I’m debating between the 32bit version and 64bit version of win7.
My XP system that I built in 2003 just wasn’t ready for Win7. The motherboard only supports 1 gig of Ram.
I just ordered a Supermicro C2sbx motherboard, with a Intel Core 2 Duo, 3.16GHz processor with 6MB L2 Cache. For now, I bought 4Gig memory, 500 GB Hard Drive, and a Diamond Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit PCI-E video card. I’m using a Cooler Master case for the build. this a budget build. I can’t afford the latest greatest processor or video card.
Windows 32 bit will only see 3 Gig of my system memory because the video card is eating up a gig of my space. That’s ok. Win7 will purr along nicely.
I may go with 64 bit Win 7. Are there any advantages besides using more memory? I could easily increase my memory to 8 gig. Does that have any benefits?
What will I lose going 64bit?
Will any of my old software (Ms Office 2000, Adobe Premier, Adobe After Effects, Norton Antivirus) work on a 64bit OS?
How about my ten year old HP Deskjet Printer, and Scanner? Will they work under 64 bit? I’m assuming they’d work fine under Win7 32 bit.
If your computer is capable of running 64bit and it has more than 3MB RAM, you do yourself a disservice running 32bit. As far as I’m aware (90% sure but can be corrected), there’s nothing the 32bit version does the 64bit can’t.
I also don’t understand what you mean by the video card ‘eating up a gig of your space’. Your video card doesn’t touch your motherboard RAM, that’s the whole point of having a card with its own CPU and RAM dedicated to video.
Bosstone, 32 bit only recognizes up to 4GB including video card memory. So a 1 GB video card will take that and Windows will only use 3GB of the installed 4.
I just built a new system a few weeks ago and went with Win7-64 with no problems. My scanner is about 7 years old and it installed and works without a hitch. I only lost a few minor freeware games that I think were 16 bit.
Most of my programs are still compiled in a 32 bit environment and they all run without any problems on Win7-64.
If you are using any version of SQL that is 2005 or better, you will enjoy a significant increase in speed running under a 64 bit environment.
That and the increased memory space make it a no-brainer.
The only problem I have heard about is with drivers, specifically printer drivers.
As I understand it 32 bit Windows can only recognize 4 Gig of memory. That 4gig includes all the memory in the box (video, the BIOS, and system memory).
We had the same headaches 20 years ago when the OS was 16 bits. There was a memory wall that no man could get past.
My biggest fear was losing my software. I can’t blow 3 grand replacing all the software I use. Adobe Premier and After Effects are very expensive. Microsoft software isn’t cheap either.
I’m glad to hear others are running older software ok.
I’ve been meaning to do the same upgrade, Windows XP (32 bit) to Windows 7 (64 bit), I just have to clean up my files, programs,etc. for the required fresh install.
I have an AMD Athlon 6400+ X2 with 3G plus 1G video so I am Windows 7 ready but haven’t got around to it.
Anyone experience any problems or limitations?
We encounter quite a bit of software that won’t run under 64-bit Windows. VPN clients, drivers, small but vital things like that. I’d check that the software and drivers you want to use will work or that there are 64-bit versions.
I had a couple of old 32-bit compilers that my 64-bit version of Windows 7 refused to install (an old FORTRAN compiler that’s no longer sold, and Microsoft’s own Visual Studio 6.0 that’s nothing like the current .NET stuff Microsoft sells). I ended up installing them using the copy of Windows Virtual PC and its XP mode that you can download for free if you have Windows 7 Professional.
I’ve looked at virtual pc and xp mode. I was carefull to buy a Intel CPU that supports virtualization. I also checked the manual on the motherboard (before ordering) to make sure it had the support in the Bios.
I wonder if a printer can be installed in XP Mode? I doubt my old inkjet has a 64bit driver.
Most of them will be games or very old software, but there is the odd surprise like me finding out yesterday that Itunes wont read the standard email client in Windows 7 even though it had no problem with Vista and Outlook Express.
Your printer and scanner will almost certainly work fine but the driver may be a cutdown version of what you currently have.
Windows 7 64-bit cannot run 16-bit software, because the WoW (Windows on Windows) layer no longer supports it. However, you can run XP mode if you have Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate (or Enterprise, which is the volume license version of Ultimate) to run most 16-bit software. I have an old 16-bit Windows game (Stars!) that I can run as though it were installed in Windows 7 with XP mode*. You may also find some older devices haven’t been updated with 64-bit drivers. Ironically, Microsoft’s finger print reader device doesn’t have 64-bit drivers, but I knew that when I bought it when Vista was still new.
Well, the first time after a system restart I run the game, it takes a bit longer because the whole XP virtual machine has to start up, but I have an i7 box and it doesn’t take very much longer.
The only problem I ran into with compatibility was running my macros in Word 97 which caused my computer to reboot when run in Win7 64 bit. It ran fine with Win7 32 bit. It’s hardly a reason for me to stick to the 32 bit OS. I’m using the 64 bit OS. Other than that Win7 64bit runs everything else and uses all the memory which is pretty important so the computer doesn’t slow down constantly doing memory swaps. My disk access and program execution all sped up when the 64 bit was loaded and could access 6G.
As for old hardware don’t assume it will work under either OS. Check the manufacturer’s web site to find out.
My wife and I went with Windows 7 64bit and windows Server 2008 64bit for our main machines respectively. She has some sewing pattern programs ($1000 software) that no longer work and we both can’t install the drivers for our plotter (Canon w6400) that is about 6 years old.
There is no workaround for the plotter, you can’t install the drivers on a virtual machine and you can’t install them on another machine and map a network printer.
It works fine on Windows 7 32bit.
Our only solution was to have another machine with her sewing program and Autocad installed, she remotes to it and works there and I copy my finished drawings there and print from that box, yes it is a MAJOR pain.
Other than that, we are both running 8 gigs of ram and love the speed of 64 bit.
It’s good advice to check if your odder programs and hardware run on 64 bit, but for the most part, it’s not at all an issue. If you go 64 bit and install 32 bit programs, you’ll notice that your have both a Program Files and a Program Files (x86) directory. In working in an enterprise environment, I’ve found very little software that won’t run under Win 7 64 bit, even without virtual XP mode.
