Windows XP 64Bit System

[Piggy]

Currently I run XP Pro on a 32bit machine, I'm thinking to build myself
another PC and considering going to 64bit system but need to keep the costs
low, will XP pro run on a 64 bit machine? and if I upgrade to the 64bit
version how much more performance can I expect?

)

 

[Mike T.]

Currently I run XP Pro on a 32bit machine, I'm thinking to build myself
another PC and considering going to 64bit system but need to keep the
costs low, will XP pro run on a 64 bit machine? and if I upgrade to the
64bit version how much more performance can I expect?

)

The 32-bit XP Pro SHOULD run on a 64-bit machine, as 64-bit hardware is
backward-compatible with 32-bit software. There are other problems though.
If your XP Pro has been activated on a 32-bit machine, it is not legal for
you to later install that same copy of the OS on a 64-bit machine, even if
the 32-bit machine has been destroyed. You won't be able to activate the OS
without talking to a human being at Microsoft. When you talk to microsoft,
you can claim that your original mainboard died on you. That might work,
possibly. It wouldn't work if the OS sees more new hardware than just the
CPU and mainboard, though.

Upgrading to 64-bit OS will actually cause a decrease in system performance.
Add to that, you will likely have a somewhat limited selection of software
to run on it.

BUT, any new system built now should be dual core and 64-bit, so you
shouldn't be wondering about performance differences anyway. -Dave

 

[Phisherman]

Currently I run XP Pro on a 32bit machine, I'm thinking to build myself
another PC and considering going to 64bit system but need to keep the costs
low, will XP pro run on a 64 bit machine? and if I upgrade to the 64bit
version how much more performance can I expect?

)

XP Pro will run on a 64-bit machine. I would expect little
performance increase unless all your apps were written for 64-bit
processing.

 

[Conor]

Currently I run XP Pro on a 32bit machine, I'm thinking to build myself
another PC and considering going to 64bit system but need to keep the costs
low, will XP pro run on a 64 bit machine? and if I upgrade to the 64bit
version how much more performance can I expect?

Don't bother. THere's not as many drivers and there's bugger all
software out there that takes advantage of 64bit. You'll certainly NOT
see a performance increase.

 

[Rod Speed]

The 32-bit XP Pro SHOULD run on a 64-bit machine, as 64-bit hardware
is backward-compatible with 32-bit software. There are other
problems though. If your XP Pro has been activated on a 32-bit
machine, it is not legal for you to later install that same copy of the OS on
a 64-bit machine, even if the 32-bit machine has been destroyed.
Wrong.

You won't be able to activate the OS without talking to a human being at
Microsoft.
Wrong.

When you talk to microsoft, you can claim that your original mainboard died on
you. That might work, possibly.

Corse it will work.

 

[Piggy]

When I installed Win XP Pro on my current system it did not require any
activation.

 

[Don Freeman]

When I installed Win XP Pro on my current system it did not require any
activation.

Has it been a month yet? It gives you 30 days (at least the copy I
installed) then dies if you haven't activated it yet.

 

[Piggy]

I'm wondering why there are so many 64 bit pc's on the market if there is
little in the way of software and driver support.

I was considering going to the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor but should I just
stick with cheaper 32bit processors?

 

[Piggy]

It's been about 18 month's?

Has it been a month yet? It gives you 30 days (at least the copy I
installed) then dies if you haven't activated it yet.

 

[Mike T.]

Has it been a month yet? It gives you 30 days (at least the copy I
installed) then dies if you haven't activated it yet.

There are "corporate" copies of Windows XP that don't require activation.
But they are illegal to install on individual consumer systems. And many of
the corporate licenses have been flagged as pirated by now. -Dave

 

[Mike T.]

I'm wondering why there are so many 64 bit pc's on the market if there is
little in the way of software and driver support.

Well, it's a hardware manufacturing thing. It costs many billions of
dollars to build a fab to make the chips. If you know (before you spend the
many billions of dollars) that you are going to eventually be fab'ing 64-bit
chips, then that is what you design the fab to support. So that the money
isn't wasted on a line that can't produce currently marketable products, you
make the new chips backward-compatible with current software. Consequently,
the hardware tends to hit the market and wait for the software to catch up.

On the other hand, converting software to 64-bits is trivial. Just hire a
few buck-fifty-an-hour programmers overseas and assign them to the task.

So then one has to wonder why there is not more 64-bit software on the
market? That boils down to supply and demand. There is nothing in the
64-bit software that can't be done with 32-bit software. So demand (and
thus supply also) is a bit lacking.

I was considering going to the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor but should I
just stick with cheaper 32bit processors?

Anything you build today should be dual core. If you build dual core as you
should, then the question of 32 bit or 64 bit should be moot. AFAIK, there
is no dual core 32-bit processor. But I could be wrong on that. -Dave

 

[Rod Speed]

What happens when you use the online update ?

There are "corporate" copies of Windows XP that don't require activation.
Yes.

But they are illegal to install on individual consumer systems.

Nope, bet you cant cite any law that says that.

And many of the corporate licenses have been flagged as pirated by now.

A few have, plenty havent.

 

[Piggy]

What happens when you use the online update ?

I have no problems with the online updates, there is also the new windows
genuine advantage software installed

 

[glasgowc1]

Just recently, I pulled the hard drives off my old 32-bit system
(D865PERL motherboard, Intel 3.2E Prescott with Hyper-Threading CPU)
and put it in a new 64-bit system I'd built (Mach Speed MK8-939A
motherboard, AMD 64 X-2 4800+ CPU).

I formatted my old HD and did a clean install of WinXP... and it took.
Auto-activate worked, Windows Update worked, no hitches at all.

So I don't know what the one gentleman was talking about.

 

[DaveW]

XP Pro 32 bit WILL run successfully on a hardware 64 bit system. They are
backward compatible.

 

[sbb78247]

It's been about 18 month's?

ding! ding! ding! ding!

now who can tell us what the correct answer is:

1) piggy is just a lucky ****er
2) the os is cracked and is using a key that has not been flagged
3) microsoft only keeps activation records for 120 days before a new
installation number is generated
4) microsoft doesn't bitch to loudly (leagal or not) if you install the same
disc on another system AFTER the 120 days until you do it a few times
5) none of the above

the clock is ticking and votes will be counted

 

[Rod Speed]

ding! ding! ding! ding!

now who can tell us what the correct answer is:

1) piggy is just a lucky ****er
2) the os is cracked and is using a key that has not been flagged
3) microsoft only keeps activation records for 120 days before a new
installation number is generated
4) microsoft doesn't bitch to loudly (leagal or not) if you install
the same disc on another system AFTER the 120 days until you do it a
few times 5) none of the above

6) he's using a corporate version of XP Pro.

the clock is ticking and votes will be counted

You'll be summarily executed because of that ticking clock.

 

[Ed Medlin]

Well, it's a hardware manufacturing thing. It costs many billions of
dollars to build a fab to make the chips. If you know (before you spend
the many billions of dollars) that you are going to eventually be fab'ing
64-bit chips, then that is what you design the fab to support. So that
the money isn't wasted on a line that can't produce currently marketable
products, you make the new chips backward-compatible with current
software. Consequently, the hardware tends to hit the market and wait for
the software to catch up.

On the other hand, converting software to 64-bits is trivial. Just hire a
few buck-fifty-an-hour programmers overseas and assign them to the task.

So then one has to wonder why there is not more 64-bit software on the
market? That boils down to supply and demand. There is nothing in the
64-bit software that can't be done with 32-bit software. So demand (and
thus supply also) is a bit lacking.


Anything you build today should be dual core. If you build dual core as
you should, then the question of 32 bit or 64 bit should be moot. AFAIK,
there is no dual core 32-bit processor. But I could be wrong on
hat. -Dave

The only dual core processor I know of that is 32 bit is the mobile Intel
Core Duo. Not the new Core 2 Duo for desktops, just the older mobile one.

Ed

 

[Piggy]

As well as my desktop not needing activation, my IBM laptop which has the OS
pre installed (XP Pro) did not need any activation when I had to reinstall
after a crash??

 

[Rod Speed]

As well as my desktop not needing activation, my IBM laptop which has the OS pre installed (XP
Pro) did not need any activation when I had to reinstall after a crash??

Yeah, thats pretty typical of laptops and
systems that come with XP preinstalled.