HP Pro Mini 400 G9 - need to install Windows 10 32 bits

[NicoG7]

Hi everybody,

I need to install Windows 10 32 bits on a HP Pro Mini 400 G9 but there is no option in the bios to boot in "legacy mode".

So how can I install W10 on this computer ?

Best regards,

Nico

[DGroves]

if your bios does not have a option to enable "legacy" mode (also known as "CSM" )

then older 32 bit drivers may not have any support on your system

since all current support is geared for a 64bit world, your best option is to use the free 64 bit windows restore image that HP has posted for download for this model system

[NicoG7]

Thanks, but Windows 10 32 bits is required for an old software 😓

[SDH]

What you say indicates that you have at least a chance things will work. You can still find Windows 10 32 bit installers called System Builder kits, new, that might work. MS might still allow download of a 32-bit installer iso. Those kits include an optical disc and a license with serial number to enter during the install. Your built-in license from MS via HP might even let you install a 32-bit build instead of a 64-bit build through the "digital license" servers MS has.

DGroves is correct... the chances of this working would be greater if the computer was old because a number of the devices in your new computer did not exist when the kit/iso was created. However, it is worth the effort to try. I'd remove the current boot drive for safekeeping and try loading the OS from the kit targeting a new drive using the W10 32-bit installer. This might be a project for a skilled computer shop depending on your talents.

There is a link to a brief article HERE and note the statement that "This news doesn’t mean that Microsoft will no longer support computers running 32-bit Windows 10. Microsoft says that it will continue to update the OS with new features and security patches and will still sell it directly to consumers." 

We had an issue with a critical piece of software that controlled the brightness and grayscale output of medical monitors that we use a lot of. We needed to shift from W7 to W10 (and soon to W11) for security purposes. Somehow I figured out that turning off "Fast Startup" in the power app in Control Panel (defaulted to ON by MS) would allow this software to run beyond W7. We're still able to run those expensive 3MP and 5MP Dome imaging monitors under W10 and W11, and that saved us from scrapping nearly 500k USD worth of monitors across the enterprise (cost if we needed to buy all new from Barco).

So, that might be worth a try too if you get W10 32-bit going. All systems I build have that turned off now.

[DGroves]

quite a few newer systems made within the last 2-3 years have chipsets that ONLY HAVE 64 BIT  DRIVERS released

as such 32bit operating systems will never install on these newer systems

the same applies to some add-in pci-e cards, some newer products only have 64 bit only drivers

in general you will need a computer system made 4 or more years ago for win 10 32bit support

and then look for pci-e cards that use older chips/technology which had 32 bit driver support