Having just installed Vista Ultimate 64bit I'm left wondering why so much 
space has been taken up on my hard drives by what appears to be a repeat of 
the program files folder.

I have one folder named Program Files and another named Program Files(x86) 
both appear to contain the same files although the (x86) version seems to be 
the one that programs go into - I've just installed WinZip which appears in 
there.

So what's with this crazy method of filling up your hard drive - has 
Microsoft bought shares in a hard drive manufacturer?


-- 
Ron O'Brien

Ron O'Brien wrote:

> Having just installed Vista Ultimate 64bit I'm left wondering why so much
> space has been taken up on my hard drives by what appears to be a repeat
> of the program files folder.
> 
> I have one folder named Program Files and another named Program Files(x86)
> both appear to contain the same files although the (x86) version seems to
> be the one that programs go into - I've just installed WinZip which
> appears in there.
> 
> So what's with this crazy method of filling up your hard drive - has
> Microsoft bought shares in a hard drive manufacturer?
> 
> 

The x86 directory is fir 32-bit programs and the plain Program Files
directory is for 64-bit programs. WinZip is a 32-bit program so that is why
it goes into the x86 directory.

Instead of assuming that what you see is a "crazy method", it would better
serve you to do some reading about 64-bit operating systems.

There is a newsgroup for Vista 64-bit, too. Find it here:

http://aumha.org/nntp.htm - list of MS newsgroups

Malke
-- 
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

the Program Files are your (64bit) files and the (Program Files(x86) )
are your (32bit)
files. your system needs both so don't try to delete any of them.
scrooge


-- 
scrooge

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message 
news:eSUJHZw8IHA.1196@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
.
>
> Instead of assuming that what you see is a "crazy method", it would better
> serve you to do some reading about 64-bit operating systems.
>

Thank you for your patronising comment - but it still seems a crazy waste of 
space :-)

"Ron O'Brien"  wrote in message 
news:uMu22jw8IHA.3944@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message 
> news:eSUJHZw8IHA.1196@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> .
>>
>> Instead of assuming that what you see is a "crazy method", it would 
>> better
>> serve you to do some reading about 64-bit operating systems.
>>
>
> Thank you for your patronising comment - but it still seems a crazy waste 
> of space :-)


32 and 64bit are two different platforms, and the 32bit programs run in a 
64bit environment have to be treated differently, hence the two folders.

As Malke suggested to you, people should read up on the 'benefits' of 64bit 
before blindly assuming that it is just a generally faster version of 32bit 
(which it isn't incidentally).

-- 
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

Ron O'Brien wrote:

> 
> "Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:eSUJHZw8IHA.1196@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> .
>>
>> Instead of assuming that what you see is a "crazy method", it would
>> better serve you to do some reading about 64-bit operating systems.
>>
> 
> Thank you for your patronising comment - but it still seems a crazy waste
> of space :-)

Sorry you took it as patronizing. Actually, I was trying to be nice since my
first impulse was to comment on your assumption that this behavior was
caused by Microsoft in conspiracy with hard drive mftrs. That comment would
not have been as polite as merely telling you that reading up on what a
64-bit operating system is would be a good step for you.

I stand by my advice. If you're going to use a 64-bit operating system, you
should understand what it is, what it does, and what it doesn't do.

End of story for me.

Malke
-- 
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

If you check the actual space being used you will probably find that the 64 
bit Program Files contains only directory information for the actual 32 bit 
files that are in the 32 bit program files folder.  The amount of space is 
probably minimal and as more and more of your 32 bit programs are replaced 
by 64 bit programs the number of entries in the 32bit program files will 
decrease.
"Ron O'Brien"  wrote in message 
news:uMu22jw8IHA.3944@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message 
> news:eSUJHZw8IHA.1196@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> .
>>
>> Instead of assuming that what you see is a "crazy method", it would 
>> better
>> serve you to do some reading about 64-bit operating systems.
>>
>
> Thank you for your patronising comment - but it still seems a crazy waste 
> of space :-)

"Mike Hall - MVP"  wrote in message 
news:OqbCUqw8IHA.5700@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>
> As Malke suggested to you, people should read up on the 'benefits' of 
> 64bit before blindly assuming that it is just a generally faster version 
> of 32bit (which it isn't incidentally).
>
> -- 
Yes 64bit speed is a strange misconception, I suppose people associate speed 
with efficiency, it seems to me that any speed gain apparent by 64bit has 
more to do with the amount of RAM installed possibly

Ron

"Ron O'Brien"  wrote in message 
news:eifuLIx8IHA.3848@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> "Mike Hall - MVP"  wrote in message 
> news:OqbCUqw8IHA.5700@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>
>> As Malke suggested to you, people should read up on the 'benefits' of 
>> 64bit before blindly assuming that it is just a generally faster version 
>> of 32bit (which it isn't incidentally).
>>
>> -- 
> Yes 64bit speed is a strange misconception, I suppose people associate 
> speed with efficiency, it seems to me that any speed gain apparent by 
> 64bit has more to do with the amount of RAM installed possibly
>
> Ron


64bit relates to the chunk size of data able to be  moved around. In 
principle, this should improve speed by a factor of 2 over 32bit. If 
applications move a lot of data around, assuming that they are 64bit, there 
will be speed improvements. Most applications in general use don't move much 
around at all.

Eventually, everything will be 64bit, and by that time, commercial stuff 
will be 128bit, and the cycle starts again..

Unless you are big into photo, video or sound editing, or into CAD, there is 
not a huge argument for using 64bit at this time.

I would give it a whirl just for the sake of it, but I use OneNote 2007 to 
archive mail. There is no way to do this if I use Vista 64bit, and there 
will not be until the next incarnation of Office. I don't do anything which 
specifically requires more than 4gb, so I stay with 32bit. Bragging rights 
are worthless if simple stuff can no longer be done.

-- 
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

Thanks everyone 

Ron

I have run across many 32-bit apps that can't install to Program Files
(x86).  Adobe Photoshop CS2 is one of them.   They want Program Files. 
Why did Microsoft come up with adding ( ) to a directory name is beyond
me.


-- 
SCSIraidGURU

Michael A. McKenney
'www.SCSIraidGURU.com' (http://www.SCSIraidGURU.com)

Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
16GB DDR667
SAS RAID
eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card

"SCSIraidGURU"  wrote in message 
news:b7ed2bf2a4e78b60834c9a50603eb347@nntp-gateway.com...
>
> I have run across many 32-bit apps that can't install to Program Files
> (x86).  Adobe Photoshop CS2 is one of them.   They want Program Files.
> Why did Microsoft come up with adding ( ) to a directory name is beyond
> me.
>
>
> -- 
> SCSIraidGURU
>
It may not be able to use Program Files (x86) as a default, but what
happens if you browse it to that directory?  I always use browse on
program installations to make sure they go where I want them to,
and so I know where they went.

Malke, You can't blame Ron for his assumption that 'perhaps' the two folders 
are not needed (and they are probably not or at least could be better 
defined) - Microsoft are famous for their inability to compact software in 
favour of producing bloat-ware

Paul


"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message 
news:%23GBYq8w8IHA.2496@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Ron O'Brien wrote:
>
>>
>> "Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:eSUJHZw8IHA.1196@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> .
>>>
>>> Instead of assuming that what you see is a "crazy method", it would
>>> better serve you to do some reading about 64-bit operating systems.
>>>
>>
>> Thank you for your patronising comment - but it still seems a crazy waste
>> of space :-)
>
> Sorry you took it as patronizing. Actually, I was trying to be nice since 
> my
> first impulse was to comment on your assumption that this behavior was
> caused by Microsoft in conspiracy with hard drive mftrs. That comment 
> would
> not have been as polite as merely telling you that reading up on what a
> 64-bit operating system is would be a good step for you.
>
> I stand by my advice. If you're going to use a 64-bit operating system, 
> you
> should understand what it is, what it does, and what it doesn't do.
>
> End of story for me.
>
> Malke
> -- 
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
>

"PY"  wrote in message 
news:u6$RbI88IHA.3612@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Malke, You can't blame Ron for his assumption that 'perhaps' the two 
> folders are not needed (and they are probably not or at least could be 
> better defined) - Microsoft are famous for their inability to compact 
> software in favour of producing bloat-ware
>
> Paul
>
>
> "Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message 
> news:%23GBYq8w8IHA.2496@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> Ron O'Brien wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> "Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>>> news:eSUJHZw8IHA.1196@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>> .
>>>>
>>>> Instead of assuming that what you see is a "crazy method", it would
>>>> better serve you to do some reading about 64-bit operating systems.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Thank you for your patronising comment - but it still seems a crazy 
>>> waste
>>> of space :-)
>>
>> Sorry you took it as patronizing. Actually, I was trying to be nice since 
>> my
>> first impulse was to comment on your assumption that this behavior was
>> caused by Microsoft in conspiracy with hard drive mftrs. That comment 
>> would
>> not have been as polite as merely telling you that reading up on what a
>> 64-bit operating system is would be a good step for you.
>>
>> I stand by my advice. If you're going to use a 64-bit operating system, 
>> you
>> should understand what it is, what it does, and what it doesn't do.
>>
>> End of story for me.
>>
>> Malke
>> -- 
>> MS-MVP
>> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
>> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
>>
>
>


It would be better for some if they ceased to worry about what was under the 
hood and concentrate on running whatever applications are installed.. :-)


-- 
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx