XP 64bit

"Yousaf" wrote in message
news:7c2aefea-5338-4915-bd9f-c0c64d29ad2c@i7g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
> Just bought a new Dell Inspiron 530 which came with a 32 bit Vista
> Basic. I want to remove this and clean install Win XP 64 as my main
> home desktop. Due to fact I work from home, it is imperative that
> Win
> XP 64 works like a production system.
>
> So far, I have read negative reviews about XP 64 bit. Mostly people
> mention driver issues. I just wanted to know if that is still the
> case. Is there anyone out there who has a similar system and has
> been
> using XP 64 bit? If so please reply to this post and let me know how
> you got on.


We did have some hardware that had no 64-bit drivers so lost its use
under Windows XP x64. Luckily it got moved to the old 32-bit computer
running Windows 2000 and we could enable sharing on it or use file
sharing to get the data to the other host.

However, we have run across applications that won't run under Windows
XP x64. The latest bout is with Acronis True Image v11 that claims
support for this OS. It hangs when defining a backup job at the
screen that would normally list the devices from which we could select
a destination. Been working on this one with Acronis for about 3
weeks now. The user also has some graphics programs (not games) that
won't run under this OS, and getting fed up with the battle and
leaning towards installing Windows XP Pro 32-bit on the 64-bit
hardware.

Once past the 64-bit driver issue, what gets me is that applications
that won't run under Windows XP x64 will run under Windows Vista x64.
Apparently Microsoft did a bad hack job on Windows 2003 (server) to
make it into Windows XP x64.

Yousaf wrote:
> Just bought a new Dell Inspiron 530 which came with a 32 bit Vista
> Basic. I want to remove this and clean install Win XP 64 as my main
> home desktop. Due to fact I work from home, it is imperative that
> Win XP 64 works like a production system.
>
> So far, I have read negative reviews about XP 64 bit. Mostly people
> mention driver issues. I just wanted to know if that is still the
> case. Is there anyone out there who has a similar system and has
> been using XP 64 bit? If so please reply to this post and let me
> know how you got on.

It all depends on what you run (software), what hardware you have connected
and if 64-bit drivers are available for all the hardware you will be using,
etc.

Since you have pointed none of that out except that you have an Inspiron 530
(which does not seem to have Dell Drivers available to run Windows XP x64 :
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&cs=19&...n&s=dhs -
so it may not even be possible to do what you are trying to do) - there's
not much anyone culd do to tell you if what you want to do would work
(beyond what I have.)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Try asking the folks on microsoft.public.windows.64bit.general, they
would be the ones with hands on experience, the XP64 experts hang out
over there.

John

Yousaf wrote:

> Hi all
>
> Just bought a new Dell Inspiron 530 which came with a 32 bit Vista
> Basic. I want to remove this and clean install Win XP 64 as my main
> home desktop. Due to fact I work from home, it is imperative that Win
> XP 64 works like a production system.
>
> So far, I have read negative reviews about XP 64 bit. Mostly people
> mention driver issues. I just wanted to know if that is still the
> case. Is there anyone out there who has a similar system and has been
> using XP 64 bit? If so please reply to this post and let me know how
> you got on.
>
> Thanks
> Yousaf

"Yousaf" <yousaf.hassan.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7c2aefea-5338-4915-bd9f-c0c64d29ad2c@i7g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Hi all
>
> Just bought a new Dell Inspiron 530 which came with a 32 bit Vista
> Basic. I want to remove this and clean install Win XP 64 as my main
> home desktop.

I have to say that this sounds like a very bad plan.

> Due to fact I work from home, it is imperative that Win
> XP 64 works like a production system.

Frankly, that statement makes the plan look even worse.

As far as I can see from the Dell site, that system ships *only* with Vista.

This means that Dell did not create XP drivers for it, not 32 or 64 bit,
and that means that you will are guaranteed to experience problems if you
try to install and run any version of XP on it.

Key sections of hardware are likely to just not work.

> So far, I have read negative reviews about XP 64 bit. Mostly people
> mention driver issues. I just wanted to know if that is still the
> case.

Drivers are normally written by hardware manufacturers. You have to check
with the manufacturers of the hardware you have for this.

But in your case, Dell doesn't appear to publish motherboard chipset, video,
network, or any other drivers for XP in any version for your system.

And if there are no drivers, the hardware won't even work to the point where
you could say it had issues.

> Is there anyone out there who has a similar system and has been
> using XP 64 bit?

Most people who have a need for a 64-bit OS are not using a lower-end
system. They, or their employers, have paid a lot extra because they need
the capabilities that a 64-bit OS provides, and they have 64-bit
applications that require a 64-bit OS.

XP 64-bit isn't chosen for stability (any OS should be stable), but rather
for abililities like addressing large amounts of RAM memory, over 4 gig, and
they have 64-bit applications that can handle files that size and larger.

However, the Inspiron 530 motherboard doesn't appear to support any more
than 3 gig of RAM, which means that installing a 64-bit OS on it is wholly
pointless - even if it is possible. You will pay extra and go to a lot of
trouble for no tangible benefit.

> If so please reply to this post and let me know how
> you got on.
>
> Thanks
> Yousaf

I would suggest that you're starting at the wrong place.

The place to start is determining whether 64-bit drivers even exist for your
system and its hardware.

If the drivers don't exist, any reports on the stability of XP 64 are,
frankly, meaningless. They are just stories. And attempting an install
is asking for a dysfunctional, or non-functional, system. It certainly
won't give you a production-grade system.

Windows XP 64 bit edition is normally sold as an OEM version, already
installed on a system. This ensures the end user that drivers DO exist and
that the system will be reliable.

HTH
-pk