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Windows XP Professional x64 Edition?

Dave, woah! I just heard about a new version of Windows XP that's coming out of Microsoft next week called "Windows XP Professional x64 Edition"? What's the scoop with that, and how do I know if I need to pay for the upgrade?


Dave's Answer:

My pal Patrick Crispen over at the superb Internet Tourbus actually just covered this question in their usual exhaustive detail, and with permission, I'm reprinting their material here too.

Over the next few weeks your favorite media outlets are going to tell you about a new version of Windows XP -- "Windows XP Professional x64 Edition"--that is faster and more efficient, supports up to 128 gigabytes of RAM [250 to 500 times more RAM than most XP users currently have], and even lets you run two single or multi-core processors at the same time.

This new version of Windows is a godsend for anyone who does processor-intensive academic research or corporate database manipulation. Best of all, if you already have Windows XP Professional running on your computer, you can upgrade to Windows XP Professional x64 Edition at no charge.

So, you should rush out and upgrade to this new version of Windows immediately, right? WRONG! What the media ISN'T going to tell you is that unless you routinely use your computer to do complex arithmetic functions with integers between 0 and 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 [the number of pennies under Bill Gates' couch cushion], Windows XP Professional x64 Edition simply isn't meant for you. Worse still, you have to have a special type of computer -- one with a brand new Intel Xeon, Intel Itanium, or AMD Athlon 64 processor running inside of it -- to be able to run this new version of Windows.

How can you tell what type of processor is inside of your computer? Simple!

  1. Go to Start --> Run
  2. In the box that appears, type sysdm.cpl
  3. Press the Enter key on your keyboard

This opens your computer's System Properties control panel. You can also get to the System Properties control panel by pressing both the Windows [flag] key and the Pause/Break key at the same time or by right-clicking on your My Computer icon and choosing Properties. But where's the fun in that?

In the System Properties control panel, the first thing that appears is the General tab. In the top right quadrant of the general tab, find out what operating system you are running. To be able to upgrade to the new version of XP you MUST be running Windows XP Professional. If you see the words "Home Edition," "Windows ME," "Windows 98," "Windows 95," or "Greetings Professor Falken, shall we play a game," anywhere on the general tab, you're out of luck. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will not run on your computer [although you can still play a nice game of global thermonuclear war on that last example.]

Once you have verified you're running Windows XP Professional, glance at the bottom right quadrant of the General tab and look for the words "Xeon," "Itanium," or "Athlon 64." If you don't see any of these words -- if, instead, you see the words "Pentium," "Celeron," Centrino," Duron," "Athlon," "Boron," "Cesium," "Gluttony," "Sloth," "Avarice," or anything else [including no words at all] -- walk away. There's nothing to see here. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will *NOT* run on your computer.

If, however, you do have a Xeon, Itanium, or Athlon 64 processor, you're good to go. Your computer is [probably] powerful enough to run Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. Hop on over to this website to exchange your old, 32-bit version of Windows XP Pro for a new copy of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.

    http://microsoft.productorder.com/clientx64

BUT be aware that 64-bit device drivers are as rare as elephants in Antarctica. Many of your computer's peripherals including your DVD burner, sound card, and home-built PVR interface will probably not work once you upgrade to Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.

So, to sum up, there is a new version of Windows XP specifically designed for processor-intensive academic research and corporate database manipulation. You can upgrade to this new version at no
charge, but:

  • You have to be currently running Windows XP Professional.
  • You have to have a 64-bit processor like a Xeon, Itanium, or Athlon 64.
  • Once you upgrade, your computer's peripherals may no longer Work [at least until manufacturers start making 64-bit device drivers.]

My suggestion: Even if you can upgrade to XP Professional x64, don't. Instead, wait until the next version of Windows (codename Longhorn) is released later this year, um, next year, um, sometime this side of the millennium. Not only will you get the latest operating system, my guess is that a LOT more peripherals will work with Longhorn than will work with XP Professional X64 [other things held equal.]

I hope this helps!


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Reader Comments To Date: 12

Ken said, on June 10, 2005 3:54 AM:

I experimented with a dual-boot 32-bit and 64-bit XP Pro for a short while.
I agree wholeheartedly... unless you're doing something you probably won't be doing, don't even bother 'upgrading' to 64-bit.
I did a few unofficial benchmark tests (1- rendering the same Bryce 3d image in pure 32-bit and in WOW 32-bit), and WOW was slower on all tests for the programs I use.
Nothing to see here. ;)

john galt said, on June 12, 2005 7:43 PM:

I installed Win64 about 3 weeks back, and had no driver problem whatsoever. The OS is rock solid, and I have even removed the x32 installation of XP.

Am now looking to install FC4 x64 next week!

Do take the plunge, guys!

eddie said, on February 11, 2007 6:52 PM:

Q:
i got duo processor nd bought vista ultimate and i got 32 bit and 64 bit included in it
i got xps 700 dell with dual duo processor by intel
i wanted to install 64X and it did not let me do it and i spoke to microsoft and they told me that tht probelem is that it would not let me go to 64X form 32(upgrade). so i thought i have to download 64X and after installing it i can upgrade it to 64X vista
do yu think that it is possible or what else should i do
thanks

rae said, on March 14, 2007 5:20 AM:

i have i problem i have all my rego numbers for words xp but have lost the disk and my computer has been reboosted. can you help so it doesn't cost me again?

mat nayman said, on September 12, 2007 8:51 AM:

i have recently purchased a mac book pro but i need to run a program from my office that requires windows xp. is there a particular version that i should buy? is an oem version ok does it have to be pro any specific service pac s pre loaded? thanks a mill in advance.

Aleksejs said, on January 24, 2008 6:35 PM:

One good thing is that 64 allow you to install more than 3 gb of memory andd with 16 gig it runs FAST!

Alex S said, on January 31, 2008 4:03 PM:

"my guess is that a LOT more peripherals will work with Longhorn than will work with XP Professional X64"

Oh, how funny that sounds now ;)

bc said, on March 2, 2008 10:14 AM:

I have attempted numerous times to install windows office sp3 on windows xp 64 and every time it fails is there something I can do.

Dave Taylor said, on March 2, 2008 10:30 AM:

bc, can you give us a sense of HOW it fails? Do you get some sort of error message? Does your system crash? What happens?

Charles Earwood said, on September 12, 2008 5:39 PM:

I want to run win xp pro 32 on one hard drive on my computer. and want to run win xp 64 on another HD on the same computer. Can this be accomplished.

Mike said, on September 29, 2008 5:35 PM:

I have a video game and it said I need a 16 MB video card and I dont know if I have a software like that in my computer, can you please help?

Frankie Stone said, on March 1, 2010 11:52 AM:

I have information that needs to get out to the public concerning a new Lenovo laptop.I received a new Lenovo W700ds in late January 2010 that was configured as a raid 0 and I wanted a raid1. After one month of calling the Lenovo helpline and conversing on the Lenovo forum a poster - just 8 days ago now - posted that they were having the same problem and had access to their boss' W700 with a previous generation CD drive and using that older drive had been able to build their system. I located and tried an older drive and was then able to build my raid1 the first try.the new problem drives' FRU P/N is 45N7465. The two old drives that have now worked are FRU P/N: 42T2537 and FRU P/N: 42T2515.repeating - the new drive only starts and recovers when the bios is set to "Compatibility" and will not even whimper when the bios is set to either AHCI or RAID.Please put this out there.Thanks,Frankie Stone

Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











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