Windows Forum
by ghimpe--
Yes, you can run 32bit softare on 64bit hardware, but to take advantage of the 64bit hardware speed you need 64 software.
Right now there is more 64bit software for linux platforms than windows ones.
I'm sure if you spend a few mnutes google-ing you will find much more info about this.
GooD LucK! ;)
by cg it
there was a time when Intel first announced their 64 bit processors as not being backward compatible with 32 bit programs. AMD when they announced their 64 bit processors said their processors will work with 32 bit programs. So, The Great Race began. Intel has since backed off their incompatibility with 32 bit programs.
Can you imagine what companies would do who heavily invested their information programs only 3 years ago find out they won't work with the new Intel processors but will with AMD?
There are not a lot of 64 bit programs written to run on 64 bit processors but as the 54 bit hardware becomes infused in the overall business and computer market, software makers will start churing them out. Until then, both AMD and Intel provide 64 bit processor that will run in 32 bit mode for program compatibility.
by thechas
Well,
Your question is straight forward.
The answer is not.
In a very general manner, the answer is yes, 32 bit applications can run on a 64 bit OS.
Going back as far as the first 16 bit CPU and Windows 1, operating systems have had backwards compatibility.
What you run into, is that each successive new OS runs fewer older programs.
Generally, programs that are 1 or 2 versions back are fully supported.
Programs more than 5 generations old work only because of the skill of the team that wrote the code.
The 64 bit version of Windows XP will run most of the same programs that the 32 bit version runs.
The next version of Windows (Longhorn) will by natural progression support fewer old programs than XP does.
Here is a link to a MSDN article on how 32 bit applications are handled when running Windows XP-64.
Chas
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