How satisfied are you with this reply?. Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site. Choose where you want to search below Search Search the Community. Search the community and support articles Windows Windows 10 Search Community member. Original Title: 64bit or 32bit? This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. I have the same question 1. Report abuse. Details required :. Cancel Submit. But seriously: what does that little x86 suffix mean and where it the real location where all your program files live?
My astute readers may have noticed that those esoteric x86 Program Files folders are only extant in 64 bit versions of Windows. The x86 version is there for backwards compatibility so that you can run 32bit applications on a 64bit OS. First of all I need to explain the rationale behind why Microsoft bifurcated windows into two bit versions :.
A bit is the fundamental, bare-bones, most basic unit of information in computing. The life of a computer is fairly mundane. To a computer everything is either true or false; which means everything is either one or zero.
So since a bit is either a 1 or 0 , a single bit can be expressed as the number two raised to the 1st power. Two raised to the second power means two multiplied by two. So we get 4 possibilities with 2 bits. With each bit that joins the pack, the rate of increase gets steeper and the slope rises faster. Because this means that a 32bit operating system can only provide 4. This is one of the reasons why a 64bit operating system is such a big deal because it means the OS will recognize RAM modules greater than that paltry 4gigs.
How can we guarantee that older 32bit applications running on 64bit operating systems keep running like normal 32bit applications? Windows applications comprise Dynamic Linked Libraries DLLs which are basically nuggets of programming code that is shared between applications.
For example, multiple applications might use a common method of interacting with files so by using DLLs, the OS can obviate the need for duplicate files and apportion access to those files in an optimal fashion. In other words, instead of loading a giant executable into memory, Windows can load just the right piece it needs to accomplish a specific task. The distinct 32bit and 64bit folders make it easy for Microsoft to redirect requests from 32bit applications to 32bit DLLs.
Non bit programs are stored in this directory to keep them separate from bit programs on a machine running a bit OS. It is possible to have two different versions of the same program. Best Drones. Best 4K TVs.
Best iPhone 13 Cases. Best Tech Gifts for Kids Aged Awesome PC Accessories. Best Linux Laptops. Best Bluetooth Trackers.
Best eReaders. Best Gaming Monitors. Best Android Phones. Browse All News Articles. Prey Predator Prequel Hulu. Window 11 SE Downgrade. Disney Plu TikTok. Windows 11 Default Browser Block. Teams in Windows 11 Taskbar. Smart TVs Ads. Team Comes to Workplace by Meta. Block People Spotify. Verizon Selling PS5. Windows 11 SE Explained.
Find Downloaded Files on an iPhone. Use Your iPhone as a Webcam. Hide Private Photos on iPhone. Take Screenshot by Tapping Back of iPhone. Should You Upgrade to Windows 11?
0コメント