Which of the following statements BEST represents what the “…x86.exe” means in the installation file?

A computer user is downloading software from the Internet and notices the following at the end of the install file: “…x86.exe”.

Which of the following statements BEST represents what the “…x86.exe” means in the installation file?
A . x86 only supports an installation on a 32-bit CPU architecture.
B . x86 supports an installation on a 32-bit and a 64-bit CPU architecture.
C . x86 only supports an installation on a 64-bit CPU architecture.
D . x86 supports an installation on a 16-bit CPU architecture.

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

x86 only supports an installation on a 32-bit CPU architecture is the statement that best represents what the “…x86.exe” means in the installation file. x86 is a term that refers to a family of processors or instruction sets that use 32-bit registers and memory addresses. x86 processors can only run software applications that are compatible with the 32-bit architecture. An installation file that has the suffix “…x86.exe” indicates that the file is an executable file that can only be installed on a 32-bit system. A 64-bit system can run both 32-bit and 64-bit applications, but a 32-bit system can only run 32-bit applications.

Reference: The Official CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) Study Guide (FC0-U61), page 34.