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by highjacker

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i have conflicting answers from various people
will vista 64 bit os still play the games and apps from previous systems (16 bit and 32 bit)
or will they all need replacing as i have just upgraded most of my system to 64 bit compliant hardware adn considering os(will get new os with hard drive as oem)and considering the downside first

what other problems should i expect and look out for

10 replies

by scott_heath

Whenever you move OS architectures you can expect weird issues. There is no point in running a 64-bit OS though if you aren't going to run 64-bit apps. 320but apps will run, but maybe not with the same stability as before. Depends on how lucky you are! ;)

by highjacker

i have no luck at all
my pc will be running the usual stuff eg office etc however the games i have some are old and i love them like doom ghost recon diablo titan quest however i am concerned about the memory restrictions in 32 bit and future games
that the kids like (thats where i find some i like too)and i dont want to waste money on what wont work(i was one of those suckers that bought win me when told it would help solve driver problem)i still play the old stuff and kids love the new stuff

by scott_heath

I would stay 32-bit for now. In the future when virtualization allows more 3D support then you can upgrade, tuck in a few GBs of memory and run your older stuff using a virtualization product.

by seanferd

Is to check with the websites of your favorite apps. See what they might say about compatability. Check user sites for said apps. Search TR, MS, and other sites for 64- bit OS issues (yer gonna kinda have to decide on keywords and search).

If you list specific apps you are concerned about in this thread, maybe some folks with 64-bit Vista experience can help you there. 64-bit hardware may come with some of its own issues. If you are not moving from Vista32 to Vista64, but from another OS, mention that too, as that will have bit-independent effects as well.

Happy upgrading to ya.

by highjacker

i have xp pro just have asus maximus board want to raid 2 sata drives for speed processor slow for now(2.0 cheapie)but looking for the next gen 1600 mhz chips when available but as in luck reply i love old games i know while kids like all the new stuff and ram problem(2 meg max)key issue
old pc took power hit and fried something inside (2 hours+ to eventually boot) now works but sloooow even the apps i know are slow to load and use hence upgrade

by seanferd

and related pages.
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.windows.64bit.general&tid=046c39f5-987b-43ae-8dbe-35ac188ba0bb&cat=en_US_d02fc761-3f6b-402c-82f6-ba1a8875c1a7&lang=en&cr=&sloc=en-us&m=1&p=1

Maybe post a question to the MS site.
If you had a power surge and the system is behaving badly, you probably need to have the hardware looked at, (like the board and power supply) unless it just powered off at a bad time. Then I would suggest a scandisk & defrag.

If the system board is bad I wouldn't recommend buying any more hardware for it. You'll need a 64-bit processor to run Vista 64, so make sure your board supports that if it isn't broken.

In the end, a 64-bit OS won't do you a lot of good if you don't have to run any 64-bit apps. 64-bit hardware won't do you any good if you aren't going to run a 64-bit OS.

If you do go 64-bit, it seems like any 32-bit app that will install will also run, so maybe check with the vendors of those apps, or search the specific app on microsoft.com. If here are 16-bit components to the app, it will not run.

I think you can still get MS Virtual PC for free as a download, or you can see if there is a VMware free appliance for your needs. These will let you run pretty much anything as a virtual machine on the 64-bit OS. Check on the system requirements to see if you will have enough processor and memory support.

Here's a doc on XP-64, it is a good starting point to understand what is going on.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/8/6/B868C664-13FC-4F91-9651-5B6D4F1A2F60/Is_Windows_XP_Professional_x64_Edition_Right_for_Me.doc
From MS:
"Compatibility:
Windows XP Pro x64 is a natural progression from existing 32-bit Windows XP Pro, and the vast majority of programs written for Windows XP Pro will run in Windows XP Pro x64 without any change or modification. The mechanism that Windows XP Pro x64 uses to run 32-bit applications is called Windows on Windows 64-bit, better known as WOW64.
WOW64 provides each 32-bit application with its own protected environment that fully supports 32-bit applications. The application runs at full speed because of the underlying hardware compatibility."

See also the related threads on this site (some listed below this this thread) like
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-10877-0.html?forumID=5&threadID=191050&tag=rbxccnbd1
Who wants or needs 64 bits?

by highjacker

the ols system is being scrapped (in too hard basket) and replacement is asus maximus board (ment to be good gaming board) looking for quad but might get duel for starters 2g ram 2x400 sata raided drives and pci express 256 or 512 graphics card
new 750w power supply and gaming case
will reload xp pro on first but may look at vista later depending on what the site said all i will keep from old system is dvd burner and screen

by seanferd

16-bit apps or games won't run on the 64-bit systems (although Virtual PC or VMware may help with that). 32-bit apps should run fine, but not necessarily. You won't get much benefit from 64-bit architecture without a 64-bit OS. Also, some 32-bit apps actually run slower on a 64-bit system despite the more powerful processors and the ability to utilize more RAM. Actually, some extra RAM is wasted with 32-bit apps in a 64-bit system, because of the way compatibility is implemented.
Good luck with this.

by rahouseholder

If you are not going to be running any 64 bit apps, stick with the 32 bit OS. XP Pro can support up to 4 GB of memory. I only have 2GB and never seem to use more than half of it even when gaming. Vista has a compatibility mode, but it seems to be problematic even in the 32 bit version. Once my games and the apps I use are 64 bit I will consider upgrading to a 64 bit OS. For now, 32 bit is the best for me.

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