never built. Used CPU was $10. I had DDR2 mem. And HDD.
32 Bit single core with 2 GB DDR Ram just not worth much trouble shooting.
Possibly a Chrome Book Operating System might work. Or wasn't there a tablet or lite version of W8? Though most tablets etc are multicore.
 
Do not know about file servers. Played with Linux 5-6 years ago. Do not know what they have now. Just like the idea of a P4 running, but.. there are limitations.
Appolagies if my ignorance distracted you.
 
Any suggestions on what to use this thing for? I'm struggling to think of stuff. I was hoping to use Geforce NOW on it but they don't support 32 bit so my plans are ruined. I kind of knew this but was hoping it was more of a not supported thing than a it doesn't work at all thing.

Nothing.... Those old P4's are power hungry monsters. I think a current atom processor will outperform it using like 10% of the power.
 
Funny experience recently, a penny pinching business owner bought a refurb Dell with a Pentium D and asked to have the "new" pc set up for dual monitors. This system used an old ATI chipset and refused to work with any PCI-E (or AGP cant quite recall the interface) card but a comment had me laughing inside. The user said every time she opened a web browser or did anything with the system it would spin up its fans and "sounded like a jet." What a darkspot in Intels history lol
 
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A raspberry pi or Rock64 is probably easier to set up and as fast or faster than the old POS. They cost a couple of dozen bucks.
 
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