When will Microsoft kill 32-bit Windows OS, and haven't they yet?

[Ink]

What's stopping Microsoft from ending Windows 32-bit alll together?

Apple, Google and even Canonical (Ubuntu) have / plan to stop 32-bit OS releases.

 

[Andytay70]

I think 32bit is past it and less secure.

 

[omidomi]

may be hardware company want force people to buy new hardware

 

[frogboy]

I have always the 64-bit version of any given software if available, 32-bit is outdated to the max.

 

[LabZero]

Agreed, 64bit OS is more secure also because it only accepts signed kernel drivers. (see about rootkit).
But about PatchGuard, the monitored areas are just a possible part of the system that can be attacked by a rootkit to infect the Windows kernel. In other words PachGuard has now been bypassed.

 

[NekoHr]

Ever since windows 7 I don't see why average home user would opt for 32bit instead 64 bit version.

 

[jamescv7]

Well likely 32 bit Windows holds some large percentage of population usage of that O.S and killing it dramatically will turn out to big problem.

Big problem where some could not afford to upgrade.

 

[NekoHr]

Well likely 32 bit Windows holds some large percentage of population usage of that O.S and killing it dramatically will turn out to big problem.

Big problem where some could not afford to upgrade.

Yes there is large percentage of 32bit Windows out there but by stopping releasing new 32Bit Windows nothing really changes for them.

Older Windows (XP, Vista, 7) would continue to work as they have even if Microsoft never released Win8 32bit, programs they have installed would work, drivers would work. What would happen would be that newer versions of programs would eventually move from 32/64bit to only 64bit an than would not work anymore on that machines.

Realistically do you really need XP or Vista 32bit and Office 2016 and Adobe Suite 2016?

 

[Myriad]

No time soon I hope !

There is a vast amount of legacy software that runs as a 32-bit process , even though it is on 64-bit machines
..... hence " SysWow" on Windows systems.

There are also a loads of perfectly good 32-bit laptops around that still have a long and useful life ahead of them .
They are just the thing for people wanting to try out Linux , for instance .
Also great for older folks who are keen to get on-line for the first time , without the expense of a brand new rig.


Example -
I was recently given a Fujitsu-Siemens machine that I have upgraded a little ( larger RAM and HDD ) and made
into a dual-boot 32-bit W7 and Linux rig that runs sweet !
( I was lucky in having a genuine 32-bit W7 install disk that had never been registered )

 

[shmu26]

isn't 32 bit used in inexpensive tablets, to save space?
anyways, it is very useful in virtual machines, because it runs even without defining the special virtualization settings in the BIOS, which are needed for x64 VMs.

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

Awesome question Huracan
This is still a ways off, agreed it should have happened way before now, but it's people
holding up this transition not hardware or it's cost.
PeAcE

 

[Aura]

Probably when manufacturer will stop selling what they call "computers" with 1 or 2GB of RAM. The minimum amount of RAM in any computer should be at least 4GB, otherwise under that, it's not worth using 64-bit version of Windows in my opinion since the memory you'll loose from running 32-bit processes will be too big.

 

[Andytay70]

Most Net books work on 32bit i remember my brother buying his daughter a netbook and it was 32bit and no CD/DVD drive! Not sure if they still make them now?

 

[StriderHunterX]

Believe it or not,thank god they haven't killed it yet.

I had to service an specific setup a few days ago.That PC needed to run a software (apparently) tailored made for 32bit....I broke my head trying to make it run in a x64 enviroment with no success.

Installed Windows 7SP1 x86=Done deal.I also made sure that it would run on Windows 10 x86 and it does.The future of the machine is good for quite a while,at least.

 

[done]

Probably when manufacturer will stop selling what they call "computers" with 1 or 2GB of RAM. The minimum amount of RAM in any computer should be at least 4GB, otherwise under that, it's not worth using 64-bit version of Windows in my opinion since the memory you'll loose from running 32-bit processes will be too big.

Yep correct. minimum 4gig. 32 bit is more stable and less space consumption but less secured.

 

[hjlbx]

Too many users and Enterprises still on 32 bit. If Microsoft would announce a 32 bit phase-out, there'd be open revolt in the streets...

Backwards compatibility is a must. Enterprises use systems 20... even 30 years old. They will continue to use that equipment until every single piece of equipment does not work or cannot be replaced.

 

[Deleted member 178]

MS won't need to kill it, your hardware's vendors will