MS Non-Support

Published 1 May 8 1:33 PM | Charlie Russel

One of my favourite fellow MVPs, Barb Bowman, posted a rant today about the latest Microsoft product to ship with no support for 64-bit users. In this case, a "professional" photographic tools application, Pro Photo Tools v1.

For shame, Microsoft. It's your OS. Support it! Barb is, as usual, right.

Charlie.

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Comments

# Allan H. said on June 12, 2008 5:33 AM:

and the most criminal oversight regarding lack of support for  x64?

Vista transfer settings and files transfer wizard will not work on a 64-bit system.

So even trying to leave it behind is not supported by Microsoft !

cheers,

Allan H.

# Charlie Russel said on June 13, 2008 12:30 AM:

Actually, that's somply not true. I've used Windows Easy Transfer (WET) on several different Vista 64-bit machines.

# Russ said on July 9, 2008 11:39 PM:

Worse than that is the fact that Flash is STILL NOT 64bit.

# Charlie Russel said on July 10, 2008 12:50 AM:

How is that MS's fault? I'm sorry, but that's pure Adobe. And, frankly, I don't care that it isn't. It allows me to run 64-bit IE whenever I want to be sure I don't have to deal with flash. MS has done their job by making sure that 32-bit IE is not only supported on x64, but actually the default

# Allan H. said on July 18, 2008 4:45 AM:

Charlie,

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner. It's been a hectic here.

Regarding your 13 June 2008 post regarding easy transfer - I didn't quite make myself clear.

I was actually referring to Windows XP Professional x64.

I don't know whether Microsoft have a policy in the area, but it seems to me that a lot of people - and your post is a good example - assumes that the term "x64" refers just Vista 64-bit version.

Two questions then:

1. what is the recommended way to transfer files and settings Windows XP professional x64 machine to a windows Vista premium (32-bit) machine, and

2.  should references to x64 explicitly identify whether it is XP x64, or Vista x64?

# Charlie Russel said on July 18, 2008 8:16 AM:

The Windows Easy Transfer (WET) wizard in Vista (both 32-bit and 64-bit) works against Windows XP. Use that. To transfer files from XP 32-bit to XP x64, use the updated Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. msmvps.com/.../65120.aspx. Which has now been pushed down to all XP machines over WU/MU if you've let it be.

I don't assume XP or Vista when I read 64-bit. I check. I've been on 64-bit for over three years now, after all.

Charlie.

# Allan H. said on July 20, 2008 2:29 AM:

Charlie,

thanks for pointing that out. . My original post should have pointed out that I was trying to transfer files and settings from a Windows XP professional x64 box to a Vista home premium 32-bit box.

(I was having a go at the lack of support for XP Pro x64, but it appears that the problem is a little more fundamental. As your link clearly points out (support.microsoft.com):

"Note You cannot migrate a user state from a computer that is running an x64-based version of a Windows operating system to a computer that is running a 32-bit version of a Windows operating system.")

Clearer wording on June 12 could have been "32-bit Vista transfer settings and files transfer wizard will not work on a 64-bit system. "

As I am about to repeat the exercise (don't ask...) what is the best way of transferring files and settings Windows XP professional x64 machine to a 32-bit Vista box?

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