Is it time to go 64-bit with Windows 7?

David M Williams
Sunday, 30 August 2009 07:21

IT Industry - Development

Disappointingly, the pre-upgrade Windows 7 compatibility advisor said all my Windows Vista Ultimate extras were going to be removed. Apart from this, the only problems it indicated were that Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Apple iTunes and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 were unsupported and would not work. Everything else reported as fine.

The truth was quite different. I don’t know if Virtual PC would have worked because I opted to just uninstall it, using Sun’s VirtualBox for my virtual machines. iTunes worked fine as did SQL Server (which I had already patched with service pack 1.) However, my Cisco VPN client no longer worked, even though the compatibility advisor made no mention of it.

The machine was slower than ever to start but worse, my video was flaky. Turning on an Aero theme resulted in a total lockup. Rebooting didn’t help until I started in safe mode and switched back to a basic – non-Aero – theme. Even in basic mode my laptop would still periodically go blank before coming back to a life with a message that the nVidia driver caused a kernel mode fault.

Momentarily I expected this to be a repeat of the nVidia experience on Windows Vista’s launch but then I recalled how superbly Windows 7 worked on my desktop, also using an nVidia chip. Not only this, but I’d previously installed the Windows 7 release candidate on an Acer netbook without any display problems either.

After a week of putting up with constant screen blanking and the ensuing message letting me know how great Windows was for recovering from a kernel-mode fault I’d had enough. I was going to reformat and install from scratch, but this time take full advantage of the processor and go 64-bit.

Actually, even if I had opted to go from Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit I’d still be following this same route because Microsoft does not have any upgrade path from 32-bit to 64-bit. If you wish to do this you will need to backup, make a fresh install, then restore.

Happily, Microsoft has a migration utility which makes this less painful. You will find it under C:\Windows\System32\MigWiz\migwiz.exe in both Windows Vista and Windows 7. It is also in the Support directory on the Windows 7 disc.

This migration tool will scan your computer for files and folders and settings that ought to be backed up. Be sure to use the custom and advanced options to check just what is being saved so you can add anything you believe has been missed as well as de-select anything that’s not important.

This time, after a backup, a reformat, a brand new Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit install, and a restore my ASUS Lamborghini was working perfectly. It was fast and alert and thankfully, my video was flawless. I had no kernel-mode faults and I could turn on all Aero’s glassy goodness.

Was my better experience a result of a fresh install or a result of going 64-bits? I think it was a mixture of both. A new install always gives a performance boost, being free of detritus that builds up over time. Meanwhile, the 64-bit architecture offers a more robust and responsive environment.

If my experiences can be used as a lesson in any way, here are three things I’d like to impart:

First, don’t trust the Windows 7 compatibility advisor. It will tell you programs aren’t going to work when they do work. It will not tell you about other programs that won’t work.

Second, don’t upgrade your existing operating system. Perform a fresh installation, but be certain to backup first.

Third, if your hardware supports it, go 64-bits. It works.