32bit vs 64bit OS

surfs-up said:
Last week I bought Win 7 to put on my new Apple core i7 laptop, to run as a secondary OS under parallels - so I can still use some of my old Windows apps. I opened the box and was greeted by both 64 bit and 32 bit disks. Well it was a no-brainer for me, I had plenty of RAM and processor power, so I installed the 64 bit. I then proceeded to download around 500 MB of stuff I needed, antivirus etc. Then when I loaded my windows apps that I really need to run, I found out that they will only run under 32 bit Win 7, and that there will be no support for 64 bit.

So, I need the easiest way of downgrading my OS to the 32 bit version. Sure, I can delete the 64 bit version and do a clean instal of the 32 bit, but it means copying all the stuff I have now put onto the 64 bit, deleting, reinstalling......Can I not just put the 32 bit disk in, and it will automatically downgrade me, and keep all my apps and programs ? Thanks I.A
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Why would your apps not run on 64 bit windows? 64 bit OS's are built with backwards compatibility in mind, your 32 bit programs shouldnt be able to tell the difference.

What are they if I might ask?
 
Ancalagon said:
Why would your apps not run on 64 bit windows? 64 bit OS's are built with backwards compatibility in mind, your 32 bit programs shouldnt be able to tell the difference.

What are they if I might ask?
Click to expand...

+1
Purpose of the WOW64:
the x86 emulator that allows 32-bit Windows-based applications to run seamlessly on 64-bit Windows.
Click to expand...

Soucre: MSFT

So what applications are you referring to exactly surfs-up?
 
Synaesthesia said:
You can't downgrade, sorry, you have to do the re-install thing. I'm surprised, what apps weren't compatible? I have actually not had any issues with W7 64-bit.
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I have some older programs from a few years back that won't run - The one is a software program that controls a scanner receiver radio of mine.....it just won't allow the computer to connect to the radio. When I go onto the site of the company that makes the radio hardware (Icom), it says there that the radio was discontinued earlier this year, and that there will be no support (drivers) that will allow it to work with 64 bit Windows 7 - only windows 7 32 bit will work.
 
Well, hard luck there. It's a driver issue then. Guess you have to go 32-bit.
 
Synaesthesia said:
Well, hard luck there. It's a driver issue then. Guess you have to go 32-bit.
Click to expand...

Yes, guess I will have to do a clean instal of the 32 bit version, bummer. I was thinking of loading the 32 bit version as a 3rd OS on my MBP, so I can select either Mac OSX, WIN 7 64 or WIN 7 32........but that is just using up HD space and using up resources, and making the whole thing a bit unwieldy.

Here is the explanation from the company whose hardware I am trying to connect to my computer......


PCR Compatibility Issues with Windows 7 (64 bit Version

16 December 2009

The 64 bit version of the new Microsoft operating system, Windows 7, is currently incompatible with our past range of PCR products (IC-PCR100, IC-PCR1000) and existing range of PCR products (IC-PCR1500, IC-PCR2500, IC-R1500 or IC-R2500). This is because there are no 64 bit drivers available on this machine in which to run this new platform. There are no compatibility issues with the 32 bit version of Windows 7 or previous Microsoft operating systems including Vista.

Currently there are no third party solutions available for this issue. However if any do come to our attention, we will add them to our website.
 
The problem is the VM is still constrained by the driver issues of the host OS.
 
Hang on - will XP Mode let you use drivers that only work in XP, in 7? Because I thought that was physically impossible. The VM sits on top of the host OS, which manages the drivers, right? Or can the VM manage it's own drivers?

I have a pro-level soundcard that only works in XP, gonna try XP mode now under Windows 7.
 
Found on tom's forums:Does XP Mode help with hardware compatibility?

Q:
"Does XP mode, available in Windows 7 and Ultimate, help with older hardware compatibility? In other words, if I have a scanner that has no 64-bit drivers available, can I use XP mode to install XP drivers and use this older hardware?"

A:
"no it is software emulation only"

"XP Mode provides the ability for a virtualized XP SP3 environment within Win 7. It is not there to address hardware issues."
 
surfs-up said:
Yes, guess I will have to do a clean instal of the 32 bit version, bummer. I was thinking of loading the 32 bit version as a 3rd OS on my MBP, so I can select either Mac OSX, WIN 7 64 or WIN 7 32........but that is just using up HD space and using up resources, and making the whole thing a bit unwieldy.

Here is the explanation from the company whose hardware I am trying to connect to my computer......


PCR Compatibility Issues with Windows 7 (64 bit Version

16 December 2009

The 64 bit version of the new Microsoft operating system, Windows 7, is currently incompatible with our past range of PCR products (IC-PCR100, IC-PCR1000) and existing range of PCR products (IC-PCR1500, IC-PCR2500, IC-R1500 or IC-R2500). This is because there are no 64 bit drivers available on this machine in which to run this new platform. There are no compatibility issues with the 32 bit version of Windows 7 or previous Microsoft operating systems including Vista.

Currently there are no third party solutions available for this issue. However if any do come to our attention, we will add them to our website.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing the reason for that is that 64 bit Vista and 7 only allow signed kernel space drivers to run. If the writers of those drivers need close to the metal access, they would need to get their drivers signed. 32 bit Vista and 7 dont have this protection.

That being said, why would they need such low level access? Most Creative drivers I've ever installed on Vista were unsigned. Anyway...

The actual reason for this "protection" is to prevent you from pirating DVDs by just intercepting the bitstream. Yes, very lame. If only it protected me from SecuROM instead.

Anything else except a driver will work fine though.
 
Yeah it's a no-go. Windows XP mode lets you install legacy USB printers and stuff, but doesn't give access to the PCI slots, which is what I need.
 
Synaesthesia said:
Yeah it's a no-go. Windows XP mode lets you install legacy USB printers and stuff, but doesn't give access to the PCI slots, which is what I need.
Click to expand...

Left that part out, only USB devices are supported. I'm sure if we look into the VMWare side of things they might have a solution but one you would have to pay for unfortunately.
 
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