Windows 7 x64

[gentle4ug]

I'm getting ready to perform my yearly re image and am curious if there are any compelling security differences between 32 bit and 64 bit W7.  Most of my work involves video processing which is heavily processor dependant, so the extra memory is of little concern.  Just curious about the security.

[DavidR]

Well for video processing I would say you want as much RAM as you can reasonable use, the more that is loaded into RAM the less activity to and from the HDD there would be and that too helps CPU performance also.

For 32bit OSes the max RAM is around 4GB and not all of that is usable for tasks. With a 64bit OS then that 4GB limit is history and in theory is unlimited your motherboard couldn't hod that much RAM. However, MS apply arbitrary RAM limits in their 64bit OS versions I don't know why they do this, forcing you to use a more costly version of windows.

You then have to consider if your video editing software can run natively as a 64bit application otherwise it is unlikely to be able to use that additional RAM.

Generally security is considered better, though we are seeing more and more inroads into malware to get into 64bit OS versions. I don't believe I would primarily move to 64bit just because of any security consideration as there is a lot you can do to harden your 32bit OS against malware.

[gentle4ug]

Thanks for the reply.  None of my video software is native 64bit, so like you, I doubt more memory would have any mesurable impact.  I have the machine maxed out at 4 gig and rarely see memory usage go over 1.8 gig.

I've been exploring using Sandboxie to harden my current security, but I wonder if it is necessary.  I currently run Avast 5.1.807 free, MBAM 1.5 free with weekly manual scans, and Windows 7 firewall. All automatic updates are on and I keep 3rd party apps up to date. Like you, I do have a pretty strong backup/image routine with Acronis disc image running a nightly incremential update. If I happen to catch the flu, I can always restore to a previous time rather than mess around with a cleanup.

[DavidR]

I have never felt the need for sandboxing or virtualisation, I have enough pro-active measures, plus avast and if all else fails a robust back-up and recovery strategy.

So with Acronis I think adding another level, which is also going to add to your overall resource bill isn't really that necessary. However, if you are using it and there is negligible performance/resource impact then why not, I just never felt the benefit worthwhile for me.