32Bit or 64Bit

Thnx all

<this can be closed>

4GB of RAM? 64 only. With 32 you'll have almost 1GB of RAM less.

ok, but I read somewere that some programs don't work with 64 bit ( this was with vista), is this the same on windows 7?

I know no mainstream or generally popular programs that DON'T work with 64 bits. Honestly.

The only reason I'm on a 32-bit OS right now is because I forgot to download the correct version of Windows 7 and I'm too lazy to dump my crap on a HDD, then reinstall the OS, then get the crap onto the new OS.

64bit is the way to go now - with XP 64bit did have compatibility issues, with Vista - hardly any. For Win7 and the future 64bit is the hands down winner.

Ah, yes, Win XP 64bit sucks, from what I've heard. Even compared to Windows Vista.


Windows 7 is however too awesome.

I'll go with 64 bit then.
Would it be better to dual boot with vista? or just remove vista.
If i backup my drivers with DriverMax on vista, can I later install them on windows 7 with the same program?

There were a few application and driver issues XP64. Most of the software issues were caused by sloppy programers (short cuts, direct access to memory locations or hardware addresses). Those issues do not exist (for the most part) because Vista and Windows 7 allow 32bit drivers to work in a 64bit enviroment, XP64 requires a 64bit driver. Almost every issue that XP 64 displayed was caused by bad programing habits.

From what I have read, almost any Vista driver will work with Windows 7.

Just to join in the chorus: 64bit.

There will come a time when 64bit is the only option - we were half expecting it with Vista and Win7 but there're still too many die-hards out there.

Wonder how long until we start answering "64bit or 128bit?" questions!

Incidentally, I'm currently running Windows 7 as a dual-boot with Vista (both 64bit, natch) - but that's just as a temporary measure until my full copy of 7 arrives in a few days. Full backup/wipe/install time then, so I'll have a whizzy OS for a short while until I bloat it to buggery again ^_^

Please go 64bit. It is better than 32bit and the driver and software support is really not an issue anymore (in order to get the Windows 7 ready certification, companies must have a 64bit driver). There still isn't a lot of 64bit software but when there is, it is super fast. The world needs to switch too, so everybody should do it.

Also my pet peeve is that files more than 4gb in size run into difficulties on 32bit systems, which would drive me insane if I'm working with recorded footage which is always over 4gb.

Oh, HELL NO. If 32 bit is ok for most, then 64 bit will be just fine. There were rumors of a 128bit Windows 8, but that is just being designed for no one IMO. We don't even have all 64 bit programs ATM.

Is it possible to use the vista back-upcentre for a back up and then put the files back in windows 7?

Since Win7 64bit can support up to 192GB of RAM and that is the "main" benefit of 64bit I don't see 128bit being mainstream in the near future.

Also, programs that are coded for 64bit will perform better than a 32bit coded system; there just aren't allot of 64bit coded programs out there for the general public. .......yet.

ok, i'm getting 64 bit tommorow. But how can I do a clean install? I read something about doing something in bios? I hardly even know what bios is...
So any help would be apreciated

Basically, yes. The thing you may have read about the BIOS would be only required if your computer isn't set to boot from the DVD drive. Even then, you may have an option to select a boot device. If your computer won't automatically try to boot from the DVD (optical) drive, watch the monitor as the computer boots and see if there is an option such as "F3 - choose boot device". If not you may need to get into the BIOS to change the boot order - which would also be an option during startup, such as "DEL - enter setup"

I don't have Win7 so I can't comment specifically on what options you may have when you boot the DVD. You may be able to just do a fresh install of Win7 without formatting the drive, which would be safest if you may have forgotten to backup something. If you want the "freshest" install though, you should let Win7 format the drive. If you are using NTFS, a quick format would be fastest.

You may want to check to see if there are Win7 versions for your drivers, but Vista versions should work.

It's "backing up" not " backuping"

Kind of off-topic, but what do you mean by "buying Windows 7 from your school because it's cheaper". Does your school actually sell the Operating Systems, or do you just ask them for a promotion code to use or what?

Students at my school can buy it with their student card, and we only have to pay for the DVD it's on.
@quaker, lol didn't know that but my native language isn't english ^^

I backed up all my files and going to make a clean install in a few hours.
Thnx for the help.

I gave up looking for a cheap source. Just paid £65.99 (US$108) for a retail copy of Home Premium :/

No reason to go 32-bit anymore.

Talking of student software, if your in the UK and you or a family member are at school or college you might want to look here http://www.software4students.co.uk/ .
I bought the Office Enterprise for £35 saving nearly £450 but you need to be quick that offer ends on 31st October. If it seems to good to be true don't worry it is genuine Microsoft actually link to that site http://www.microsoft.com/uk/educatio...s/default.aspx .

I agree with the 64-Bit sentiment.

The majority of hardware vendors have 64-Bit drivers now. And unless the programs you have are very legacy, there is no reason not to.

Not to mention that Guild Wars runs great on 64-Bit Windows 7.