Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ask Slashdot: Best 32-Bit Windows System In 2012?

Posted by timothy on from the looking-backwards-fondly dept.

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?"

15 of 313 comments (clear)

  1. Windows 7 compatibility mode by pak9rabid · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What's wrong with running Windows 7 x64, and running your 32-bit applications in compatibility mode?

    1. Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode by mastershake82 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Generally, if they have applications that will not run on 64-bit Windows, it is because the applications are 16-bit, not 32-bit.

    2. Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode by Spad · · 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 =

    3. Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode by adonoman · · Score: 4, Informative

      XP mode on 64-bit Windows 7 can run most 16-bit apps.

    4. Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode by tgd · · Score: 4, 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.

    5. Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode by neokushan · · Score: 4, 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

      When silly me was thinking of this: http://filext.com/images/vista_compatibility_mode.gif

      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.

      --
      +1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill
    6. Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      For all you know he's got a 15 year old piece of industrial kit that needs 15 year old software to interface with it. Assembly line equipment maybe, oil drilling gear, CNC stuff, who the hell knows. A lot of this stuff is unsupported or the original vendor has vanished. Maybe this hardware still has years of life left in it, and the replacement value could be in the millions.

    7. Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode by minijedimaster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, it isn't. It is XP 32bit. Looking at mine now, "Windows XP Professional" "Service Pack 3". No 64bit mentioned at all in the system properties. I don't think XP 64bit ever had a SP3 either.

    8. Re:Windows 7 compatibility mode by petermgreen · · Score: 4, Informative

      BTW wine can run 16-bit windows apps on 64-bit linux.

      --
      note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
  2. Depends on the 3D by Krneki · · Score: 5, Informative

    Do you need 3D accelerated graphics? If not, VM is the way to go. Just RDP to the machine and do what you have to do.

    --
    Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
  3. Re:VMs are not CPU emulators by djsmiley · · Score: 4, Funny

    VM's can fake a 32bit cpu.... its almost like there isn't a real CPU and someone is just pretending or something...

    --
    - http://www.milkme.co.uk
  4. Use a VM for all older software. by concealment · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Think about this critically: you probably want your operating system to be the master of its new hardware, and then you want it to interpret the needs of your older software.

    If compatibility mode won't do it, set yourself up a VM and run everything in there. You can share a drive with the host OS and thus be nearly transparent.

    It doesn't make sense to me to hobble the OS in order to run older software, when the newer OS is better with the newer hardware.

  5. Your answers with as much detail as you provided. by djsmiley · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. Yes
    2. Dunno
    3. Yes
    4. Yes
    5.... errm yes?

    --
    - http://www.milkme.co.uk
  6. Re:You do realize you can run things in 32 bit mod by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, 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.

  7. Windows 7 x64 with XP Mode by TrekkieTechie · · 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, a 32-bit virtualized instance of Windows XP SP3. It is an additional download (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).