32 bit and 64 bit

Thread Starter

Sparky49

Joined Jul 16, 2011
833
Hi again chaps. :)

If I were to get a 32 bit program, is there any sort of emulator software which would allow me to use it on a 64 bit windows 7 computer?

Many thanks,

Sparky
 

sbixby

Joined May 8, 2010
57
Hmm... That's probably an issue with windows version compatibility. Looking up CW6.3....

Right on Freescale's front page (http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=CW-MICROCONTROLLERS) for the product is a blurb: "*Note: This product is a 32-bit application. To install and use it on Windows 7 64-bit machines, see the white paper, “Installing CodeWarrior Classic on Windows 7 (64 bit), “ in the Featured Documentation section."

That section is at: http://cache.freescale.com/files/soft_dev_tools/doc/app_note/AN3936.pdf?fpsp=1

Looks like they recommend to run Windows XPMode, which is a full virtual-machine version of XP which runs under Win7. I've run a couple other programs this way that didn't like any of the Win7 compatibility modes and it's been quite useful. One thing that XPMode doesn't like, however, is talking to *some* hardware devices. Since Freescale recommends it, I think you'd be fine with it. Alas, it's about 900MB worth of download and install, last I remember.
 

Thread Starter

Sparky49

Joined Jul 16, 2011
833
My parents have said - "no more computers". As they can take up too much space.

I'm really lucky to my own little workbench in the spare room, but not enough space for another computer.

I'd like to move to the garage, but that's still in the "wait for the right moment" category. :D
 

sbixby

Joined May 8, 2010
57
I dunno... can't get much cheaper than WinXP mode, unless you pay a buck a MB for bandwidth or something like that. :)

It *sorta* looks complicated, but it really isn't. If you have a machine modern enough to be running Win7 x64, then you'll probably have plenty of RAM and disk space to run XPMode. Installing XPMode is a 2-3 step process, and running it is even easier - just click a start-menu icon. You can easily configure it to take up the whole screen as if it were the only machine, or put it in a window and it works like an application window. You can also put it into hibernate or sleep mode as a much quicker way of closing/reopening, since it doesn't have to cold-boot when you re-open it.

I have all kinds of good reasons to run XPMode, myself:
  • Win7-incompatible programs - 3 or 4 last count
  • Machine-to-machine debugging - I can run an ASP.NET server in WinXP mode and debug against it from the regular PC as if it were in another box/room/state/planet.
  • A test bed for questionable software - if something I want to run concerns me with regards to malware, etc, I can install it in XPMode with the disk shares and networking turned off - XPMode won't see my Win7 disks, and doesn't have access to the network, so it's self-contained. If it goes "blooey", I just delete the virtual machine and start a new one.
I'm a satisfied customer, and I'm surprised so few people know about XPMode, it's really worth having around. In fact, I think I'll boot it up right now and let it update and see what I've not used in awhile. :)
 

Thread Starter

Sparky49

Joined Jul 16, 2011
833
Thanks Nerdegutta, I'll read through that.

Strange that none of the Freescale support staff didn't put it my way...
 

sbixby

Joined May 8, 2010
57
I'm curious, though - is there something that concerns you about using it? It's a Microsoft product, designed for & with Windows 7 - they just didn't include it with the disc media for space reasons and because most people wouldn't need it.

What's included with the download (from Microsoft) is a virtual-machine manager plus a fully-functional (and licensed) copy of WinXP to run in the VM. Installation involves building a virtual hard disk, which will typically end up being a few GB. The virtual disk is only seen within the VM, and anything read/written from/to it is distinct from the host. As part of the configuration, either by default or a simple configuration setting, the host's drives are visible to the VM as "network shares" drives, so you can easily get data from the host into the VM, and vice versa.

I think someone, out there, has made a driver or program which can actually mount the virtual disk as another drive in the host system; I haven't actually done this because as long as the VM works, you can always get to the stuff on there via the VM itself.

Anyhow, I digress - in my mind getting it and using it is a no-brainer; the only drawbacks to using it are the download time/bandwidth and the disk space it uses, pretty minor.
 

Thread Starter

Sparky49

Joined Jul 16, 2011
833
D'oh.

Sorry sbixby, I've read too many documents today - they all look the same!

And nerdegutta raised my concern - I don't have windows 7 pro. :(

@Sparkydog;
My sig is quite easy to understand. Take the first letter, and move it to its position in the word.

So you take the 1st letter of the 1st word, and place it in 1st position. Then take the 1st letter of the 2nd word, and place it 2nd. Then the 2st letter of the 3rd word, and place it 3rd. Etc...
 

sbixby

Joined May 8, 2010
57
I got Windows Home Premium Edition 64, and thought I'd give it a try. This is what I get:
...
Not very promising...
Oh, right, I forgot about that distinction. I've been running Win7 Ultimate and the corporate version at my job, so I never ran into that issue.

Sorry!

All is not lost, though - for a little more effort -- and a valid copy of WinXP (or other versions of Windows), you can use Oracle's VirtualBox to run XP in a VM. Works just as well - but you do need a valid XP license to do it legally.

https://www.virtualbox.org/

XP Mode, if you can run it, is a lot easier to get running.
 

sbixby

Joined May 8, 2010
57
Oooh!!! Found a potential workaround:

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-xp-mode-windows-7-win7,10213.html

I can't try this, though, so someone else will have to. :)



A caveat, at the bottom of the article: "As a side note, it is important to realize that although Windows XP Mode is now installed, the Windows XP virtual machine will be without a valid license and will be subjected to a limited time grace period before requiring activation. While there are a slew of clever ways to bypass this activation problem, the easiest and most recommended way to truly avoid all these issues is to simply upgrade from Windows Home Premium to Windows Professional. Upgrading also entitles you to other added features, such as host-side Remote Desktop and increased maximum RAM support."


Sorry for sending anyone off on a wild goose chase. I've been a bit spoiled by having "enabled" versions of Win7 from the outset. When I got my last laptop with Win7 Home Premium, my first step was to wipe the installed Windows and install Win7 Ultimate (which I had extra valid licenses for as a developer). One big reason for doing this is the inherent unwanted bloatware that comes with preconfigured machines - I hate it! :)
 
Last edited:

nerdegutta

Joined Dec 15, 2009
2,684
@Sparkydog;
My sig is quite easy to understand. Take the first letter, and move it to its position in the word.

So you take the 1st letter of the 1st word, and place it in 1st position. Then take the 1st letter of the 2nd word, and place it 2nd. Then the 2st letter of the 3rd word, and place it 3rd. Etc...
Ummm...? Say again?
 
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