# Windows 7: 64 bit or 32 bit? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 13, 2010, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513 "2010-07-13T10:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/1 "2010-07-13T10:46:55Z")
I was reading elsewhere that MS now report that half of all copies of Windows 7 are the 64 bit versions. So I thought I’d take a poll of Dopers. Are you running a 64 bit version or the 32 bit version? Me, I’m running the 64 bit version. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/2 "2010-07-13T11:06:54Z")
I’m running the 64-bit version in a virtuial machine under VMWare on my i7 Mac. No problems. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/3 "2010-07-13T11:15:07Z")
64-bit Windows 7 Professional with Microsoft’s Virtual PC/XP mode running a virtual copy of XP under it (where I have to run some old compilers that won’t install in Windows 64-bit directly). ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/4 "2010-07-13T12:06:34Z")
64-bit, because the Mac it’s running on (BootCamp) has 12G of memory, and I want to use it all. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/5 "2010-07-13T13:34:19Z")
I have the 64 bit version on this laptop and the 32 bit version on the notepad and the desktop. Just to be covered I have XP, ME and 98 on other mainly disused stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/6 "2010-07-13T15:05:16Z")
I have a few computers. One of the desktops and the netbook are 32 bit and the laptop and the other desktop are 64 bit. To hijack this thread a bit, anyone know of software that yet hasn’t made it over to having a 64 bit version? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/7 "2010-07-13T16:07:34Z")
i have the 64 bit. i understand there is no reason to get the 32 bit unless you have compatability issues with your hardware or something. ---
**Author:** ![Anomie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Anomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomie)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/8 "2010-07-13T16:16:20Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > To hijack this thread a bit, anyone know of software that yet hasn’t made it over to having a 64 bit version? Pretty much all of it, I think. 32-bit software runs on 64-bit Windows. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/9 "2010-07-13T16:22:19Z")
I running XP. what bit is that? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/10 "2010-07-13T16:28:43Z")
Heh… XP is 32 bits. All of the new lab computers run either Win7-64 or Win Server 2008 R2 (which is 64 bit as well). I was very surprised how little changes I had to make to the software to get it to run under 64 bits. The OS does a very good job of running the app in its own 32 bit space. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/11 "2010-07-13T16:32:35Z")
I have an older laptop that is only 32 bit, but will be installing Windows 7 this week, as I need to install Adobe CS5 software that apparently only runs on Windows 7. At any rate, will I notice any real difference? The guy at school in IT said it probably won’t be a problem and everything should work just fine. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/12 "2010-07-13T16:39:33Z")
I’ve been running Win7-64 for a couple of weeks on a new build and everything works. Office XP, a 5 year old scanner, no hitches. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/13 "2010-07-13T16:43:39Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Heh.. XP is 32 bits. There is a 64-bit version of XP, but you wouldn’t be running it unawares. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/14 "2010-07-13T18:31:02Z")
64 Bit. I have a relative who works for Microsoft and I was able to buy the Professional edition for $30 through him. I got it mainly because I’d heard it emulated XP better for legacy software and, for thirty bucks, it was worth it whether the XP thing was true or not. Looking it up, I see all the versions except the Starter one offer 32 & 64 bit versions so I’m not sure why you’d take 32 bit. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/15 "2010-07-13T18:36:16Z")
I am on the 32 bit version, but not by choice. There was an error (my own error) during my order and I received this version instead. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/16 "2010-07-13T19:56:30Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > I am on the 32 bit version, but not by choice. There was an error (my own error) during my order and I received this version instead. The same license key should work for both 32 bit and 64 bit versions. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/17 "2010-07-13T20:00:07Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The same license key should work for both 32 bit and 64 bit versions. Yeah I know, it’s a long story. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/18 "2010-07-13T21:02:37Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The same license key should work for both 32 bit and 64 bit versions. If **Bees** ordered the OEM version, you get one or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/19 "2010-07-13T21:04:27Z")
Well, I just ordered the 64-bit OEM version over the weekend, so I might as well vote. Getting _real_ tired of being able to play only half the games I want to play on Ubuntu. ---
**Author:** ![QuercusMax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/8baadc/32.png) [@QuercusMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuercusMax)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513/20 "2010-07-14T01:37:42Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > There is a 64-bit version of XP, but you wouldn’t be running it unawares. Heh. 64-bit XP is XP in name only. The only reason you’d run it is if you need to run 64-bit apps and need an OS that is named “Windows XP”. It’s pretty much an entirely different OS. I work on medical imaging software which uses lots of RAM, and either needs or can take great advantage of the 64-bit memory space. There are an awful lot of our customers (hospitals) whose IT policies still forbid Vista or Windows 7, so they have to use XP 64 - which is terrible. So many driver problems and other assorted broken things. At one point XP 64 couldn’t even open up [microsoft.com](http://microsoft.com), it was so broken. Vista/7 for all their faults are at least functional. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-64-bit-or-32-bit/546513.md?page=2)