32 bit or 64 bit version on a partitioned hard drive

[Kazza]

32 bit or 64 bit version on a partitioned hard drive
I have purchased a brand new computer Windows 7 Toshiba Satellite P750.

I am a trainer and still have to train in Microsoft Office applications 2003, 2007 and now 2010. I want to partition my new computer so that I can run all three versions on it.

The quick installation guide says that during the installation I have to "select one version of operating system if prompted 32 bit or 64 bit". I am leaning towards selecting 32 bit version but am not sure if this is the correct choice.
Can anyone please advise what would be the correct choice?

Also can anyone point me to an easy instruction on how to partition the drive to enable me to run these three versions of office software.

Thanks heaps

 

[theog]

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's app the first day you had your new PC.& made the Startup Repair CD.​

IMO, I would go with 64 bit.

For MS Office may/may not have problems with all three installed in one OS.
You may like to post in
Microsoft Office - Windows 7 Forums

Do make your Recovery Disks.
How to use Toshiba Recovery.
How to use the Toshiba HDD Recovery Utility

You can order Toshiba Recovery disks from here:
https://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/support/jsp/serviceUnitVerification.jsp

 

[Kazza]

Thank you

As you suggested I also posted the question at Microsoft Office - Windows 7 Forums. It was there for 30 minutes or so then suddenly disappeared!!

I have resubmitted it. Hopefully someone will answer it.

Thank you for your assistance and yes I always make recovery disks

Kazza

 

[dsperber]

32 bit or 64 bit version on a partitioned hard drive
I have purchased a brand new computer Windows 7 Toshiba Satellite P750.

I am a trainer and still have to train in Microsoft Office applications 2003, 2007 and now 2010. I want to partition my new computer so that I can run all three versions on it.

Do you mean you want to have three different versions of Win7 installed into three partitions of your hard drive, each one selectable separately at boot time via menu, and you want to install Office 2003 in one, 2007 in the second, and 2010 in the third?

This will require of course not only partitioning the hard drive to create two additional partitions (over and above the current existing one which is pre-installed by Toshiba and came with your new laptop and which you will probably shrink to make room for the two additional partitions), but then you'll have to do a full install of Win7 into each of these two new partitions. And then you can install two of the Office versions into each of these two new partitions (as well as having installed one Office version into your existing Win7 partition).

Is this what you are prepared for?

I honestly don't know if you can install three different versions of Office into just one Windows. Obviously that would be the easiest way to go. But if it can't be done then converting your one-Windows machine into a three-Windows machine is possible, but does involve two Win7 installs once you do the partitioning... in order to then be able to actually install Office into each of the two new Win7 partitions.

Are you prepared for that?

 

[theog]

As you suggested I also posted the question at Microsoft Office - Windows 7 Forums. It was there for 30 minutes or so then suddenly disappeared!!

I have resubmitted it. Hopefully someone will answer it.

Thank you for your assistance and yes I always make recovery disks

Kazza

You may like to rename the post to

Install MS Office 2003, 2007 & 2010 on one OS.

 

[Zomby88]

You don`t need 3 partitions, just install all 3 versions starting with 2003. Who told you to make 3 partitions for this ??????

 

[whs]

I know 2003 and 2007 work together. 2007 and 2010 also work together. Whether all 3 will work I am not sure. But unless you need all 3 versions simultaneously, there would be other ways to provide the capability.

32bit or 64bit is a matter of the size of your RAM. If you have 4GB or more, you should use 64bit if you want to make use of all the RAM.

And as Zomby said, no need to make extra partitions.

 

[Zomby88]

32bit or 64bit is a matter of the size of your RAM. If you have 4GB or more, you should use 64bit if you want to make use of all the RAM.


What ? He`s talking about a 32 or 64 Bit version of Office, not ram. Office 2010 is the only version I`ve seen yet to offer a 32 or 64 Bit version. But don`t quote me on that.

 

[Kazza]

What would you do?

I have purchased a brand new computer Windows 7 Toshiba Satellite P750 (which does have 4GB ram and a 750GB hard drive) .

I am a trainer and still have to train in Microsoft Office applications 2003, 2007 and now 2010.

The quick installation guide says that during the installation I have to "select one version of operating system if prompted 32 bit or 64 bit". Can anyone please advise what would be the correct choice?

In another thread, a number of people have advised to take up the 64 bit option (instead of choosing the 32 bit option).

I have been thinking about partitioning the harddrive came about because I was thinking of loading the following on the new Windows 7 Toshiba Satellite P750 laptop :
- The windows 7 installed option (32 or 64 bit) using office 2010
- Windows Vista installed on the second partition using office 2007
- Windows XP installed on the third partition using office 2003

I am not sure even if the above is able to be done.

I am currently training a large organisation (over 750 employees) which is still using 2002 office software (believe it or not) and not intending to upgrade for another year or so!!! I only have 2003 software which I can train them on but this is not a problem. Note they do have 6 managers using Office 2007.

I also have other clients who are using Vista with Office 2007 and Windows 7 with Office 2010 and I have the software for this training.

From the conversations I have read it seams like I might be able to load 2003, 2007 and 2010 all on the one operating system.
The important thing is that I can train the clients in the software they are currently using. Ie they are using Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook. So I need to be able to train in all three versions of each of these applications. This is particularly so with Word and Outlook as I need to have all three versions available to be taught.

From other conversations I am thinking that whilst the operating system is different from what the XP and Vista users are using that the office application software that I have, is not. I may be able to train the Office application software of all three versions using Windows 7 operating system??? Whether this will be confusing for the users I am not sure.

Do any of you have any advise with regards to this issue?

Kazza

 

[Golden]

Mmm. This is an interesting one.

I'm not sure if you can install 2003,2007 and 2010 under a single partition - surely there would some sort of conflict? I've never tried that.

It sounds like you might indeed need a triple boot system, with XP, Vista and 7, and then install each Office version under that as you suggested. An alternative might be some sort of virtualisation, but I have never used that so can't be sure.

If you keep checking back here, the more experienced members will definately be able to assist you. I'll see if I can direct some of the real talents here to this thread on your behalf.

Regards,
Golden

 

[Zomby88]

Well there`s only 1 way to find out. Let us know how it turns out.

As a test I just added word 2003 to a machine running W7 Ult 64 Bit.
All 3 versions work & play nice.

 

[Kazza]

Thanks Golden,
(by the way we live in the same city)

Anyway, from other conversations I have been reading, there is definitely a conflict with using Office Outlook. You can't have three versions of it on the same computer???/Partition??? Whether you can have it on a seperate partition is what I am yet to establish.

It will be great if you can get a conversation up about this.

I am good with Office Applications and have a limited knowledge of how to manipulate the operating system (gained over the years) but am definitely no expert on this. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Golden]

Hi,

This is definately the place you want to be for getting advice on manipulating the OS side of things - I have requested some more experienced people to have a look at this.

Regards,
Golden

 

[Golden]

Kaaza I see you already have a similar thread from yesterday - I suggest keeping everything in one thread for now.

 

[Kazza]

Hi Zomby88
are your saying you installed all three versions of office 2003, 2007 and 2010 on the one drive (no partitions) on a windows 7 Ult 64 Bit machine and all are working???

Does this include all three versions of Outlook. That is all three version of Outlook are working?

I only have the following operating System "Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium".
If it all works on Windows 7 Ult 64 I wonder if it will work on the "Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium".

 

[Zomby88]

Yes, but I do not use outlook, never have.

 

[Kazza]

ok
I have been told by 'Just Answers' the following and they assure me it will work:

The solution is to download virtual box which works on windows 7 64 bit and follow these steps:
1. setup-up windows 7 64 bit
2.create the recovery disc
3. Load on my office 2010
4. Locate the Virtual Box program (from Oracle) and load it onto my new computer
5. Using Virtual Box create the two partitions (at least 100 GB each)
6. Install XP on one partition and install Vista on the other
7. Install Office 2003 on the windows XP and then install Office 2007 on the Vista
8. To run either virtual operating system, open Virtual Box and select the operating system you want to run.
9. Select the program you want to run (eg Word, Excel, Outlook Access etc).
To download virtual box:
- To download manual for it http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/UserManual.html
- Official website for virtualbox http://www.virtualbox.org/
Does anyone have any comments about the above before I take this route?

 

[Kazza]

ok
I have been told by 'Just Answers' the following and they assure me it will work (they say it is safer than partitioning my harddrive):


The solution is to download virtual box which works on windows 7 64 bit and follow these steps:
1. setup-up windows 7 64 bit
2.create the recovery disc
3. Load on my office 2010
4. Locate the Virtual Box program (from Oracle) and load it onto my new computer
5. Using Virtual Box create the two partitions (at least 100 GB each)
6. Install XP on one partition and install Vista on the other
7. Install Office 2003 on the windows XP and then install Office 2007 on the Vista
8. To run either virtual operating system, open Virtual Box and select the operating system you want to run.
9. Select the program you want to run (eg Word, Excel, Outlook Access etc).
To download virtual box:
- To download manual for it http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/UserManual.html
- Official website for virtualbox http://www.virtualbox.org/

Does anyone have any comments about the above before I take this route?

 

[whs]

Although I am a fan of Virtual Box (I run Ubuntu in it), I am not sure whether you really want to go into that. For one you need a seperate license key for each OS you install in vBox and then there are some things you cannot do in vBox. But if you really want to use it, post back and I we will give you some tips - e.g. you do not need 100GB partitions.

I would think you should triple boot your system XP, Vista, Win7 and teach each group in the opersting system they are used to. I know from my own teaching experience that people get alienated if things on the screen look different. I had this problem with my students (older folks in my computer club) when I was using IE8 whilst they were still on IE7. Installing all 3 office versions under Windows7 will not give you that "native" environment.

 

[Zomby88]

But he`s teaching them about office, not the operating systems, correct ?

If you open word 2007 it`s gonna look the same on all 3 systems, so why go through the hastle.