# Windows 7 - 32-bit or 64-bit?



## Culhwch (Feb 15, 2011)

So I'm looking at upgrading both my wife's and my computers to Windows 7, and the big questions is - should I stick with 32-bit, or go for the 64-bit version? My main concern is compatibility - I've had a poke around this internet thing to do a bit of research, but it's left me confuzzled. 

The Microsoft website says all you need to run the 64-bit version is a 64-bit compatible processor, which I'm fairly certain we both have (the Intel website lists both as _Instruction Set: 64-bit_, and I'm guessing that's what that means...). But then I read elsewhere that you had to make sure _all_ your hardware was 64-bit compatible, and then I read that getting 64-bit drivers for devices can be a bit dicey... Is this a hassle that I really want? Or is it not as bad as all of that? Help!


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## The Judge (Feb 15, 2011)

What follows is double-dutch to me, but I hope you can understand it.

My partner works on Windows 7 64-bit, and he feels it is definitely the way to go (though having said that, our private computer is still Windows Vista 32-bit!).

Some software programmes aren't compatible with 64-bit.  You can download a free Windows 7 upgrade advisor programme from Microsoft's website which will advise on compatibility.  As you run the programme, it tells you to plug all your hardware in (eg printer, external disc-drives and the like), and then tells you if it isn't or isn't compatible.

NB If you use Windows Mail you'd need to change to Windows Livemail or a third party programme first, since it isn't included in Windows 7 (either 32 or 64 bit).

Hope that helps.


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## Culhwch (Feb 15, 2011)

Cheers, TJ! I'll have a look into the upgrade advisor!


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## Perpetual Man (Feb 15, 2011)

I ran 32 bit when I first had Windows 7, basically because I upgraded Vista 32 bit rather than a clean install. 

When I upgraded my computer itself I read around online, tried very hard to ignore one of my friends who kept saying 64bit was better - I eventually did a clean install and did actually feel it was better. It's just a case of finding all the right drivers that are compatible with 64 bit - I'd check this before you upgrade, some hardware is not compatible (but that list is shrinking all the time)


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## Vertigo (Feb 15, 2011)

I have recently got a new laptop with the inevitable Windows 7 on it. First let me say I hate it, coming from XP I find all the new ways of doing stuff makes advanced tasks (networking etc.) far harder to do. Menus have always seemed simple and self-explanatory; now it seems MS are doing away with them completely. Grrrrr.

All that said my Windows 7 is the Professional 64 bit version. Now I have loads of 32 bit programs running on it (including many of my own) and I have not had any problems of that nature at all (loads of others mind you but that's another discussion). One thing I noticed is that on the C: drive there are now two Program Files folders with one called "Program Files (x86)" and this is the one that all the older software seems to have been automatically put on (I didn't need to do anything). So I have not yet had any particular problems with 32/64 bit compatibility.


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## Perpetual Man (Feb 15, 2011)

Thats good to know, it was mostly drivers in my case for older hardware, printers, scanners etc. As far as I can remember there is only one program I've had problems with and that was an rt package.

And as Vertigo says the 'problems' are shrinking all the time.


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## Vertigo (Feb 15, 2011)

That's true, I did have two driver issues I had forgotten about. My keyboard and mouse worked but only as HID compliant devices, so no extra custom features and there don't seem to be Windows 7 drivers available for them (they are a little old now anyway), however I don't actually know if that is a 32/64 bit issue or just a Windows 7 issue (I suspect the latter).


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## Deathpool (Feb 16, 2011)

It woldn't matter too much if I didn't have Windows Mail. I have the Office 2007 Small Business Edition any. I used to like Open Office until I opened a Word 2000-2003 file. Writer messed up the formating. It didn't even put the page numbers in the footers that I had inserted into my Word document. If you ask me the problem lies in there testing. I always felt that when just anybody can build a program an inexperienced software developer can just build and slap it on the market without proper testing. Microsoft has their beta program. I've never had Microsoft program that had a feature that didn't work. I really gets to me when I find a product that has at least one feature that doesn't work the way it's supposed. I went off subject and I shouldn't have. Anyway a 64 bit operating system does indeed need a 64 bit processor. A major advantage that one would gain is that 64 bit supports more than 4 gigabyte ram. The most amount of ram I've seen in a computer is in a Dell Blade Server and the server had 256 gigabyte ram.


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