The MarketDelta Blog

Upgrading from Windows XP Home/Professional 32-bit

To upgrade to Windows 7, the first step will be to backup your data. Microsoft requires that the hard drive be reformatted and configured for the Windows 7 Operating System in order to load the new operating system files. We recommend that you backup all of your files to an external hard drive before proceeding with the upgrade.  Microsoft offers a program called “Windows Easy Transfer” which will help remove the complication of manually transferring your files through an automated less intensive process. To download, click here. For MarketDelta users running the Windows XP Operating System, make sure to manually backup the entire Mktdelta folder located in C:Program Files. The Mktdelta folder contains the data_f folder that is responsible for personalized charts, indicators and preferences.  To determine which version of Windows 7  you should install, click this link on Edition Comparisons. Although the 32-bit version of Windows 7 is available, we recommend that you upgrade to the 64-bit version regardless. Commonly asked questions as well as technical references regarding the 64-bit architecture will be discussed further is the remainder of this article. To determine if you PC’s hardware, devices, programs and whether or not your system supports the 64-bit version of Windows 7, run the “Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor”. To download, click here.

For More Information on the Full Step-by-Step Process on Upgrading to Windows 7, click here.

Why choose a 64-bit Operating System?

The main advantages to running a 64-bit Operating System is the ability to address greater than 4 GB of RAM and the ability to process twice the amount of data at a time. Previous versions of 32-bit Windows such as Windows XP 32-bit were only capable of addressing approximately 3.5 GB of memory. Rendering intensive tasks such as video/photo, music and mathematics benefit from 64-bit because the ability to address more than 4 GB of memory and process a larger amount of bits per processing cycle. In general, a PC running a 64-Bit Operating System with 64-bit applications will in general feel much smoother compared to a 32-bit environment. A user will notice that 32-bit applications run smoother on a Windows 7 64-Bit operating system because the PC is able to take advantage of using more than the 4 GB of memory for the other applications running on the system. For example, If your PC has 8 GB of memory and a 32-bit application is using all 4 GB of the memory that the architecture can take advantage of, the remaining 4 GB can be used for the Windows 7 system process including other 64-bit applications that can take advantage of addressing the additional memory.

Will 32-bit programs run on a 64-bit computer?

Yes. Microsoft has included a technology called WOW64, which is a subsystem capable of running 32-bit applications on a 64-bit Operating System. Additionally, users should know that although a 32-bit application can run on a 64-bit Operating System, the program is still limited to the constraints of a 32-bit software environment. A 32-bit application is capable of addressing 4 GB memory total. The 4GB allocation is divided evenly into two parts, with 2GB dedicated for kernel usage, and 2GB for application usage. Each application receives its own 2GB, but all applications have to share the same 2GB kernel space.

Where to buy Windows 7 64-Bit?

A copy of Microsoft Windows can be purchased at any retail store or online. Make sure to buy the OEM version of Windows 7 64-Bit which is simply the Manufacturer version of Windows lacking the retail box and documentation. There is absolutely no difference between the Retail or OEM’s version. Click this link to be transferred to Newegg where an OEM copy of Windows 7 64-Bit can be purchased. The cost is significantly reduced when buying an OEM version of Windows.

Is MarketDelta compatible with a 64-bit Operating System?

Yes! The MarketDelta program is a 32-bit application that has been updated to work seamlessly on a Windows 64-bit Operating System.