Windows 7 x64

[mttomb]

Isn't it also to ask does the x64 version of Windows 7 use the x86 drivers. That should be another question you should ask. Not just the 500MBs of ram that is not accounted for when using Win 7 x86, but will you have to find x64 drivers for all of your older hardware. Now for me, I can't go to x64 OS system because I don't have the money to go out and get new printers and other devices that manufactors only put out x86 drivers.

Thanks you for your time.

mttomb

MCP, MCDST

 

[Night Hawk]

Well mttomb I actually ended switching ISPs in order to connect online with any 64bit Windows once finding the old severly outdated and no longer supported dsl setup was "lost out in limbo" somewhere!

Some 32bit device drivers did actually work here when first trying them on the 64bit 7 beta by a rarity I would say. That however was very short lived since they would no longer work on the RCs once those were available even the 32bit there having been written for the 32bit XP only!

More recent hardwares as well as the new devices coming out have seen Vista 64bit updates making it possible to use on the 64bit 7. I ended replacing an old ink jet printer for a slightly newer lazerjet model that fortunately did see Vista64 updates! You have to see what updates are available for the things you plan to run as you go along since some companies are slowwwww.... at getting new ones written.

Here I waited just about 2yrs. to see Vista updates finally released on the tv tuner card in use since the company hasn't seen any newer models since! They simply keep manufacturing the one model being their most popular apparently.

 

[mttomb]

What ISP did you go with?

 

[Night Hawk]

That doesn't even matter since the new ISP provided an outdated modem that also lacked 64bit Vista support!

I then had to look over the new ISP's own list of approved modems and soon ordered the first one that did see 64bit support when going direct to the manufacturer!

Forget their 24/7 phone or online tech support for answers when an inquiry about running the 64bit Windows was made on more then one occasion. When they were asked about this the response would that the modem had 128bit security blah blah blah...!

Trial + error all the way there! The same goes for anything when you are planning to switch the OS platform. As you can see from all that this wasn't something limited to just one ISP either. But this is also one reason why I never rushed into the 64bit XP or Vista until the general support for the 64bit Windows finally emerged with 7!

 

[mttomb]

I know about not rushing into an new OS system. You are talking to the guy that used Win98 until there was nothing he could buy for it. When I finally upgraded it was WinXP with SP 1. Now that is not rushing

 

[Night Hawk]

Another 98SE to XP SP1 fan I see! I think we both missed out(or weren't caught up in) the ME flop and simply were too busy with the happy 9X days there! :roflmao:

I still kept 98 around for some time still until there was no longer any driver support found with any new board or other hardwares. Unfortunately I ended waiting and waiting for something better to come along and replace XP after a certain amount of time passed.

Andf here it is everyone! Windows 7 is on the threshold in less then 5 weeks!

 

[mttomb]

Well that is one of the reasons I wanted to know the info I did. With technet members can get Windows 7 now. You just can't use it for production. As soon as I find a hard drive to put it on. I am going to install it. Can Win 7 do a dual boot with XP?

 

[harpua]

Yes.

Win 7 is very nice. I have given up on using anything else. I mean I now HATE using anything else. I use the 64 bit version and haven't found it to be a problem although I have had to do a few work arounds so I could use some programs that had "unsigned" drivers. But that was not a big deal to do.

 

[mttomb]

Plus, there are at least one game that I still play that I got back in the day when Win98 was popular. Ever hear of a game called Starz? It was a shareware program that had a small fee to get the full version.

 

[Night Hawk]

That one is all too easy to answer there! When 7 was first released in beta I had an XP/Vista dual boot already on across two drives. Solution I shrank each drive's primary down to allow for the two betas with the 32bit ending up on the XP at the time.

The 64bit beta then went onto the second partition but "could not" connect online with the old ISP! This is one thing you will want to look at first there to see what you will need to run the 64bit 7. But that left the beta unactivated and simply sitting on the drive idle.

Finally the news and general availability of the RCs was approaching faster then expected for most. In preparation for that the decision was narrowed down to only one possible conclusion that one ISP had to go! Then the new ISP asked if you had your own or would need one provided when first signing up.... ut oh? time to find out if that will be needed.

As a few already know this one well enough the ISP provided modem simply proved itself to be nothing more then a piece of work alright! While going over all their support pages for anything there a list of approved modems came up! Solution found!

 

[ken9122]

mttomb,


I've used Vista 64 and now Win 7 64 and have had no driver problems, Win 7 runs most 32bit problems just fine. I have several older printers and again no problems.
give it a try, you'll like it.

Ken

 

[mttomb]

I plan on it. Just doing research on it before using it. I have technet so I will beable to download it and try out the full version of it.

 

[ken9122]

Good luck and keep us posted.

Ken

 

[Night Hawk]

Most of the driver issues you would run into with the 64bit 7 would be device drivers for things like video, sound, or with some programs or utilities where a 64bit version is offered separately if available. The BCD Editor was a separate tool where the zip file you download saw two different versions there now replaced with the BellaVista tool at System Tools - BellaVista

The screenshot there now shows the 32bit and 64bit Windows 7 entries.

 

[sanssan]

Hi

Lately I ve changed my x86 version with x64. When I was running 32 bit version I had to dawnload most of drivers (like Video adapter, chipset, LAN and audio) from thier manufacturers websites, because the drivers installed by windows 7 were little bit older ones. Anyway, there was no prtoblems updating them with newer versions.

When I changed my operating system with x64 bit version, I could not do the same. The drivers were also old, but when I was trying to install latest ones, it was hanging.
The driver installation progress was jammed after 20%.

I am disappointed in x64 7..


http://www.google.ge/url?q=http://w...result&usg=AFQjCNF1G-vmgrIZtdqz3qsrDvrP7vaCdQ

 

[Night Hawk]

The only problem I've had here with any drivers effects more then 7 alone! When there's an application version tied to a particular driver version you have to remove both entirely not just simply toss the newer driver on with the old app. At least with the ATI catalyst that will get the new ones on along with the newer Cat. without fuss here.

The other problem was simply not finding 64bit drivers available for a few things from the beginning. The rest of the time the 64bit 7 has proven itself the champ pf OSs!