Anyone still running Windows 7?

Just wanted to share that I finally managed to get rid of Acronis—took some work, but I did it. Upgrading from RC to RTM ended up taking less than three hours total. Windows feels brand new now; I can already tell it's running much smoother 😁

Hey everyone,

I'm currently running the operating system mentioned above. As most of you know, there are two different folders: Program Files and x86 Program Files.

I was wondering—why does a program designed for x64 end up installing itself into the x86 folder automatically?
Is it actually possible for me to manually change the installation path to Program Files, and if I did, would it then run as an x64 version?

Best, Lisa Gomez4

Basically, any 64-bit apps head straight into Program Files, while the 32-bit stuff gets tucked away in the x86 folder. Honestly, I’m not sure why that would be such a headache for you 🤷😕.

P.S. For anyone complaining about the cost of Microsoft Office, I remember there was this big sale—I think some stores might still have leftover stock lying around—where the Home and Student version was going for around $150. It comes with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft OneNote. Just keep in mind the license is for home, non-commercial use, and you can install it on up to 3 computers.

Thanks for getting back to me,

The way it installs doesn't really bother me personally...
To be specific, I'm running ZoneAlarm Extreme Security. It technically supports both x86 and x64, but it always ends up installing into the x86 folder.

What I'm really wondering is—can I manually change the installation path to go into Program Files instead of the x86 Program Files?

Best,

You can pretty much install it wherever you want during the setup process—even straight into Program Files—but honestly, I don't really see the point in doing that 😁 It’s not like it makes any difference if it ends up there.

It’s not quite the same thing either, right? Like, does the program actually support running on a 64-bit system, or is the software itself 64-bit? You really shouldn't stress yourself out over it too much.

Hi everyone—I’ve run into a bit of a snag. I just installed Windows 7 on an older machine, but the audio drivers didn't install automatically, and my attempts to track them down online have been... fruitless. If anyone could help me find the right ones for this (HSP56 CMI 8738/PCI-SX), I'd certainly appreciate it.

The only real reason I’m looking at this is because I think it might actually speed things up a bit.
I’m still a little fuzzy on the whole distinction between "supports x64" versus being "built for x64"—like, what does it even mean when it says it supports x64 but then runs in x86 mode? I can't help but wonder if it would perform more like a native x64 app if I just moved it over to the Program Files folder

HSP56 - it’s related to the modem

CMI 8738/PCI-SX - this one has to do with the audio

Maybe you could tell us which motherboard we're actually looking at? You know, the manufacturer and the specific model type. 🙂

It really ought to show up in the Windows update, assuming it isn't some super outdated version...

The audio is integrated directly onto the motherboard—an ASUS AS99127F, specifically

I gave Windows Update a shot—but no luck there

Is there any kind of solution for this?

Lisa Gomez4 said:The only reason is I think it would run faster.
I'm not really following that whole distinction between "supports x64" versus being "built for x64." What does it even mean if it supports x64 but you install it in x86? I wonder if it would actually behave like an x64 app if I just moved it over to Program Files

It wouldn't run any faster... honestly, the system doesn't care where it's installed, it doesn't change anything. It’s just a choice people make to group their programs separately.

Like I said, just because a program runs on a 64-bit system doesn't mean the software itself is 64-bit. That antivirus is designed to just sit there in the background anyway, so there isn't really any extra speed to be gained.🙂

Maybe try using compatibility mode when you install the driver 😕—if you're running them through some kind of installer program, or maybe I'm just overthinking it

granitepuma22 said:Is there actually a fix for this?

Maybe try grabbing the driver directly from the CMI website:

http://www.cmedia.com.tw/EN/Download...aspx?pserno=30

Does anyone actually know why my Aero theme won't kick in on this old rig? I've got an ATI Radeon HD 4650 AGP in there—though honestly, if my laptop can handle it, I figure this machine should be able to run Aero without much trouble too.

jaderider18 said:Does anyone know why my Aero theme isn't working on this old rig? I've got an ATI Radeon HD 4650 AGP in there, though I suspect it might actually handle Aero if my laptop can manage it.

What kind of CPU and how much RAM are we talking about here? 🙂

Joshua Garcia3 said:What kind of processor are we talking about, and how much RAM? 🙂

It's a 2.53 GHz Celeron with 1.25 GB of RAM.

I honestly don't get why Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 7 lacks image editing features—it was such a solid function back in Vista. Or am I just missing something obvious here?

Well, in Vista, you actually had Windows Live Photo Gallery, which works essentially like the Viewer but includes the Fix tool—great for quick crops or minor touch-ups—and it’s incredibly handy.
How can I get that same functionality back in Windows 7?

(And really, how is this considered an "upgrade" over Vista? 😕 )
PS: It turns out Windows 7 changed things up; I realized you have to download it separately if you don't already have it. From Microsoft's side, it's called Windows Live Photo Gallery.
Here is the link for a free download: http://download.live.com/

I wouldn't attempt any kind of manual repair myself. Just start a thread over at the PDF Help Service—someone there will walk you through it—but make sure you follow their instructions to the letter to clear out those viruses.

PS: Honestly, one thing that really bugs me about Windows is their supposed "speed." I’m trying to move about 7 GB of photos from my laptop running Vista over to my desktop running Windows 7, and the transfer speed over my Wireless local network is a pathetic 1.1-1.2 MB/s. At this rate, I could probably just burn them to a DVD twenty times instead.