Vista Ultimate 64-bit--also 32-bit?

I ordered my new system w/Vista Ultimate 64-bit. On my desktop computer, I've been using ZoneAlarm Security Suite on XP Pro, and when I went to the ZA website to find the Vista version of ZASS, I discovered that it will only run on 32-bit Vista, not 64-bit.

One of the gurus there said when you order 64-bit Vista, you actually get both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and to choose 32-bit for now so I can install ZASS. (ZoneAlarm the company says they don't know when--or even if--ZASS will be available in a 64-bit version.)

So my question: have any of you ordered and received HP laptops w/64-bit Vista? And if so, does it also include the 32-bit version, or only the 64-bit?

If only the 64-bit, what are you doing for a security suite? I read a reference to an article in PC Mag on the ZoneAlarm site that the reason security software won't work on 64-bit Vista is because the OS kernel is so locked down, even the good software like ZASS won't work.

So what are you guys doing for security?

 

You need to get a hold of a Windows install disc and install Ultimate 32-bit. I believe that the key under your laptop will allow this install since retail versions of Ultimate come with 32/64 bit versions.

 

Your new system will come with the 64bit version, and it will be an OEM key. If my understanding is correct, a 64bit OEM key will NOT work for a 32bit installation. So you will need to purchase a new license for Vista, I think.

 

LOL, I like the uncertainty.

OP, if you try it, please tell us if it works.

 

FYI...
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=103533

 

X32 security software won't work on it. When I was on X64 Betas I used AVAST Pro Beta X64.

For firewall, windows' integrated does the job, and for viruses, I don't think you can be affected by 32bit viruses.

I'm on Vista 32bits since 4 months and I don't even have a security software installed!

 

My HP8510w came w/ both sets of reinstall disks.
During first boot I had the choice of 32 or 64 bit.

 

Bloody hell! Bloody, bloody, MF hell! Wasn't the typhoon enough?

@swarmer: thanks for the nod to NOD32 AV.

Just checked Newegg--32-bit Vista Ultimate OEM is $180, and I believe you need to buy some sort of hardware "intended" for a system build to get it.

Guess I'll see when the laptop comes. I'm a bit uneasy about wiping the OS and installing a different version, since I'm aware that Vista drivers are still a bit hinky, and I really wasn't planning to do a complete reinstall of everything right out of the box.

Do any of you have much experience w/Vista's built-in security? (Just considering using Vista's security puts my stomach in a knot.)

EDIT: Oops... this tirade was supposed to be a couple posts higher, then it would have been slightly less silly.

 

I hope I get that choice as well. I'll let everyone know what happens.

 

Okay, I've calmed down...

But while I'm thinking about it: Is there any advantage to running the 64-bit Vista, should I decide to go that way?

I never really thought about it much till I ordered the laptop, and Vista 64 was an option that I chose, but what might I gain by running the 64 instead of the 32?

Since I last posted, I've also discovered that Norton Internet Security 2007 will run on Vista 64, according to the Symantec site; it upgrades you to NIS 2008. I have NIS 2007 running on the family computer (i.e. the "other" computer) instead of ZoneAlarm, because I got tired of the whining about ZA throwing alerts. NIS doesn't throw alerts; it handles malware attempts itself. Which is exactly why I didn't use it on "my" machine--I like to know what's going on, and ZA always let me know. Apparently in a rare moment of generosity, Symantec is letting users of NIS 2007 who are migrating to Vista, upgrade to NIS 2008 for free.

Anyway, tho I would miss using ZA, if there is some clear, forward-looking advantage to using 64-bit Vista, I can live w/using NIS as my security suite. So what do you guys who are using Vista 64 think?

 

I'd stick with 64-bit and find software vendors who are more clueful than the ZoneAlarm folks. There's no excuse for software to still be 64-bit-hostile in most cases. Vista should have been 64-bit-only to force vendors to get their act together.

You'll need 64-bit if you upgrade to 4GB RAM. That's the biggest advantage right now. Some software, such as the Java VM, runs faster 64-bit native. AMD cleaned up much of the x86 instruction set's brain damage when they designed x86-64.

 

I'd say stick with the 64-bit as well. At the moment more and more vendors are working on 64-bit programs, because lets face it 64-bit is the future. Right now 32 pipelines on the CPU are being wasted, don't you want to put those to good use? As brianstretch said, I think that Vista should have been 64-bit only as well, but no one was ready for it even though 64-bit processors have been out for years. Anyways I'm just hoping that on Microsoft's next OS they only offer 64-bit and force software companies to get with the times.

 

Biggest thing to consider is that Vista 32 is 32bit and 16bit.
Vista 64 is 64 bit and 32 bit. 16 bit applications will NOT run.

Quickbooks '03 for example won't run in V64. Neither will a MRP package I have called Jobshop (ms access based.) I've found a few other apps I need which don't play nice in V64 either.

It all depends on what you need to do. As the others note, V64 is the future. It's bleeding edge. 5yrs from now it'll be the standard, but today, there are very few apps which can take advantage of it and if you aren't in this category it's a novelty toy.

Yes, I'm running it, but dual booting to XP (which runs about 20-30% faster with everything else being the same.)

 

Okay. The laptop finally arrived yesterday. And upon firing it up for the first time, I did not have a choice between 32-bit or 64-bit Vista Ultimate--it came w/the 64-bit version preinstalled only. After it got running, it did all those usual things Windows does when it comes preinstalled on a new computer (tho blessedly more quickly, I'm happy to report). And even tho I did not ask to have NIS2007 preinstalled, it was already on there as a trial version. Needing a security solution for this 64-bit OS right away, and knowing ZA was not going to be able to provide it, I let NIS 2007 go ahead and update to NIS 2008. (I already have a subscription to NIS for 3 computers, so all I had to do was enter my reg key and it stopped bugging me.)

I got this reply from one of the gurus at ZoneAlarm, as to why no 64-bit version coming:

"Most antivirus vendors do have enterprise antiviruses and security suites. This does include the 64 bit OS, since they have to get or obtain or keep that enterprise market. From the enterprise/commercial solutions these antivirus vendors just create a home user from the commercial software.

But Zone Alarm has no server firewalls or server suites or enterprise/commercial software. Zone Alarm is strictly a desktop solution and is still really concentrated heavily on the home user's 32 bit OS. So Zone Alarm never entered the 64 bit realm as the others have already done.

There will be a 64 bit firewall from Zone Labs, but not for some time in the near future. The Zone Alarm for the 64 bit OS will only be around when more home users are using 64 OS and not the 32 (as the majority is using now). Zone Alarm is still really doing the 32 bit OS and only as the trend changes, will it finally step up to 64 OS."

Anyway, even tho NIS is a lot more obtuse to configure than ZA--it was meant to be an idiot-proof, set-it-and-forget-it solution--I'll be tinkering around w/it to get it running as smoothly as is possible w/anything that spews from the bowels of Symantec. (Which is why I'm sending this from my hardwired Ethernet connected desktop--it took most of the afternoon yesterday to get the laptop basically configured, and I'm not yet confident I've got NIS secured enough to run wirelessly.)

Anyway, that's the report. I appreciate everyone's advice and help.

 

This is only true for the retail version of Vista Ultimate, that you buy in the store. It does not apply to the OEM version that comes with your laptop. So you only get the 64bit version.

Actually, that's not the case. The keys will work equally the same on 32bit and 64bit. The key determines the SKU you can install (Premium, Ultimate, etc...), but not the architecture (32/64). If you have access to a disc with the other architecture, you can install that and it will work just fine (license issues not withstanding, though everything I have seen so far keeps this issue in a gray area).
......

64bit is really only useful right now if you have 4GB of RAM. It's indeed the future, but if you have too many driver or software issues, 32bit is still a good choice. The 64bit firewall is pretty good, and personally I am sticking with that until something like ZA comes out with a 64bit version. If you're home behind a NAT router, there's really no need for a firewall also running on your computer.

 

Only HP Bussiness Laptops come with 32/64 bit choices. The home laptops do not. I am not sure about the Bussiness desktops but they probally have the same thing. And I also know for a fact that hp home desktops do not get the 32/64 choice.

 

I did receive my notebook nx9420 with vista x32 and x64 bit version to select as a choice to install while i was setup for the first time, i selected x64 (i have 1GB ram with T7200 cpu) every thing was ok until i had power failier 4 times within 2 minutes. it was hard so hard for me cause it crashed and did not make recovery Dvd so! i called HP support and explained what happened so they told me i should buy recovery cd i agree and i asked for x64 bit version (that what i was runnng) next day i received it,WOW!!!!!

I called hp support to let them help me with installation cause i knew that MBR might be corrupted (maybe, when they start helping me installing and at page where it asks you what partition you want to install it i saw HP_RECOVERY partition (D and OS_TOOLS (E) partition told them that the answer was to delete them and make one partion i disagree inside my heart but they know!!? and at last after instllation is done i realize that was the x32 version they sent but they still insist that it is both 32 & 64 bit.
They order me another recovery cds and after 3 days i received it (free) and was the same as the first one x32 bit. after long discution they will take the sytem and restore it as i received it the first time but i ask them : why don't you just replace the harddrive ? Answer: we have to take s/n and p/n to match it i start laughing and said OK OK .
is HP Produsts deserve to be purchased after this treatment and custumor supprt?

Thank you for your time

 

A power failure like that sounds out of the ordinary, especially on a laptop. How did the power fail when a laptop has a battery? I have a consumer laptop, and for that the recovery disc will restore to when you opened the box, so I would expect that on a business laptop you would be given the choice of 32 or 64 bit after you finished doing the recovery. Also, if the MBR was corrupted, the recovery should also fix that.

Were you able to go through a full recovery, or did you stop when you saw it might be 32bit?

I think you are getting pretty good service if they sent you those discs overnight. Maybe that what you pay for with a business system, but it sounds like you are getting what you're supposed to be getting.

 

Hi Orev
i had power failure while the batery was a side and just before installing the second (extra one) .
i did receive recovery dvd i paid for over night but the replacement was received after 3 days.
Now my concern is that no one in HP support knows how to install from recobery partition that i still have before they ask me to delete it then format the drive and install vista from the dvd they sent, the problem is it was x32 bit

 

You could've just press f11 from the hd partition recovery.