64- vs. 32-bit versions of Windows

The Windows operating system comes in two versions; 64-bit and 32-bit.

The vast majority of modern computers run the 64-bit version of Windows, in which the case the main installation instructions will work fine for you.

If you have an older computer, you might have a 32-bit version of Windows, in which case you will need to use an alternative installer instead of the one linked in step 1 of the main instructions.

To check whether this affects you, carry out the following steps:

1. Click here to open your system settings. (If this link doesn't work, click on the start menu, click on the gear icon (settings), in the window that opens, click on "System", and in the resulting window, click on "About", which will likely be the last item in the list.)
2. Look for the "System type" item under "Device specifications". This will either say 64-bit operating system, in which case you can follow the standard instructions, or 32-bit operating system, in which case you need to use the alternative installer instead of the one linked in step 1 of the main instructions.