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64 bit Windows

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64 bit Windows 03/09/2013 at 16:30 #49122
dd_uk
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Reading Shout Box, would seem to imply that there are 64-bit versions of the sims. Are there such versions or am I reading too much into a comment.

I use windows 7 64-bit and, sometimes, wish I didn't. The Loader program takes ages under 64 bit.

David

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64 bit Windows 03/09/2013 at 16:36 #49123
Steamer
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There are a couple of simulations (Stafford and the obsolete, paged versions of Swindon and Didcot) that were published so long ago they use a 16-bit installer. This installer is incompatible with 64-bit systems, and someone was asking if there was a workaround. Stafford has been unofficially re-packaged with a compatible installer, available here, Didcot (as far as I can tell) hasn't.

There is only one version of every other simulation, all of which work on 64 bit systems. The Loader seems to take a while on any system.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
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64 bit Windows 03/09/2013 at 16:38 #49124
Sacro
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If you're meaning my response, I'm inferring no such thing.

The simulations and (newer) installers are all 32 bit. The Loader is also 32 bit.

Some of the really old installers are 16 bit and as such won't run on 64 bit Windows, though you can install them on a 32 bit OS and then copy the installed files onto a newer machine.

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64 bit Windows 04/09/2013 at 13:39 #49136
Lardybiker
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" said:
The Loader program takes ages under 64 bit.
The Loader taking a while to load a sim is nothing to do with the fact your PC is running a 64-bit OS. It's because the loader is doing a lot of work to create the sim that a stand-alone executable doesn't have to do and as a consequence, it takes longer for the loader to get a sim up and running. But it's simply the loader doing it's job, nothing to do with your OS. If you were to run a loader sim on a 32-bit OS, the Lodaer sim would still take longer to get a sim up than loading a stand-alone executable sim.

And the extended load times are a small price to pay though compared to the benefits that the loader system gives the developers.

[Edit] And it makes for a unified user experience as well!

Last edited: 04/09/2013 at 15:54 by Lardybiker
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64 bit Windows 04/09/2013 at 14:35 #49137
Peter Bennet
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Just to add that compiling an .exe sims took a similar amount of time - so when a developer wants to check the latest bit of data writing he had to go through this time consuming process to create a test .exe. Now the compilation stage takes seconds but we then need to load it the same way as a released Sim to test.

Another developer inner circle secret exposed..... where will it end?

Peter

I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs!
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64 bit Windows 04/09/2013 at 21:43 #49146
arabianights
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btw, easiest way to do this imo (overall) is to run an earlier version of windows on a virtual pc - this will make the file transfers easy and also it might even be legal to use said earlier version of windows if you don't have a licence for it using downgrade rights (although probably not, but frankly if such technical piracy causes you to blink twice then WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AN OBSOLETE VERSION OF SIMSIG? )
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64 bit Windows 05/09/2013 at 16:21 #49160
Steamer
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" said:
it might even be legal to use said earlier version of windows if you don't have a licence for it using downgrade rights (although probably not, but frankly if such technical piracy causes you to blink twice then WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AN OBSOLETE VERSION OF SIMSIG? )
It isn't an obsolete version of SimSig, and neither is using those simulations illegal. Stafford has only ever been released with a 16-bit installer, and is probably the oldest simulation still available. The version using a 32-bit installer is the same simulation, just repackaged. While not 'official', since it's available from this site I assume it's been approved by SimSig. Similarly, Didcot paged, although superseded by SwinDid, is still available in the download section.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
Last edited: 05/09/2013 at 16:25 by Steamer
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