Ask Slashdot: Best 32-Bit Windows System In 2012? 313
First time accepted submitter justthinkit writes "I have a number of applications that will not run on 64-bit Windows, but I would like to gain the benefits (most better caching) of having more than 4GB of RAM. Am I stuck with these Windows operating systems? And why is Windows Server 2008 Datacenter and Enterprise not included on that page? Should I go with a Linux or Win 7/8 system, and run a VM of Windows XP? Is this a solved problem or a lost cause?"
Depends on the 3D (Score:5, Informative)
4GB memory vs. 32-bit apps... (Score:4, Informative)
>> I have a number of applications that will not run on 64-bit Windows, but I would like...more than 4GB of RAM
Do you realize that many of your 32-bit applications would freak out in a 4GB memory space?
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:5, Informative)
Or they have shoddy legacy code that checks for 64-bit systems and refuses to run on them in the same way that a lot of older websites still keep insisting that you upgrade to IE6 in order to view them in their full glory because someone did a != instead of a =
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:4, Informative)
<=, obviously
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:4, Informative)
Windows memory limitations (Score:4, Informative)
First and foremost, all consumer 32-bit windows versions are licensed to top out at 4GB. If you want more than 4GB, you will have to buy a (reassuringly expensive) server edition that permits it. Done. End of story.
The only other alternative is to get a 64-bit version of Windows 7 Pro. The Professional (and up) versions of Windows include something called compatibility mode, which is a free copy of Windows XP 32-bit, running inside a virtual machine. That's probably going to be your most cost-effective way of running your legacy apps on top of a 64-bit machine with oodles of RAM.
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:5, Informative)
No, it can't. I don't think you realize how archaic 16-bit mode is. 16-bit mode was for running on *286* Windows. If you had a 386 you ran in 32 bits.
No, he's correct. You're talking about WoW32, he's talking about XP Mode. XP Mode is "Windows Virtual PC" and runs XP. 16 bit apps run fine in there.
They won't run in WoW, because the 16 bit support is a different subsystem in Windows, its not part of Win32.
Re:You do realize you can run things in 32 bit mod (Score:5, Informative)
However you also have to deal with developers who's apps actually check what version you're running and won't even try to install.
It isn't much fun; but the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit provides a mechanism for telling a large number of potentially useful lies to a program about the environment it is living in... Figuring out which ones you need is an exercise for the reader; but if you manage it you can then have the OS automatically furnish those little falsehoods every time the designated program runs.
It's a more powerful and granular version of the 'run in compatibility mode' feature, designed to keep the whiny enterprise customers happy.
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:2, Informative)
Did you try it in Windows 7's XP mode, which actually starts a copy of XP in a virtual machine?
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:5, Informative)
Ahhh, I think I understand what you mean now. By "XP mode", you're in fact referring to this: http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/windows7/products/features/windows-xp-mode [microsoft.com]
When silly me was thinking of this: http://filext.com/images/vista_compatibility_mode.gif [filext.com]
Yes, the former will work for 16-bit applications. For those reading this thread, I should point out that "XP Mode" is not installed by default in Windows 7 or anything but it is a worthwhile addon if you run legacy apps.
Windows 7 x64 with XP Mode (Score:5, Informative)
This was briefly mentioned earlier, but I wanted to state clearly and concisely:
Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate all include licensing for Windows XP Mode [wikipedia.org], a 32-bit virtualized instance of Windows XP SP3. It is an additional download [microsoft.com] (actually a couple downloads), but it is free. I use it every day at work (on my 64-bit Win7 machine) to run a 16-bit app that was written in 1992, while I wait for that app's replacement to be written. It works perfectly, in fact much better than VirtualBox did for the same use case (there was laggy/odd redrawing issues with VirtualBox, no matter how many resources I allocated to the virtual machine).
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:2, Informative)
Yes it *will*. That's what it's for. It's Windows XP, running in Virtual PC, with added patches so you can run seamless apps, Citrix style.
If you are using hardware with your 64 bit OS, the yes, you will require 64 bit drivers for it.
The later, will not.
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:5, Informative)
BTW wine can run 16-bit windows apps on 64-bit linux.
Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode (Score:4, Informative)
this add-on is news to me as well. I always thought XP mode meant the compatibility mode. This is more like a XP VM on 7.
That's actually *exactly* what it is. It uses Microsoft's (now discontinued, but still available for Win7) Virtual PC virtualization software to run 32-bit XP in a hidden root window, and then uses the Remote Desktop protocol to forward the windows from XP to Win7 so that you can interact with them and they appear on your Win7 taskbar. Some additional integration takes care of things like adding apps to the Win7 Start Menu when they are installed in the Virtual XP machine.
You can also run the virtual XP machine as a normal VM, with a visible root window and all, if you choose to. This allows you to do things like install OS and software updates (automatic updates are enabled by default, but you may want to mess with that anyhow). Furthermore, you can forward USB ports from the Win7 host to the XP VM. This is great for things like using legacy hardware that doesn't work on Win7.