The great migration… to 64 bits

As part of our continued improvements to the RAPIX Addressing and RAPIX Integrator software packages, these will soon be changed from 32-bit to 64-bit applications.

Why?

RAPIX Addressing and RAPIX Integrator software make use of some packaged (pre-made) components supplied by others. For this we typically pay a small license fee.

In the past, those packages allowed building 32 or 64 bit windows applications.

Recently, some of those packages have moved to supporting only 64 bit versions.

What does this mean?

In practice – probably nothing.

PC’s sold in the last 10-12 years have all had processors that can run the 64-bit edition of Windows.

And 64-bit Windows will run 32-bit or 64-bit applications. Although this matters for software developers, it normally has no relevance for users of the software.

Up until now, our RAPIX software applications have been built as 32-bit applications, which ensured they will run on both editions of Windows.

You say “probably nothing” so what about the exceptions?

The exception is if you are running a 32 bit edition of Windows.

These are rare – most installations of Windows, especially Windows 10, will be the 64-bit edition.

There might be some rare cases where upgrades from (say) Windows 7, 32 bit edition, led to running Windows 10, 32 bit edition.

For those cases, the new applications will not run and there will be no way to make them run – apart from to install the 64-bit edition of Windows.

If you are in this position, and you are running the 32-bit edition of Windows 10, the download of Windows 10 (64-bit edition) is freely available from Microsoft. A re-install of the Windows operating system will be needed.

How many might be inconvenienced by this change?

We estimate – probably nobody, but we’re letting customers know just in case.

When will the the 64-bit versions of RAPIX software be released?

Current estimates are November or December, 2022.

What about Windows 11?

Windows 11 is only released by Microsoft as a 64-bit edition (which will run both 32 and 64 bit applications).

Therefore, there won’t be any roadblock issues for Windows 11.

What about Windows 7?

Windows 7 has not been supported by Microsoft or Ozuno for several years.