64 over 32 bit

[Joose]

I've just realised that im still running 32bit windows, when I could be running 64 bit. Obviously, next time I reinstall windows, I'll be rectifying that. What I was wondering is this: Is the difference between them enough that it justifies the pain in the ass that is a full clean install just for that? Or shall I wait until im doing it anyway?

[buzzmong]

The question is how much total memory do you have?

If you have over 3 gig RAM AND 1gig on the video card (over 4gb in the machine in total), then yes it is worth doing it right away. Otherwise, wait till next clean install.

[Thompy]

I remember when the first 64-bit OS was coming out and how all the info was about it being such a phenomenal step forward. But now... other than accessing more memory, is there much in the consumer market that fully utilises it, if it all?

[friznit]

As I understand it, if you run a game that uses 2Gb of RAM, and Windoze uses 1Gb of RAM, and all the other shit TSR bollox you have uses 1Gb of RAM, it'll all run better on a 64Bit OS cos Your Mum™. Then again Windoze still dearly loves to disk swap cos :windoze:

[FatherJack]

Memory usage is a big deal, if you've paid for 4GB+ you'll want to be using it. PCs should technically be able to access all their memory, a 32bit system should be able to access 4GB at once but 32bit Windows imposes a 3GB limit, and anything your graphics card uses can get taken off that total. When Windows runs out, it starts using the swapfile, which is slow - and there are plenty of files larger than 3-4GB you might want to work with, especially if you do backups, download/watch films or play games.

Additionally, while originally few there are an increasing number of 64bit applications. Number crunching is one area that particularly benefits from a 64bit architecture - sometimes quoted as 10x faster, and while you might not be doing scientific calculations for Science some example areas that do this a lot are video compression and 3D graphics (such as those used in games).

The arse-pain is that you'll need 64bit digitally-signed drivers for every bit of hardware you own. Worth downloading them first to make sure you can get them, but unless you have some parallel-port scanner or tape backup device attached it's likely to not be a problem at all.

Also, a lot of things aren't 64bit yet - sadly very few games are, the benefits are apparently outweighed by the cost of compiling and supporting two versions. Similarly Adobe were all set to make Photoshop CS4 64-bit only until they realised most of people's plugins wouldn't work and as result they still have a 32bit version of CS5 which installs alongside the 64bit one on 64bit machines - the same is of course true of 64bit IE.

Most stuff should run fine with little or no performance hit as a 32bit application, excepting a few weird programs which tie into drivers like screen magnifiers or older CD burning/emulation software. 16bit stuff won't run at all - but we're talking Windows 3.1 era here, so games-wise most stuff of the time ran in DOS (DOSBox still works of course) - I can only think of a couple of 16bit windows-native games and they were both A: crap and B: haven't run properly since Windows 95 anyway. A few 95-era games have 16-bit installers but run fine once you've installed them using another OS (ie XP mode).

[deject]

I've just realised that im still running 32bit windows, when I could be running 64 bit. Obviously, next time I reinstall windows, I'll be rectifying that. What I was wondering is this: Is the difference between them enough that it justifies the pain in the ass that is a full clean install just for that? Or shall I wait until im doing it anyway?

It's not that big of a pain in the ass if you prepare for it properly. Just do it.

[Joose]

It's not that big of a pain in the ass if you prepare for it properly. Just do it.

It's not, in the grand scheme of things. It's infinitely more of a pain than *not* doing it though.

But yeah, install go teim. Once ive found a blank DVD to dump the iso onto. Bumcracks, why do I have several hundred million blank CDs, but no DVDs?

[FatherJack]

For prep:

Save all x64 drivers you'll need in advance (not on c:)
Delete the contents of C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
Run CCleaner to clean up, plus on the Tools, Uninstall tab click the Save to text file... option to save a handy list of everything you have installed
Backup c: drive to an external drive
Run Windows Easy Transfer saving to the external drive
Export Firefox stuff with MozBackup
Save any other stuff that can't just be copied, ie: other browsers, Filezilla sites, Outlook rules, Passwords such as RDP connections (use NetPass), SQL DBs, Game Saves (use GameSaveManager)
Disconnect all drives except c:
Take off
Install, nuking the c: drive from orbit
It's the only way to be sure

...time passes

Patch, then patch some more
Reconnect other drives, sort out the drive letters in compmgmt.msc
Install drivers
Patch even more
Reinstall all progs to same place (except the path will now be %Program Files x86% for 32bit apps)
Patch again
Run Windows Easy Transfer
Import Firefox stuff plus the other things that didn't copy
If you use Outlook, restore the old .PST to a new location (ie: c:\oldmail\outlook.pst), create a new profile, open the old .PST in Outlook and drag the folders into your new profile.
Pull any select files you missed from the backup as you need them, Fonts, etc.*

* Don't be tempted to blanket-copy your old profile directory over the top of your shiny new one - there's a ton of shit in there you don't need, plus some files like ntuser.dat (your old registry) that will kill your new install stone dead. If your want your icons, restore C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop and C:\Users\Public\Desktop, etc - just grab what you need. Windows Easy Transfer probably does most of it already.

[buzzmong]

Just be double sure you've got your network drivers handy, either on another drive or USB stick. I've made that mistake before when planning on downloading everything after I installed

[Joose]

Welp, apart from stupidly trying to install the wrong version of win 7 to start with, and then forgetting to plug one of the drives back in, thats gone pretty smoothly.

EDIT: Apart from accidentally deleting all my comics, obviously. Thank fuck for backups.

[spoodie]

It's twice as good, obviously.

[HereComesPete]

It's twice as good, obviously.

I heard 32 times as gooder!

[deject]

Thank fuck for backups.

In general. If you don't have backups, you deserve to lose your shit.