64-Bit Vaio Ships With 32-Bit Windows?
{Edit: although it seems from my googling that this has been an issue with some Vaios, it is not with mine...I received a 32-bit comp. Disregard, but thanks for all the input!}
It seems that my Sony SR should be able to run the 64-bit version of Visa, but ships with the 32-bit. Grr.
I'm only an average computer user, so it's not clear to me yet how easy it'll be to solve this problem. My understanding is that when installing a new OS you want to wipe the hard drive clean, but then I'd lose all the stuff that came pre-installed. It looks like I can get a physical copy of the 64-bit OS from Microsoft for a nominal fee, but I've read that installation on Vaios can be problematic because of the Sony drivers.
I'll be phoning various Sony and Microsoft tech help in the next few days to try and find a solution. Until then: if you're ordering a 64-bit computer and want the 64-bit OS, you should check and see which version comes pre-installed.
9 comments:
I'm not an expert computer user, but my understanding is that most users want to use the 32 bit version of windows anyway, because of compatability issues with lots of programs. Maybe things have changed but I thought the 64 bit OS was more for video editing and other jobs that would require using more RAM than the 4GB limit that the 32 bit OS has.
I've found that compatibility issues are overstated with Vista 64. The only programs that I can't get to install are some of the older Convekta programs (CT-Art immediately comes to mind). Otherwise, no problems.
Just look on the Sony support site to see if they have all the drivers in 64-bit format before you wipe the drive.
A 64-bit OS is also much faster at crunching chess positions--about a 50% speedup on the same hardware.
Regarding Convekta and Vista, I had problems too. A solution that worked for me was to right-click on their icons and select "Windows Compatibility Mode = Windows XP" so Vista simulates Windows XP when they are running. Since doing this they all work perfectly on my system.
How did you get CT-Art to install on Vista 64? I just can't seem to do it.
Anon, to install it successfully I had to turn off UAC (User Account Control) and was logged in as an Administrator during the install:
http://chessok.com/doc/vista.htm
Disclaimer: I have 32-bit Vista. I have seen Convekta acknowledge issues with Vista, but have not seen them classify any issues as specific to 32-bit or 64-bit Vista. Please report back if it works or not because I do not want to lose my Encyclopedia of Chess Endgames when I upgrade and it's very similar to CT-ART. ;)
I've turned off UAC and I'm the admin. 64-bit Vista won't let it install, as the installation files are 16-bit (I think). I don't know of any workaround. Sorry!
Those are all the 'tricks' I know, sorry!
Don't get me started on Vista! :-)
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