IS it worth Upgrading 64bit Win7 OS ?

saayinla · 24 Jul 2010 at 08:56

I ve always been a fan of 32bit OS mainly from back when 64bit compartible software was always an issue to lay hands on. Apart from Available memory issue, are most software now 64bits compartible unless otherwise stated?

ste-sim2x9 · 24 Jul 2010 at 09:01

Yep most software is mostly compatible with win 7 x64. I never had a problem with x64 win 7 from the day i brought it.

Stromatolites · 24 Jul 2010 at 09:01

Well driver issues are now a thing of the past really with 64bits. 32bit software still works on 64bit if they have no 64bit version. Really if you have a 64bit capable processor you should use 64bit OS.

saayinla · 24 Jul 2010 at 09:14

Thanks for that I think I ll just take the leap..I ll possibly upgrade my ram as well from 4gb to maybe 6 or 8.

saayinla · 24 Jul 2010 at 09:37

Just tried to do an Upgrade now as I cannot justify doing a fresh install, I got the following message.

Upgrading Windows will affect the following devices and/or programs:

These devices might not work properly after the upgrade. Before upgrading, we recommend updating the drivers for these devices. Cancel the upgrade, open Control Panel and search for "update device drivers", or go to the device manufacturer's website to search for updated drivers.

o Storage controllers: AXTPTZYM IDE Controller

The Only IDE Device I have is the DVD drive. Couldnt find anything on google..

theheyes · 24 Jul 2010 at 09:47

You can't upgrade from a 32 bit to a 64 bit OS anyway. I'd take the compatibility warning with a pinch of salt. I also suggest removing the overclock before installing.

saayinla · 24 Jul 2010 at 09:49

theheyes said:
You can't upgrade from a 32 bit to a 64 bit OS anyway. I'd take the compatibility warning with a pinch of salt. I also suggest removing the overclock before installing.

Ah okay, I ll undo the ocing...what could possibly happen if i dont, just being curious..?

Destination · 24 Jul 2010 at 11:03

You can't upgrade.

It has to rewrite everything.

OC would generally have no effect, but no harm switching it off then back on again after.

OspreyO · 24 Jul 2010 at 15:49

Stromatolites said:
Well driver issues are now a thing of the past really with 64bits. 32bit software still works on 64bit if they have no 64bit version. Really if you have a 64bit capable processor you should use 64bit OS.

Dunno about that, I've a WiFi card in mine which works find in XP and W7 32bit, but I can't get a driver to work properly in 64bit.

Destination · 24 Jul 2010 at 17:57

OspreyO said:
Dunno about that, I've a WiFi card in mine which works find in XP and W7 32bit, but I can't get a driver to work properly in 64bit.

Is it a recent card from a large company? Or an old legacy piece of hardware?

theheyes · 24 Jul 2010 at 19:12

saayinla said:
Ah okay, I ll undo the ocing...what could possibly happen if i dont, just being curious..?

With a new OS/drivers there is a small chance you can introduce intolerances that weren't there before. I think most of the time you'd get away with it but ideally you'd go back to stock, upgrade the software and then restart the process of overclocking and testing stability.

OspreyO · 25 Jul 2010 at 00:16

Hikari Kisugi said:
Is it a recent card from a large company? Or an old legacy piece of hardware?

Micronet SP906gk v5 pci wlan card.
http://www.micronet.com.tw/model_detail.aspx?series_no=6&sno=350

Meant to be the same chipset as the Realtek 8185 but those drivers don't work. Thats what Windows 7 defaults to though. But the drvier Windows 7 keeps defaulting to is from 1996. I've tried umpteen other drivers and had enough. I'm going to replace it with something else.

Bint Box · 25 Jul 2010 at 11:01

saayinla said:
I ve always been a fan of 32bit OS mainly from back when 64bit compartible software was always an issue to lay hands on. Apart from Available memory issue, are most software now 64bits compartible unless otherwise stated?

A lot of 32 bit software is compatable and will run in 32 bit mode under a 64 bit OS. However, there is still a shortage of true 64 bit applications.

The one that readily comes to mind for internet use is Flash, this is available only in 32 bit code. If you are using the 64 bit version of Internet Explorer you cannot use Flash on those web sites that deploy it.

Rgds
Binty

Bint Box · 25 Jul 2010 at 11:05

As an aditional point, if games creators move to distributing 64 bit games that need access to larger amounts of RAM than 3.5gb then the 64 bit OS will meet this need. So, there is a bit of "future proofing" to be gained from upgrading to a 64 bit OS.

Rgds
Binty