Remember when….

With so many people making the move to windows 7 for reasons that include upgrades in their CAD software I thought I would address some of the common things I am seeing and hearing.  I have heard conflicting reports on if you should move to a 64-bit Operating System (OS) or not, and for the most part my answer is YES!

Windows 7 comes in a 34-bit version as well as a 64-bit and as I found on my new laptop you have to specify which version you want.  I thought by selecting Windows 7 Professional it was a given, but now a month and a half in I just realized that I was sent the 32-bit version.  The upgrade if you catch it early is an easy re-install.  For me at this point it means I have to start over again which I am not ready to do today.

To verify your version click the button then select CONTROL PANEL.  Once you are in the Control Panel, click the system and security option .  Once here you can click the SYSTEM option to see information about your system including the system type (32-bit or 64-bit).

Now why does it matter if you have 32 or 64-bit?

Memory, memory, memory.

If you are working on with large images, scans, Lidar or any other large data set this will make or break your production. Make sure you get the 64-bit of Windows 7 if you want to take advantage of all of that memory you purchased.

For more information follow the link below to go to Microsoft’s page on Memory Limits.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778(VS.85).aspx