XPost: comp.os.ms-windows.misc, alt.windows7.general, microsoft.   
   ublic.windowsxp.general   
   From: zapbot@truely.invalid   
      
   On 11/17/2023 7:36 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:   
   > 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)?   
      
   I have a windows 10 64-bit machine and a Windows 11 64-bit machine.   
   Both machines are able to run licensed versions of windows 32-bit OS by   
   using the free version of VMWare Workstation 17.   
      
   I use VMWare Workstation 17 to run versions of XP, Windows 7, Windows 8   
   and Windows 10.  I am able to create virtual systems using 32 or 64 bit   
   OS installation media.   
      
   Once you setup Workstation 17 you can create the virtual 32-bit Windows   
   of your choice provided you can find the proper install download of your   
   desired OS.  Then, if you had used a Microsoft login account on your old   
   PC Microsoft might even "remember" you had an activated version and   
   re-activate your fresh install.  If not, you will have to locate an old   
   activation key for your fresh install be it from an old PC or elsewhere.   
      
   You might want to give one of the pre-created Virtual downloads from   
   VMWare of Windows 7 to test things but I believe you will still need to   
   activate with a valid license or put up with the OS complaining it's not   
   activated.   
      
   https://customerconnect.vmware.com/group/vmware/get-download?dow   
   loadGroup=WKST-700-WIN   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)