New install Vista Ultimate

[Geoff]

I am about to install Vista Ultimate on a new machine. My thoughts are to
install the 64bit version and I was wondering if there are any "issues" I
should be considering.
Thanks for any input.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi Geoff,

Are drivers available in x64 for all the hardware you plan on using?
Are you using more than 4GB of physical memory?
Can any of the programs you plan on using take advantage of upper memory
addresses?

If the answer to any of the above questions is "no", then there's not much
point to installing the 64-bit version other than the "because I can" reason
(which in and of itself is sometimes fun anyways). But seriously, most
consumer programs run in 32-bit mode so any extra memory isn't really put to
good use, and there is still a dearth of good 64-bit drivers for
consumer-based hardware. The chief advantage of installing x64 is the extra
memory capacity, but if the programs you run can't use it then it's
pointless.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Paul Montgomery]

only one that always seams to come up is dont install onto a system
with more than 2Gb of ram, if possible install then add extra ram back
in

hope that helps

It would have helped a LOT more if you'd included that there might be
issues with 64-bit drivers for some hardware.

 

[Geoff]

Thanks Rick for your reply. I am going to use a Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H with
a AMD Phenom 9550 CPU (I am not a gamer) with 2GB DDR2 800MHZ memory (to
start with) - m/board has onboard graphics and sound. The only peripheal
hardware I would be using is a wireless broadband unit plus various other
USB devices e.g. Skype phone and a printer. Where do you see any problems
arising?
Thanks for any further advice.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Seems ok, Skype has a 64-bit version of their software. I'd double check on
the printer driver though.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I am about to install Vista Ultimate on a new machine. My thoughts are to
install the 64bit version and I was wondering if there are any "issues" I
should be considering.
Thanks for any input.

Just the usual things:

1) Is the new computer capable of supporting a 64-bit operating system?

2) Are 64-bit device drivers available for all of the computer's
internal components and for all of your peripherals (printers, scanners,
web-cams, card readers, etc.)?

3) Are all of the applications and/or games you plan on using on the
new computer compatible with 64-bit operating systems? This, to be
honest, is a normally minor consideration, except for applications and
utilities that require deeper, system-level access, such as antivirus
applications.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Geoff]

Thanks Bruce - I will look into those.

Just the usual things:

1) Is the new computer capable of supporting a 64-bit operating system?

2) Are 64-bit device drivers available for all of the computer's internal
components and for all of your peripherals (printers, scanners, web-cams,
card readers, etc.)?

3) Are all of the applications and/or games you plan on using on the new
computer compatible with 64-bit operating systems? This, to be honest, is
a normally minor consideration, except for applications and utilities that
require deeper, system-level access, such as antivirus applications.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand
Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot