Windows 7 - 32 or 64 bit?

[Cole Slaw]

Was thinking of installing Windows 7 on my MBP.
I just wondered which version (32 or 64 bit) would be the better (less problematic) choice to install?
Thanks.

[fluidedge]

you have a 64 bit processor - you might as well install the 64 bit os

[Stridder44]

Was thinking of installing Windows 7 on my MBP.
I just wondered which version (32 or 64 bit) would be the better (less problematic) choice to install?
Thanks.

There is very little reason not to go 64-bit. What specific apps are running? Some older (READ: poorly written) apps might not work with 64-bit, but they're a handful at best.

[amt2002]

I've read that the Unibody Macbook 2.0Ghz isn't supported by the 64-bit version of Vista without a little registry hacking.

Anyone successfully installed Win 7 64-bit on an alu Macbook???

[gumbyx84]

I never really understood the use of 64-bit OS unless you are running 64-bit apps. Is the speed difference really that useful when running 32-bit apps? I ask because I have 4GB in my MBP and am wondering if installing Win7 x64 would give me a significant performance boost for my games (only run a few of them in BootCamp). 32-bit Windows reads up to 3GB right? So will that extra 1GB of RAM really make a difference?

[TBi]

I've read that the Unibody Macbook 2.0Ghz isn't supported by the 64-bit version of Vista without a little registry hacking.

Anyone successfully installed Win 7 64-bit on an alu Macbook???

Vista should work fine without any registry tweaks. These tweaks might have been because Apple's drivers don't offically support x64.

I never really understood the use of 64-bit OS unless you are running 64-bit apps. Is the speed difference really that useful when running 32-bit apps? I ask because I have 4GB in my MBP and am wondering if installing Win7 x64 would give me a significant performance boost for my games (only run a few of them in BootCamp). 32-bit Windows reads up to 3GB right? So will that extra 1GB of RAM really make a difference?

X86 processors run faster in full 64bit mode than in 32bit mode due to extra registers.

[Eidorian]

I'm never buying a 32-bit operating system again.

[TBi]

I'm never buying a 32-bit operating system again.

Isn't the iPhone 32bit? :P

[gumbyx84]

X86 processors run faster in full 64bit mode than in 32bit mode due to extra registers.

I know that, but it doesn't answer my question. Will there be a significant gain from running a 64-bit OS if you are just gaming? I assume I am not the only one who would like to know.

[TBi]

I know that, but it doesn't answer my question. Will there be a significant gain from running a 64-bit OS if you are just gaming? I assume I am not the only one who would like to know.

Well if the processor runs faster then the game will run faster. Also some games now come with x64 executables and there are comparisons online regarding the speed increase from 64-bit.

To answer your question though, at the moment 32bit is better because drivers are still more mature. However 64bit has come a long way since Windows XP x64 was released and the drivers and system are almost as mature. Also you have to remember than in Windows x64 they have dumped a lot of legacy 16bit code. By the end of the year I think we'll see the advantages of 64-bit more and more.

So short term 32bit is the winner, long term 64bit is better.

[Eidorian]

Isn't the iPhone 32bit? :PI don't own one? :p

[Cole Slaw]

Thanks for the replies.
The reason I was asking is that I heard that the with Windows 7 I might have to use some Vista drivers from my Leopard DVD. I read that that the Bootcamp drivers on my late 2007 MBP SR were 32 bit only.
Not sure if that's true or not, so while I'd rather get the 64 bit version of Windows 7, I was wondering if I'd be limited to the 32 bit version because of the version of Bootcamp included with my MBP.

[Cole Slaw]

OK, I see it shouldn't really matter what version of Boot Camp I have on my Leopard DVD, because you can just download the later version from Apple anyways.

[TBi]

Thanks for the replies.
The reason I was asking is that I heard that the with Windows 7 I might have to use some Vista drivers from my Leopard DVD. I read that that the Bootcamp drivers on my late 2007 MBP SR were 32 bit only.
Not sure if that's true or not, so while I'd rather get the 64 bit version of Windows 7, I was wondering if I'd be limited to the 32 bit version because of the version of Bootcamp included with my MBP.

Boot camp has nothing to do with the ability of your mac to run windows. It just includes drivers to make the experience better. However nearly all of these drivers are available by the manufacturers because apple uses mostly off the shelf parts.

I've read that most Vista drivers work in 7 so your best bet would to find some how-to's on how to install x64 vista onto your MBP and hopefully they will link to any drivers you'd need.

[Tallest Skil]

Boot camp has nothing to do with the ability of your mac to run windows. It just includes drivers to make the experience better. However nearly all of these drivers are available by the manufacturers because apple uses mostly off the shelf parts.

Actually, it doesn't even have drivers anymore. Boot Camp with Leopard is just a partitioning tool that does the exact same thing as Disk Utility.

Your drivers would be on Install Disk 1 that came with the computer.

But, yes, you'll have to look for third-party drivers because the Apple ones for speakers don't work with Windows 7.

[TBi]

Actually, it doesn't even have drivers anymore. Boot Camp with Leopard is just a partitioning tool that does the exact same thing as Disk Utility.

Well if you want to get all technical then bootcamp is actually just a front end for a command line partitioning tool already built into OSX.

Thanks for the update regarding the drivers though. I haven't installed windows on my new MBP yet :)

[Stridder44]

Boot camp has nothing to do with the ability of your mac to run windows. It just includes drivers to make the experience better. However nearly all of these drivers are available by the manufacturers because apple uses mostly off the shelf parts.

I've read that most Vista drivers work in 7 so your best bet would to find some how-to's on how to install x64 vista onto your MBP and hopefully they will link to any drivers you'd need.


Listen to TBi, this man speaks the truth (every post so far in this thread).

[stainlessliquid]

I never really understood the use of 64-bit OS unless you are running 64-bit apps. Is the speed difference really that useful when running 32-bit apps? I ask because I have 4GB in my MBP and am wondering if installing Win7 x64 would give me a significant performance boost for my games (only run a few of them in BootCamp). 32-bit Windows reads up to 3GB right? So will that extra 1GB of RAM really make a difference?

What reason do you have not to use 64bit? Leopard is 64bit even though almost everything available for it is 32bit, the 32bit apps are not hindered because of that. It doesnt make any sense to use a 32bit OS when you have a 64bit capable computer, its like the people who use fat32 instead of NTFS because of some weird superstition about which is best for a small partition.

[gumbyx84]

What reason do you have not to use 64bit? Leopard is 64bit even though almost everything available for it is 32bit, the 32bit apps are not hindered because of that. It doesnt make any sense to use a 32bit OS when you have a 64bit capable computer, its like the people who use fat32 instead of NTFS because of some weird superstition about which is best for a small partition.

I use FAT32 for compatibility sake (ntfs-3g drivers aren't perfect for mac yet).

Anyway, sometimes there are issues with 32bit software in 64bit systems. I have had software outright refuse to install in 64bit WinXP. That is the reason why I don't really see the reasoning behind it. It doesn't do anything to make the software run any better then it would in a 32bit OS, what is the point?

[wyatt23]

stay away from 64-bit right now on the al macbook. i installed it and there's no drivers!

the video card displays ugly large resolution andt he track pad doesnt work. i don't think wireless worked either.

[limo79]

Go for 32-bit - less problems :-)

[TBi]

stay away from 64-bit right now on the al macbook. i installed it and there's no drivers!

the video card displays ugly large resolution andt he track pad doesnt work. i don't think wireless worked either.

You can install it correctly if you get the right drivers. People have already done it and i'm sure google is full of the success stories.


Go for 32-bit - less problems :-)

Chicken and the Egg... the more people use 64 bit then the more companies that will have to support it and the better it will get.

[sangosimo]

if you have less than 4gb of ram use 32bit if you have 4gb or more and use 64bit. Pretty simple imo.

[nick9191]

I'm never buying a 32-bit operating system again.
You realise Leopard is actually a 32/64 bit hybrid?

Cocoa is 64 bit but the Unix kernel is 32 bit, it will be full 64 bit in 10.6.

I'd also like to point out that this is the main reason many found Leopard to be slower than Tiger, you should see a nice speed gain in Snow Leopard for this reason alone.

[Eidorian]

You realise Leopard is actually a 32/64 bit hybrid?

Cocoa is 64 bit but the Unix kernel is 32 bit, it will be full 64 bit in 10.6.

I'd also like to point out that this is the main reason many found Leopard to be slower than Tiger, you should see a nice speed gain in Snow Leopard for this reason alone.Your point being?

[TBi]

Your point being?

That OSX is a 32-bit OS with 64-bit tacked on :D

[Eidorian]

That OSX is a 32-bit OS with 64-bit tacked on :DLike I said before. Your point being? I already knew that fact.

[jdmagoo]

I've read that the Unibody Macbook 2.0Ghz isn't supported by the 64-bit version of Vista without a little registry hacking.

Anyone successfully installed Win 7 64-bit on an alu Macbook???

I've got it running in a Fusion VM on a 15" MBP (unibody). Works just fine. Some video driver flakiness once in a while, but, for a beta (especially a Windows beta), it's surprisingly good. If they can polish up the video issues, I think MS should push it out the door. Never mind waiting until next year. I'm a recent convert to the MAC, and this is the best version of Windows I've seen yet. Way better than Vista. Much faster, and seems to be much "lighter" (so far). Quick to start and stop. Easy to install. Even the VMWare tools installed.

JDM

[FiveO]

I installed a 64bit Windows 7 (release version) on the current iMac with the ATI graphics. The installation and Windows 7 are working quite well, but most of the driver do not work! Vista 64 driver don't work on my Windows 7 with iMac. Already had several times a blue-screen and several games (Flight Simulator X) aren't working at all.
But I heard that on Macbooks it should work better. But still, I'm going to remove Microsofts 64bit Crap and keep going with 32bit. Well all Games and Apps are still in 32bit, and I can really live with 3.5 GByte of RAM.

=> Keep staying with 32bit Windows. Or maybe wait until Windows 8...

[tehstu2]

I just installed Win 7 Pro x64 on my Mid-2009 MacBook which is not on Apple's compatibility list. When they say not compatible, they mean it. I just spent literally about 8 hours looking around and trying a little of this and a little of that and I finally got everything working like it should now. Built-in keyboard, trackpad, and everything is going smoothly now. The Snow Leopard DVD won't install Boot Camp, so I manually installed the x64 drivers off of the CD and got basic functionality. After that I managed to get a version of Boot Camp downloaded and installed. It did not show up after I installed it, so I found a later version and updated it, and yet a later version (3.1) and updated yet again. I restarted and no BootCamp control panel or anything. Only a little bit of trackpad functionality and keyboard functionality (no volume, disk eject, or brigtness or that "f'n" key). After trying to scour the internet (and Apple's Windows download section) I just logged out and back in and BAM. Everything fine and boot camp going good. So yes, it can be done, but no, it's not easy!

[Stridder44]

stay away from 64-bit right now on the al macbook. i installed it and there's no drivers!

the video card displays ugly large resolution andt he track pad doesnt work. i don't think wireless worked either.

*facepalm* That's because you have to install the Boot Camp drivers off of the Snow Leopard DVD. Even then, that has nothing to do with 32/64 bit being good/bad.

Go for 32-bit - less problems :-)

Please, describe these "problems."

[Deano.uk]

BUMP!

Gonna install Win7 next week when i get my new 640gb HDD, but dont know what version to go for?

it will be mainly for games an i dont plan on having more then 2gb of RAM.

[TBi]

64-bit. You will want more RAM in future. I haven't had any problems with 64-bit windows 7. Works just as intended and you can always install XP-Mode if you have issues.

[greythorne]

i installed windows 7 ultimate and installed bootcamp drivers 3.0 after restart updated bootcamp to 3.1 but everytime i run apple software update the prompt for bootcamp 3.1 shows up. what gives?

[ssn637]

I've got Windows 7 installed in a Boot Camp partition of my MacBook Pro 13" with 8 GB RAM, so I'd prefer the 64-bit version. Unfortunately, since I use this laptop for office work and have had numerous problems with 64-bit I've been forced to go back to the 32-bit version:
- Cisco VPN Client has no support for 64-bit versions of Windows
- I cannot install a 64-bit driver for our office printer since none is available
- When running the Boot Camp partition via VMware Fusion I can easily split the RAM to provide 3 GB for the Windows 7 system while leaving plenty for Snow Leopard
- I've had a lot of problems installing Windows Boot Camp 64-bit drivers. The installer can't be used directly, and the .msi executable can only be run in compatibility mode. Who needs all that hassle?
- The only program I'd have which runs in 64-bit is MS Office 2010. All of the others run in 32-bit mode and are relegated to another \Program Files directory.

The inability to print at the office is a killer criteria for me. Until this can be resolved I'm stuck with 32-bit, which wastes a lot of available RAM! NCP Secure Entry Client allows a VPN connection in 64-bit Windows, but it costs a fortune! Other than the ability to use all of your available RAM I see no real advantage to installing Windows 7 64-bit.

[TBi]

I've got Windows 7 installed in a Boot Camp partition of my MacBook Pro 13" with 8 GB RAM, so I'd prefer the 64-bit version. Unfortunately, since I use this laptop for office work and have had numerous problems with 64-bit I've been forced to go back to the 32-bit version:
- Cisco VPN Client has no support for 64-bit versions of Windows
- I cannot install a 64-bit driver for our office printer since none is available
- When running the Boot Camp partition via VMware Fusion I can easily split the RAM to provide 3 GB for the Windows 7 system while leaving plenty for Snow Leopard
- I've had a lot of problems installing Windows Boot Camp 64-bit drivers. The installer can't be used directly, and the .msi executable can only be run in compatibility mode. Who needs all that hassle?
- The only program I'd have which runs in 64-bit is MS Office 2010. All of the others run in 32-bit mode and are relegated to another \Program Files directory.

The inability to print at the office is a killer criteria for me. Until this can be resolved I'm stuck with 32-bit, which wastes a lot of available RAM! NCP Secure Entry Client allows a VPN connection in 64-bit Windows, but it costs a fortune! Other than the ability to use all of your available RAM I see no real advantage to installing Windows 7 64-bit.

That sounds like a pain. Problem with work environment is that IT updates are slow!

I just read that Cisco have a "Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client" which supposedly supports 64bit. Your office will need to install a 64 bit print server (ours recently did). The Bootcamp installer problem should be remedied by apple. Although i was under the impression that they had released 64-bit drivers/installer recently.

If you were hardcore you could install 64bit 7 and use XP-Mode for legacy stuff. :)

Just remember that Apple will have these 64-bit woes too when they change over to running in a pure 64-bit environment. Currently, unless you force it on, your Macbook runs OSX in a hybrid 32/64 bit mode. The main OS/drivers run in 32-bit but applications can use 64-bit if necessary.

[ssn637]

I just found a Beta version of Cisco's VPN Client which works with Windows 7 64-bit systems. Just tested it on a clean installation of Windows 7 x64 and it worked just fine.
I was also able to install the office printer driver manually by first downloading and installing the necessary HP driver package and then adding the printer via a local port, using the share address of the printer as the port name (\\Printer share\Printer name).
I can now recommend the 64-bit version of Windows 7 to anyone who has over 4 GB of RAM installed.

[archdelux]

I just found a Beta version of Cisco's VPN Client which works with Windows 7 64-bit systems. Just tested it on a clean installation of Windows 7 x64 and it worked just fine.
I was also able to install the office printer driver manually by first downloading and installing the necessary HP driver package and then adding the printer via a local port, using the share address of the printer as the port name (\\Printer share\Printer name).
I can now recommend the 64-bit version of Windows 7 to anyone who has over 4 GB of RAM installed.

I will be running Windows 7 via parallels on my MBP (4gb ram). I won't be playing any games or anything like that--I assume that 32bit would be better for me because I wouldn't see any benefit from 64bit, right?

[TBi]

I will be running Windows 7 via parallels on my MBP (4gb ram). I won't be playing any games or anything like that--I assume that 32bit would be better for me because I wouldn't see any benefit from 64bit, right?

I'd future proof and go 64-bit. You lose nothing and gain a lot.

[archdelux]

I'd future proof and go 64-bit. You lose nothing and gain a lot.

oh, ok; thanks for the advice. The reason I was concerned was because a lot of people have been saying that bare minimum for 64bit is 4gb ram total, so I didn't want to just run the bare minimum and end up having a slower experience in the future in BOTH operating systems just to get 64bit which doesn't seem to have much benefit.

Anyway - I trust from your answer, that this will not be the case?

[TBi]

oh, ok; thanks for the advice. The reason I was concerned was because a lot of people have been saying that bare minimum for 64bit is 4gb ram total, so I didn't want to just run the bare minimum and end up having a slower experience in the future in BOTH operating systems just to get 64bit which doesn't seem to have much benefit.

Anyway - I trust from your answer, that this will not be the case?

I don't recall ever reading that 64-bit 7 needs more memory than 32-bit 7. I'd say whoever said it was misinformed.

I've ran it on 1GB of memory and it worked fine (albeit a little slow).

[balamw]

I don't recall ever reading that 64-bit 7 needs more memory than 32-bit 7. I'd say whoever said it was misinformed.

I've ran it on 1GB of memory and it worked fine (albeit a little slow).

Tell it to Microsoft:

http://windows.microsoft.com/systemrequirements

1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

Minimum RAM and HDD requirements for 64 bit are higher, and in practice it will take more RAM as soon as you run a 32 bit app since it needs to load both 64 and 32 bit versions of common DLLs.

B

[pliez]

Hi
I have a late 2008 MBP bought it 10days before the unibody came out 2.4GHz 4GB of ram and have just upgraded from leopard by means of a clean install of snow leopard. i need to put windows 7 professional 64bit on using bootcamp and need to know where to get it from.

i have found a couple of things on amazon and wondered if i would encounter problems with the cheaper one?

retail----> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Windows-Professional-Full-Version/dp/B002DUCMTC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1273059285&sr=8-1

oem?oei?----> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Windows-Professional-English-Pack/dp/B002NGQLIE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1273059353&sr=8-2

is there a cheaper option than the ones i have found?

i am a student and eligible for the upgrade to windows 7 in that i have an email educational institution email address, but don't own a copy of windows to upgrade from and want to do a clean install within bootcamp anyway so i presume the only thing to do is get a retail version of windows 7 pro (64bit) or can i get the one mentioned above despite the description mentioning it as not being suitable for macs!

Thanks
Pliez

[balamw]

can i get the one mentioned above despite the description mentioning it as not being suitable for macs!

Licensing issues vary country to country, so your mileage (l / 100 km) may vary.

Officially according to Microsoft, OEM/System Builder is not intended or licensed for end users, but it is intended for someone who will build and resell a computer to a non-related third party. So you are using it outside the license.

In general most "upgrade" versions like the one you can get via most student deals can be installed cleanly via boot camp. The installer does not check for a previous version of Windows even if it says it is supposed to. When W7 first came out there was much discussion over the win741.com $29 deal and the fact that it didn't clearly say "upgrade" except in some very fine print. Several MR users sought clarification from Microsoft and were told it was actually OK to install. If it is packaged as a .EXE, several MR users reported success in downloading an ISO (from Microsoft) and using the provided product key. (Can you send a link or quote the part that says it is not suitable for Macs? this might help rule it in or out.) Instructions for clean install from upgrade are here: http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp

The retail version of course is the most flexible and has no question that you are staying within the license. If you ever intend to move the license to another machine, this is definitely the one you should get.

So both the student deal and OEM should work, though you may be operating outside the license, while the retail is the most flexible for long term.

B

[pliez]

Hi
Thanks for the clear information! I will go ahead and get the full retail version as like you said its the most flexible.

Thanks

[Rick Maahea]

I just installed Win 7 Pro x64 on my Mid-2009 MacBook which is not on Apple's compatibility list. When they say not compatible, they mean it. I just spent literally about 8 hours looking around and trying a little of this and a little of that and I finally got everything working like it should now. Built-in keyboard, trackpad, and everything is going smoothly now. The Snow Leopard DVD won't install Boot Camp, so I manually installed the x64 drivers off of the CD and got basic functionality. After that I managed to get a version of Boot Camp downloaded and installed. It did not show up after I installed it, so I found a later version and updated it, and yet a later version (3.1) and updated yet again. I restarted and no BootCamp control panel or anything. Only a little bit of trackpad functionality and keyboard functionality (no volume, disk eject, or brigtness or that "f'n" key). After trying to scour the internet (and Apple's Windows download section) I just logged out and back in and BAM. Everything fine and boot camp going good. So yes, it can be done, but no, it's not easy!


Its july 2011, my MBP is a 6.2, which if i am not mistaken is an 2009 model (idk i got it last year through the college i had been attending), I've dual booted win7 ultimate 32 twice on my mac now (did a clean restore between the two installs of the whole computer for unrelated reasons) and I had absolutely no problems at all. I am getting ready to re-install windows 7 again because of some regedit fudging on my part and I'm thinking, and willing to bet that this time the 64 bit version will work even better. just my two cents on a topic that ended a long time ago :) i'll update next week with the results...grats by the way, it has taken me a very very long time to decide to register with macforums, and I've read very few posts that convinced me I should, but your particular post did the trick.

[MJL]

Its july 2011, my MBP is a 6.2, which if i am not mistaken is an 2009 model (idk i got it last year through the college i had been attending), I've dual booted win7 ultimate 32 twice on my mac now (did a clean restore between the two installs of the whole computer for unrelated reasons) and I had absolutely no problems at all. I am getting ready to re-install windows 7 again because of some regedit fudging on my part and I'm thinking, and willing to bet that this time the 64 bit version will work even better. just my two cents on a topic that ended a long time ago :) i'll update next week with the results...grats by the way, it has taken me a very very long time to decide to register with macforums, and I've read very few posts that convinced me I should, but your particular post did the trick.

Buy "total uninstall 5" - it can save you reinstalling. And while you are at it get for free TweakUAC and switch it to silent mode. I would not be without either of those two, they are the first thing I install (and in that order).

[Summez]

I have run 32 bit Windows 7 and 64bit windows 7 on an iMac 27. I think 64 bit is better, also if you have more ram 64 bit allows it to be used.