All apps/programs run in 32 bit but I have 64 OP?

Hi guys,
I recently got windows 8 and have an unusual problem. I am running a 64 bit version of W8 but all my programs and apps are running in their 32 bit versions. Why is this and is there any way to fix it?
I have attached two screenshots which may or may not help. I haven't found anyone else with the same problem...
Any help would be great
Thanks,
Tom

Hello Tom, and welcome to Eight Forums.

As you know, 64-bit Windows is able to run both 32-bit and 64-bit programs without issue.

It comes down to the program developer and if they have the program as 32-bit or 64-bit. Most opt to have them as 32-bit to be able to run on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows without having to have a separate 64-bit only version of the program.

You'll have to check to see if they have a 64-bit only version of the program available instead.

However, there's nothing wrong with having a program run as 32-bit in a 64-bit Windows.

I found this below that can shed a bit more interesting information on 32-bit vs 64-bit.

32-bit and 64-bit explained


Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thank you for you quick reply Shawn.
My understanding was that 64 bit is essentially faster than 32 bit. A lot of those programs were working as their 64 bit versions when i had 64 bit windows 7 but since upgrading to winodws 8, none of my programs do, even though it's a 64 bit OP. I think almost all of my installed programs have a 64 bit version. It seems every time I install a program, my computer tells the installer that I'm running 32 bit...
Thanks for your help

Programs that are designed for 64-bit can run faster, but not always. It just depends on the developer.

Not sure about in Windows 7 unless there's a screenshot showing the same programs.

Looking at AVG's site, it appears that their software is for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows, so there will be some will run as 32-bit as seen in your screenshot.

It's not your computer that tells the program to run 32-bit, it depends on if the program was coded to be 32-bit or 64-bit based on your Windows being 32-bit or 64-bit.

About all you can do is check with the program's site to see if they may have a 64-bit only version.

Yeah I have found 64 bit versions of programs but on their websites, the 64 bit and 32 bit installers come from the same download and the 32 bit version is always downloaded.
I don't understand why I can't install 64 bit programs...

It's not you mate. It's completely dependent on if the program itself is 100% 64-bit or not.

tom5491 said:

Thank you for you quick reply Shawn.
My understanding was that 64 bit is essentially faster than 32 bit. A lot of those programs were working as their 64 bit versions when i had 64 bit windows 7 but since upgrading to winodws 8, none of my programs do, even though it's a 64 bit OP. I think almost all of my installed programs have a 64 bit version. It seems every time I install a program, my computer tells the installer that I'm running 32 bit...
Thanks for your help

Click to expand...

64bit do not always run faster than 32bit. For example the IE 32bit is faster than the IE 64bit.

64bit versions of apps have the "potential" to be faster, but usually that's when dealing with extremely large data sets. Things like Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Exchange Server, SQL Server, etc can all benefit from being on 64bit and addressing a lot more RAM. The average home user or enthusiast is unlikely to see any performance benefit from running a 64bit version of a particular program. And remember that 64bit apps take more memory, so depending upon your system, having 64bit could actually lead to less performance.