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Skip Navigation LinksPC Authority > Features > Big Questions: The 64-bit Windows FAQ
Big Questions: The 64-bit Windows FAQ
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FEATURE

Big Questions: The 64-bit Windows FAQ

by Nathan Taylor  on Sep 26, 2008
Tags: 64-bit | 64bit | vista | XP | x86-64 | x64 | AMD64 | WOW64
"Gregmond wrote: I wish this arcticle had confirmed if the 64bit was quicker/slower than the 32bit versions - even in basic things like Office, web browsing etc. if the application you are ..."
 
Can 64-bit Windows run all of my existing programs?
Probably. Every 64-bit version of Windows has what is called the Windows on Windows 64-bit emulation layer, a.k.a. WOW64. This creates an environment in which 32-bit Windows programs can run without modification on 64-bit Windows systems.

The upshot is that nearly all existing 32-bit programs will run perfectly on 64-bit Windows, though they won’t be able to take advantage of some of the performance benefits of 64-bit Windows. They will still run as fast as they ever did.

There are some exceptions. Old 16-bit programs won’t run on Windows 64-bit (though you could use an emulator like VMware). Software that interfaces directly with the kernel also won’t run unless it’s 64-bit – so drivers, for example, need to be 64-bit. Some other programs, for reasons that are usually deeply buried in their code, may also not work.

Security software, in particular, can be a mixed bag. The most recent versions of the major suites (including Norton/Symantec products, as well as Zone Alarm, Trend Micro and McAfee), are nearly all compatible with 64-bit Windows, however.

If you’re worried about your favourite software and whether it will run on 64-bit Windows, check the vendors site, or visit Microsoft’s excellent compatibility database (remember to check on the 64-bit system type in the bottom left).

What versions of Windows are 64-bit?
All versions of Windows Vista, from Home to Ultimate, come in either 64 or 32-bit flavours (with the exception of Starter, which is not normally available in Australia, anyway). Typically, the 32-bit and 64-bit versions are sold separately, and the 64-bit versions can be a little hard to track down.

With Windows XP, it’s a little trickier. Windows XP 64-bit edition is actually for IA-64 Itanium processors and won’t work on regular AMD or Intel Core processors. For that you need Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.

Even back when Windows XP was still being sold at retail, x64 Edition was hard to find – and 64-bit drivers for it a nigh-impossible to get, since most hardware vendors did not care enough to create them.

Do I need to use 64-bit Windows on a 64-bit processor?
No. x86-64 processors (including all new PC processors) are backwards compatible with 32-bit programs – including 32-bit Windows. You can run 32-bit versions of Windows on these processors just fine. In effect, they just turn into regular 32-bit processors – which means you miss out on some of the advantages of the 64-bit capabilities but also don’t suffer some of the pitfalls of 64-bit Windows.

What advantages does 64-bit Windows have?
The big advantage of 64-bit Windows is the memory capacity of your PC is increased. You need 64-bit Windows to “activate” the 64-bit extensions found in x86-64, and one of those extensions is the increased memory address space.

32-bit Windows is limited to just 4GB – any memory in your system above 4GB is wasted. Meanwhile, the 64-bit version of Vista Home Basic supports 8GB, Home Premium supports 16GB, and all other versions support 128GB and up.

64-bit Windows also has a few performance and security advantages. It and other 64-bit programs can use the extra registers in x86-64, and it can also better protect memory and the system kernel from malicious attacks.

What disadvantages does it have?
Installing 64-bit Windows is not without its problems, and most of those relate to “legacy” software. Some of these include:

- It can’t run 16-bit programs and software (such as old DOS and Windows 3.1 programs)
- Some 32-bit programs won’t work, often because of bits of legacy 16-bit code in the installer or the program itself.
- Kernel-mode software has to be 64-bit. Most notably, hardware drivers have to be 64-bit (and they also have to be digitally signed), so you have to be sure that there are 64-bit drivers available for all the hardware you want to use with the system. Similarly, some security software which accesses the kernel directly will also need to be 64-bit.


This article appeared in the October, 2008 issue of PC Authority.
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Comments: 10
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
.:Cyb3rGlitch:.
Sep 26, 2008 5:21 PM
Nice article. I'd recommend Vista 64-bit to anyone with a new PC, it's the best choice. As with any OS, ensure all your hardware and software is compatible first. This is rarely a problem with new PCs.


Comment made about the PC Authority article:
Big Questions: The 64-bit Windows FAQ?
You've been raising some big questions in the forums about 64-bit. Here's our FAQ to 64-bit Vista vs XP, and whether it's worth the hassle if you're not a workstation user, but a gamer or power user.

What do you think? Join the discussion.
djaef
Sep 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Something to add to the FAQ maybe? Would 64 bit be a better choice if buying a new pc now thinking about the next gen Windows OS? Future proofing has obviously turned out to be a dud concept with computers due to the speed of development, but it does make sense to consider the next version of Windows, especially considering the lukewarm response to Vista.
microUgly
Sep 28, 2008 2:14 PM
For now, I would recommend staying away from NVidia hardware if you want to go 64bit.

Unfortunately I have both an Nforce motherboard and Geforce graphics cards. The latest Nforce drivers have only just allowed me to play audio CD's through a SATA DVD drive. And I've been living with the inability to play a few popular games due to Geforce driver issues--and new drivers are few and far between.

I don't doubt the issues will be fixed eventually, but for now NVidia isn't worth the headache.
.:Cyb3rGlitch:.
Sep 28, 2008 2:55 PM
I know many people who use Nvidia GPUs, chipsets, and Vista 64bit with no issues. Perhaps your combo is a dud.
bbjai
Sep 28, 2008 6:50 PM
Yeh I think I can't stress enough the need for anyone upgrading to Vista 64 to check your EXISTING peripherals for driver compatibility. Because if you don't you might find alot of things that you currently own don't work with it. Simple small things like a PCI Wireless net card for example. Its still a great system but you gotta factor in replacing these peripherals into the cost too.
OZSlayer
Nov 13, 2008 6:18 PM
Cyber did you read the latest edition of PCA? Its proved all my claims when it comes to XP being faster than Vista. lol So how can it be the best OS for new PC when it will run slower than using XP on the same PC.

That like saying a motor bike engine work as well in a car as it does in the bike it came out of.

Seriously mate smell the roses.

Vista in the end is like the DODO, it just going to be extinct soon.

.:Cyb3rGlitch:.
Nov 13, 2008 8:23 PM
OZSlayer wrote:
Cyber did you read the latest edition of PCA? Its proved all my claims when it comes to XP being faster than Vista. lol So how can it be the best OS for new PC when it will run slower than using XP on the same PC.

That like saying a motor bike engine work as well in a car as it does in the bike it came out of.

Seriously mate smell the roses.

Vista in the end is like the DODO, it just going to be extinct soon.


No I didn't read it, I haven't bought it in a while. Slow or not, it's more stable and more secure. If you stick with XP, you're selling yourself short, because Windows 7 is exactly the same under the bonnet. Might as well get used to it now, instead of paying extra for XP. With your reasoning, you could also argue that Windows 3.1 is better than XP, because it's faster.

Get with the times, all I.T. professionals recommend Vista out of all the MS range. Otherwise they go with Linux. XP is the Dodo, like it or not.

Edited by .:Cyb3rGlitch:.: 13/11/2008 08:27:20 PM
Gregmond
Dec 16, 2008 2:41 PM
Now that's an interesting comment Cyb3rGlitch: "all I.T. professionals recommend Vista out of all the MS range."
You base this on what ? If you are quoting a company please let me know where they got their data from.
I would like to think I am an I.T Professional, and I know the guys I work with are. Some of us use Vista personally (I use 64 Home Premium atm) but there is no way we would even consider migrating our 600+ users to Vista at this time and only one of my coleagues (there are 5 of us) would recommend it to anyone.
Why not ?
More stable ? maybe.
More secure ? maybe - we have some fairly solid infrastructure that does most of our protection.
Slower on same hardware ? yes.
Hard to understand if you are familiar with XP ? for many users = YES.
Offers benefits to corporate users over XP ? Only to deploy, not from users perspective.

You may love Vista, I do not. Except that I have a licensed copy of Vista x64 for my home PC and don't have a licensed copy of XP 64bit to try, I would reformat tomorrow.
I have also tried several variations of Linux and much prefer them, alas I am a gamer and sometimes games don't work the best under Linux.
Hopefully Windows 7 will be an improvement (I believe it will be based on Vista, but we can but hope).

I wish this arcticle had confirmed if the 64bit was quicker/slower than the 32bit versions - even in basic things like Office, web browsing etc.
.:Cyb3rGlitch:.
Dec 16, 2008 6:04 PM
That's fair enough, if you have lower end systems, then XP is better.
SirSquidness
Dec 17, 2008 6:14 PM
Gregmond wrote:
I wish this arcticle had confirmed if the 64bit was quicker/slower than the 32bit versions - even in basic things like Office, web browsing etc.


if the application you are running is natively 64 bit, then yes, it will run reasonably faster. Most applications aren't though. A lot of programs freely available on the internet or that put drivers in your system have an option for 64 bit systems hidden away.

However, it does allow you to address a truck load more RAM, and doesn't limit applications to 2GB of RAM each (and 4GB of address space in total), so if you're running memory intensive applications, there is a chance that singel difference will make a big difference.
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