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View Full Version : 64bit Vista - any issues to be aware of?


Joe 90
16-10-2007, 17:51
Hey just wondering if there are any issues with installing a 64bit OS in terms of all my current 32bit apps etc.
and whats compatibility like now? do most bits of hardware work on 64bit now?

Wellington
16-10-2007, 17:54
Just posted this in the other thread

http://www.boat-drinks.co.uk/showpost.php?p=157994&postcount=14

Joe 90
16-10-2007, 18:11
cool thx :)

LeperousDust
16-10-2007, 22:52
Apart from some dodgy hardware drivers, old scanners, audigy, maybe some notebook nvidia graphics and possibly some bluetooth dongles etc... everything else should be great.

It wouldnt suprise me if you're still subject to some of the awfulness of vista though... Maybe thats me being a bit rash, I still use it every day i'd just... rather not sometimes! Why do you need/want vista? There aren't that many reasons to upgrade really, only reason i have it is because it came with my new laptop and i didn't actually get a choice!

Mark
16-10-2007, 23:01
The two biggest gotchas are 64-bit driver signing and compatibility with older software (mostly from the Win98 era and older but some newer stuff breaks too). Vista 64-bit is more memory hungry than 32-bit, so if you have less than 2GB, think about upgrading (with less than 1GB I'd avoid).

Joe 90
17-10-2007, 08:54
well i've got an audigy 4 and just 2gb(4x512) (always been fine with 32bit)

anyway, i'll stick it on tonight and see how things go - dual booting xp so wont lose too much if things go tits up.

Admiral Huddy
17-10-2007, 09:56
64-bit Vista loaded last night on my workshop PC. I just installed over the top of the 32 bit version.. no problems there.

It does seem to take forever to load with no progress bar which is a little frustating.

So far, i've had the following driver issues :

nForce 3 - No chipset or sound drivers!!! According to nVidia, these are regarded as "Legacy" systems. I find this odd because the nForce 3 chipset is for 64-bit AMD processors??? I can understand thee being no drivers available for the nforce2 but not 3. As a result, no sound.

The wireless adaptor.. No 64 bit drivers on the Linksys website. However, it's picked up the 32bit version and seems to be working. Strangley, I had problems with the 32-bit version connecting to the Access Point. This doesn't seem to be a problem on the 64 bit.

no problems with the 6800GT drivers.

Apart from that, all updated and Avast installed.

I'm going to try loading a few apps I use including office 2003, see how they go.

I'm building my new PC on fridy. I'm hoping to use the Vista 64-bit providing all the tests I've done are ok. Otherwise, I'll install the 32-bit and investigate the issues after the build. I can't see drivers being a problem with the iP35 chipset and an 8800GTX :)

The only problem will be the X-Fi but the Alchemy utility sorts that out.

Performance.. Very slow on this build but I'm only using 1Gb of memory. Increasing the page noteably speeded things up a bit. I wasn't expecting much on this PC anyway, just wanted to see if it worked ok and was familiar with the set-up.

LeperousDust
17-10-2007, 13:50
Huddy i think there were beta drivers released by nvidia for nf3 but they never got any further than that, i've heard they work fine if you can find em (they've been puled from the site but direct links still work) i dont even have an nf3 mobo so i cant say for sure but i've definately heard that...

Admiral Huddy
24-10-2007, 10:22
Had a nightmare last night with sound :(

Firstly, the X-fi drivers didn't seem to want to load because they weren't certfied drivers aggghh.

and for some reason the device showed in device manager as just "Multimedia Sound Controller" or something like that.

Vista stated that "there is no audio output" - O'Rly :angry:

I gave up after a while and switched on the onboard sound and loaded the Realtek HD drivers.. this appeared to work although the quality wasn't great. But I have sound.. I'll come back to the X-fi problem.. so I reloaded BioShock (I still have only one level to go), reinstated the saved game.. then ran.. but there was no in-game sound .. excuse my langauge but **** **** **** ******!!!

Google search showed that there are in-game sound problems and that the program had to be lauched as administrator and ran as "XP SP2" program.. I don't want to run it in DX9!!! Although this worked for sound, I can't change the graphics setting up from 800 tut tut.

So back to the X-fi.. Tried reseating and reloaded the drivers. Nothing, so I slept on it..

This morning I tried again, and hey presto - it worked!!

The only difference I made was to

1. I connected the speakers to the card.
2. I answered "Yes" when being asked if I want to install the game controller driver????? I don't have a game port so answered no previously.

I know have sound from the X-Fi..

Back into Bioshock.. I have sound too.. horraa!!

Change the video settings... program falls over :angry: - #kicks teddy across room#

I'll try re-installing the game tonight.. I'm wondering if by setting up and running a shortcut with "run as administrator" and "run as XP Sp2 program" has changed some .ini file somewhere.

CliffyG
24-10-2007, 10:30
The only real issue i've had is that Peer Guardian doesn't work. Everything else has been got round by using the lastest version etc.

Mark
24-10-2007, 10:35
Dym had a similar problem with his sound card. Vista didn't want to know, then at some point it decided there was a sound card there, then at other point it decided it's a 5.1 card. :huh:

One for the software developers (excluding .NET and it's ilk) - from one of our systems, it seems that if you compile something for 32-bit using 64-bit Vista, there's a chance you'll get unexpected results if you then try to run that on 32-bit XP. 32-bit Vista doesn't seem to have this problem.

Daz
24-10-2007, 10:37
[argument for console gaming exhibit A]
;)

Ok, that's unfair, I know it's just the usual 'on the cutting edge and bleeding all over it' scenario.

Mark
24-10-2007, 10:41
That's always been an argument for a console though - no incompatible hardware, ever.

Well, in theory. If Sony keep on changing the internals of the PS3, then who knows. :)

Admiral Huddy
24-10-2007, 10:55
;)

Ok, that's unfair, I know it's just the usual 'on the cutting edge and bleeding all over it' scenario.

no this is totally fair and I was thinking of this as I was taking a dump this morning.. These sort of issues need to be ironed out if Vista is to be as good as MS are boasting. Then again, the more people who switch to the console, then MS gain hardware sales.

sucks really that 12 years or so after PnP was introduced, we are still having drivers issues within windows.

Daz
24-10-2007, 10:59
To be fair to MS though it's often the third parties fault.

Admiral Huddy
24-10-2007, 11:16
To be fair to MS though it's often the third parties fault.

most likely but their OS is pretty much useless without the hardware. There has to be better relationships with the hardware/software vendors. A bit like Nvidia and development companies have come up with the TWIMTBP team. It's all bollox but it's a step in the right direction.

Since Creative are pretty much up there when it comes to sound cards, I'm surpised these issues were not sorted out sooner tbh.

Admiral Huddy
29-10-2007, 11:50
Here's an interesting one.

No driver support for Epson CX6600 in Vista64. Nothing on the Epson website. I'm wondering if there are any beta drivers around.

Feek
29-10-2007, 12:55
http://esupport.epson-europe.com/Redirect.aspx?lng=en-GB&url=ftp%3a%2f%2fdownload.epson-europe.com%2fpub%2fdownload%2f317%2fepson31730eu.e xe&id=31730&ct=1&data=nKGrQtfEm6nlcYPYIErIpJloHY1qolOQQGmwbZ2eiUgU0 03D

Looks like an x64 Vista driver to me?

/edit - Could be just for the scanner.

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?oid=41664&prodoid=46253282&BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Downloads&platform=Windows&x=28&y=7

Full driver? "[+] Epson EasyPrint v3.10A
Windows Vista 64-bit Edition compatible, Windows Vista 32-bit Edition compatible, Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit Edition, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows 98 "

Admiral Huddy
29-10-2007, 12:57
http://esupport.epson-europe.com/Redirect.aspx?lng=en-GB&url=ftp%3a%2f%2fdownload.epson-europe.com%2fpub%2fdownload%2f317%2fepson31730eu.e xe&id=31730&ct=1&data=nKGrQtfEm6nlcYPYIErIpJloHY1qolOQQGmwbZ2eiUgU0 03D

Looks like an x64 Vista driver to me?

are there any release notes for that? Would like to make sure :)

Mark
29-10-2007, 13:51
I saw that, but then I saw the printer driver further down the page. Not sure if it includes a driver (though it'd be very odd if it didn't). :)

Admiral Huddy
29-10-2007, 16:41
That's a driver for the scanner... although as Mark said, it would be odd if it didn't contain the printer driver. Think I'll try it any..

Stelly
29-10-2007, 16:54
I have tried vista 64, and decided to go back to Xp for now... alot of the games I play on don't work, that include Football manager 2008! that really didnt impress me... plus my TV card decided not to work!!

Stelly

Mark
29-10-2007, 16:58
TV cards not working is a common one. My Neb doesn't work either.

They say a fix will be out in October, but their dates lack a year for a good reason. ;)

Feek
29-10-2007, 18:21
What about the second link I posted, Huddy?

CliffyG
29-10-2007, 20:08
that include Football manager 2008! that really didnt impress me

Stelly

FM2008 works fine for me on Vista 64 :huh:.

karbon
15-11-2007, 18:25
i've got 4 gig of ram sitting in my system and its not all being used so i'm downloading 64 as we speak. i love msdn, 4 gig in 40 minutes.

i was going to reinstall just warcrack as it seems to be a bit buggy after the last patch, but im just gna format the thing as i've been meaning to transfer over to 64 for a while anyway.