XPost: comp.os.ms-windows.misc, alt.windows7.general, microsoft.   
   ublic.windowsxp.general   
   From: G6JPG@255soft.uk   
      
   In message  at Fri, 17 Nov   
   2023 15:02:06, Steve Hayes  writes   
   >Someone stole my laptop computer, and I'm beginning to be concerned   
   >that it may be irreplaceable.   
   >   
   >It was running Windows 7, 32-bit, and it seems that most, if not all,   
   >laptops sold nowadays with Windows installed are 64-bit, which means   
      
   If you mean new machines, then yes - although a 32-bit version of   
   Windows 10 does exist, I've never seen a new machine offered with it,   
   and I don't think there _is_ a 32-bit version of Windows 11.   
      
   As others have said, new machines have hardware for which '7 drivers do   
   not exist. Virtual machines, though, emulate hardware for which -   
   obviously - drivers do exist. There might be _some_ difficulty in   
   "passing through" the host OS, so you can access e. g. USB ports   
   (assuming the new machine even has any USB2 ones), though I think these   
   are surmountable.   
      
   When I lost my 7 machine, and replaced it (January this year IIRR), I   
   found a shop selling several (second-hand) Windows 7 laptops - with 32   
   bit as a definite option; when I asked him why, he said lots of people   
   were in the same situation as you, wanting to run 32-bit software or   
   hardware. You may find - if you can find such a dealer - such a machine   
   still a step-up on your old one; I have been enjoying this one (compared   
   to my old one, it has a bigger screen so proper keyboard, 4G [the 32-bit   
   maximum] instead of 3G RAM, and I think a more powerful processor).   
      
   >they won't run a lot of my software, and that means that they won't   
   >allow me to access a lot of the research data I have collected over   
   >the last 30 years.   
      
   If/when you do get something that can run the old software, probably   
   worth seeing if there is a way of converting the data (presumably   
   involving getting an updated version of the software - maybe not the   
   latest version, if that can't, but a transitional version, that can read   
   the old and write the new; may need some digging to find).   
   >   
   >People have told me that it is possible to run a virtual machine on a   
   >Win 64-bit computer that will emulate a 32-bit OS, but before I spend   
   >money on a computer that might not work for me, I'd like to hear from   
   >someone who has had experience in running such things, to find out how   
   >well they work.   
      
   As others have said, it's not an emulation of the OS, it's an emulation   
   of a complete system - on which you can install whatever OS you like,   
   including of course W7-32. You'll need a valid licence to do so - as far   
   as MS are concerned, you're running two computers - though I believe the   
   activation servers for 7 are getting fairly lax in their checking now.   
   []   
   Does what you want to do involve accessing external hardware, or just   
   old data (presumably on an external drive, CD, DVD, or memory stick)?   
   --   
   J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf   
      
   "You _are_ Zaphod Beeblebrox? _The_ Zaphod Beeblebrox?"   
   "No, just _a_ Zaphod Beeblebrox. I come in six-packs." (from the link episode)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)