Vista 32-bit or Win7 32-bit on FW?

Guys, do you know if I can clean install Vista 32-bit or Win7 32-bit on current FW laptop, such as FW355 or FW378? FW comes pre-installed with Vista Home Premium 64-bit.

I want to buy FW, however I am using an application that runs only on 32-bit Windows. If I cannot run 32-bit Windows on FW it is kind of a deal breaker for me.

Thank you!

 

The only applications that don't really run on 64bit software are ones that have 16bit installers. What app?

You might want to consider running a virtual machine assuming that your laptop supports VT.

 

That application is MATLAB from MathWorks. Some of its parts such as Symbolic Math Toolbox does not support 64-bit.

By virtual machine you mean running 64-bit as a main install and run 32-bit version as virtual machine?

 

If it comes with x64, you can run your 32bit. It's the ones that come with 32 preinstalled that may not be able to move up.

 

iam 99 percent sure you can run mathworks on vista 64bit. like greg said theonly programs that wont work are 16bit insatllers. if not create a virtual machine and put xp 32bit on it.

 

The FW190 is a 64-bit computer that came with Vista 32-bit, so the computer clearly supports 32-bit (there's a new one right now on clearance at the SonyStyle Outlet, for example).

The question which I have not been able to answer clearly is whether the purchase of Vista Ultimate still gives you license for both versions. If so, that is a possible solution: spring for the Ultimate version. If someone knows for sure, please post.

 

Thank you for the replies.

I contacted MathWorks they said I will be able to install their MATLAB product on 64-bit machine however some certain functions will not work. So I do need 32-bit Windows.

I actually have a copy of WinXP Pro 32-bit, I can install it as virtual machine? Does FW support VT? I have never done VT before. Will 4GB RAM be sufficient to run virtual machine?

At my understanding, I cannot clean install XP 32-bit on FW?

 

I am sure that FW supports 32-bit Windows, however SONY supplies drivers only for Vista 64-bit.

I do not really care about a flavor of Windows, it's either Basic, Premium, or Ultimate; what I need is to be able to install 32-bit - Win XP (not possible) or Vista 32-bit, or Win7 32-bit.

 

yes create a virtual machine by using microsoft virtual machine and install xp 32bit. you will only need to make a 3 or 4 gig partition.

 

Did you even look at Sony support?. All drivers are 32-bit.
Look here http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VGNFW190&LOC=3

 

FW190 is an older model - it's not offered anymore, at least not from Sony website. The current models are FW355, FW378, FW390.

 

Unfortunately, Intel VT is disabled on FW series : (( Is there a thread how to enable VT on FW?

Or, I can use MS Virtual PC, Anybody have tried that?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=350209

Works perfect.

 

It has been done - thank you for the link! And Win7 has Virtual XP - that's what I need.

I would be happier with Win XP 32-bit running on FW but looks like it is not possible.

 

Given that Sony declares that the FW290 series is clearly compatible with 32-bit OS ( http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VGNFW290&LOC=3), you can buy a FW290 new from the SONY Outlet where there are a dozen of them sitting or in retail on the Web.

The FW is going into its fourth generation in June (at least in Europe), yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the earlier model's drivers, etc. won't work on a later model machine. Actually, FW owners are lucky because there are compatible drivers on the support sites for all of the Windows operating systems.

It certainly seems to me, though, that the SONY esupport pages aren't really pontificating as to what is truly compatible but rather what the model series incarnations have been shipped with in their multiple retail and CTO configurations. This would mean that one should be able to run the 32-bit OS on the 390 series using the 190 site for drivers, etc.

Perhaps someone from SONY could chime in here (since some of them read these sites)?

 

Read post #3802 at this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=278446&page=381 for someone who installed Windows XP on a FW373 with drivers from a Japanese site.

Also, apparently, Sony used to have the drivers up on their American site because another thread at Notebookreview posted the URL but it now comes up as a no longer available Sony esupport site.

So, go ahead and get the FW third generation....

 

Thanks, Derrida, I was thinking the same that I could use drivers from the earlier models for the current model. Most of the hardware probably was not upgraded.