X86 software / Windows x64
archang3llo
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rdany -
rdany -
Hello,
I would like to know if there is a way to install and run x86 software on my Windows 7 x64 computer?
I may be completely mistaken, but I thought I heard that most 32-bit software runs on a 64-bit system
Thank you for clarifying this point for me
Configuration: Windows 7 x64 / Google Chrome 12.0.742
I would like to know if there is a way to install and run x86 software on my Windows 7 x64 computer?
I may be completely mistaken, but I thought I heard that most 32-bit software runs on a 64-bit system
Thank you for clarifying this point for me
Configuration: Windows 7 x64 / Google Chrome 12.0.742
2 réponses
Hello,
Hardware and software backward compatibility is guaranteed. For the hardware: when the PC is turned on, the processor is in x86 mode. The operating system switches it to x64 during loading. It is entirely possible to use a 32-bit operating system on a x64 processor, with some restrictions: a maximum of 4 GB of RAM would be recognized, and some software using one of the (rare) instructions present on x86 processors but absent on x64 processors would crash. If you have Windows Vista 64-bit or Windows 7 64-bit, these operating systems support x86 software through "Windows On Windows" (Wow), which allows you to run Windows programs designed for 32-bit Windows on a 64-bit Windows, if I'm not mistaken. To answer your question, if you want to install a recent 32-bit operating system on a computer with a x64 processor (thus 64-bit), there shouldn't be any problem. If you want to install software designed for a computer with an x86 processor (thus 32-bit) on Windows Vista 64-bit or Windows 7 64-bit, and you already have this software, recent (uh, by recent, I mean, let's say, less than 3 years old, to limit compatibility risks; it shouldn't be something from 20 years ago, you know), preferably, (you've already bought it or it's free), you can try, taking the usual precautions when installing new software (running it through an antivirus if it comes from the internet, you never know, create a system restore point, since compatibility isn’t guaranteed). If you plan to buy the software in question and are just gathering information before purchase, it should be fine, but you can always contact the publisher or visit their website to be sure. After that, perhaps with more information (what software is in question, on which operating system), I might be able to be more precise since I have myself already installed about ten x86 software on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. It should also be noted that sometimes, you have to adjust the backward compatibility settings (Windows has allowed this since Windows XP), and in rare cases, the software is really incompatible; in such cases, there’s nothing to be done.
Feel free to ask!
Hoping I was helpful, despite a rather lengthy response,
Dany
Hardware and software backward compatibility is guaranteed. For the hardware: when the PC is turned on, the processor is in x86 mode. The operating system switches it to x64 during loading. It is entirely possible to use a 32-bit operating system on a x64 processor, with some restrictions: a maximum of 4 GB of RAM would be recognized, and some software using one of the (rare) instructions present on x86 processors but absent on x64 processors would crash. If you have Windows Vista 64-bit or Windows 7 64-bit, these operating systems support x86 software through "Windows On Windows" (Wow), which allows you to run Windows programs designed for 32-bit Windows on a 64-bit Windows, if I'm not mistaken. To answer your question, if you want to install a recent 32-bit operating system on a computer with a x64 processor (thus 64-bit), there shouldn't be any problem. If you want to install software designed for a computer with an x86 processor (thus 32-bit) on Windows Vista 64-bit or Windows 7 64-bit, and you already have this software, recent (uh, by recent, I mean, let's say, less than 3 years old, to limit compatibility risks; it shouldn't be something from 20 years ago, you know), preferably, (you've already bought it or it's free), you can try, taking the usual precautions when installing new software (running it through an antivirus if it comes from the internet, you never know, create a system restore point, since compatibility isn’t guaranteed). If you plan to buy the software in question and are just gathering information before purchase, it should be fine, but you can always contact the publisher or visit their website to be sure. After that, perhaps with more information (what software is in question, on which operating system), I might be able to be more precise since I have myself already installed about ten x86 software on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. It should also be noted that sometimes, you have to adjust the backward compatibility settings (Windows has allowed this since Windows XP), and in rare cases, the software is really incompatible; in such cases, there’s nothing to be done.
Feel free to ask!
Hoping I was helpful, despite a rather lengthy response,
Dany