Vista 64 bit vs 32 bit

B

Bombadillio

New Member
I'm purchasing a new laptop in a day or so. I've been reading up on the pros and cons of Vista 32 bit vs 64 bit.

Everything I've read has been pretty dated, around 2007. They all said a lot of the issues should be fixed in the future. Well it's 2 years later and there doesn't seem to be any new info floating around.

With the current version of Vista x64 can you still disable the signed driver requirement by hitting F8 while it's booting?

Are the software compatibility problems worked out?

Is there anyway around only being able to use 64 bit drivers? And how available are they?

Do you think the gain you get with x64 is worth it? I'm putting in 4GB of ram.

I remember there was issues with programs having 16 bit installers that wouldn't run.

What's everyone's input?

Thanks
 
It's not necessary to go 64-bit, like if there were heaps of problems with running a 64-bit OS, then maybe it wouldnt be worth running it just to gain that extra bit of ram. However I have never had problems running Vista Ultimate X64. 32 bit apps have always worked fine.
 
The only problem i got now with x64 is i cant find native x64 codec. vista codec package x64 component still buggy... Always crash the x64 windows media player and media center...
 
If I were you.....I'd stick with 32 bit. Unless in the future you are going to substantially increase your ram.... I would stick with 32 bit. Also, if you have a palm, 64 bit does not work with palm desktop.
 
The main differences between the 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista relate to memory accessibility, memory management, and enhanced security features. The security features that are available in the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista include the following:
Kernel Patch Protection
Support for hardware-backed Data Execution Protection (DEP)
Mandatory driver signing
Removal of support for 32-bit drivers
Removal of the 16-bit subsystem
One of the greatest advantages of using a 64-bit version of Windows Vista is the ability to access physical memory (RAM) that is above the 4-gigabyte (GB) range. This physical memory is not addressable by 32-bit versions of Windows Vista.


Advantages when you install a 64-bit version of Windows Vista
Increased memory support beyond that of the 4-GB addressable memory space that is available in a 32-bit operating system
Increased program performance for programs that are written to take advantage of a 64-bit operating system
Enhanced security features


The main differences between the 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista
Architecture Windows Vista, 32-bit versions Windows Vista, 64-bit versions
System requirements 1-gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) processor or 64-bit (x64) processor, 512 MB of RAM 1-GHz 64-bit (x64) processor, 1 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended)
Memory access A 32-bit version of Windows Vista can access up to 4 GB of RAM. A 64-bit version of Windows Vista can access from 1 GB of RAM to more than 128 GB of RAM.
Memory access per edition All 32-bit versions of Windows Vista can access up to 4 GB of RAM. Windows Vista Home Basic - 8 GB of RAM
Windows Vista Home Premium - 16 GB of RAM
Windows Vista Business - 128 GB of RAM or more
Windows Vista Enterprise - 128 GB of RAM or more
Windows Vista Ultimate - 128 GB of RAM or more
DEP 32-bit versions of Windows Vista use a software-based version of DEP. 64-bit versions of Windows Vista support hardware-backed DEP.
Kernel Patch Protection (PatchGuard) This feature is not available in 32-bit versions of Windows Vista. This feature is available in 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. Kernel Patch Protection helps prevent a malicious program from updating the Windows Vista kernel. This feature works by helping to prevent a kernel-mode driver from extending or replacing other kernel services. Also, this feature helps prevent third-party programs from updating (patching) any part of the kernel.

Driver signing Unsigned drivers may be used with 32-bit versions of Windows Vista. 64-bit versions of Windows Vista require that all device drivers be digitally signed by the developer.
32-bit driver support 32-bit versions of Windows Vista support 32-bit drivers that are designed for Windows Vista. 64-bit versions of Windows Vista do not support 32-bit device drivers.
16-bit program support 32-bit versions of Windows Vista support 16-bit programs, in part.

If you want more infor: I got the above infor from http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-us/help/41531554-d5ef-4f2c-8fb9-149bdc5c8a701033.mspx
 
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