Will there be in the future an x64 version of GlassWire?
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was also wondering the same +1
Yes, I think we will have an X64 version someday.
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Hi Ken,
Any news on a 64bit version?
I want a 64-bit version of GlassWire. The primary reason I need it is to remove a lot of weaknesses in my system security profile and improve the performance of my 64-bit system (OS and hardware).
GlassWire doesn’t have to move now but many of us want to see the end of 32-bit applications I wrote the following in the 2000s:
In the first transition from 16-bit to 32-bit, in 1985, the hardware was ready but it took 10 years to get a 32-bit operating system in Windows 95.
The PC industry learnt from the previous slow transition, so the 32-bit to 64-bit transition began with 64-bit operating systems available at the same time as the new 64-bit processors. The problem this time was that there just weren’t enough 64-bit applications. And this time the transition is even slower because many developers and users don’t see any reason to change. Further evidence of this inertia is that you are probably reading this tutorial because you are looking to install 64-bit software instead of 32-bit software.
A major watershed was OS installs:
In 2010, just over ten years after the first 64-bit processors for PCs, the installs of 64-bit Windows finally exceeded installs of 32-bit Windows. Yet, even today, most applications remain 32-bit rather than 64-bit.
Now it is 2020, and I’m getting tired of waiting so I’m soon going to start uninstalling 32-bit apps where a 64-bit version is not imminent.
The major 32-bit OS are being discontinued
The latest watershed is that Microsoft are now discontinuing 32-bit Windows. See section 3.1 of Minimum hardware requirements | Microsoft Learn
Beginning with Windows 10, version 2004, all new Windows 10 systems will be required to use 64-bit builds and Microsoft will no longer release 32-bit builds for OEM distribution.
Apple has made that move already.
Better security
64-bit security features are more often the default or mandatory, hardware-based, or with stronger features:
- Driver signing is mandatory.
- Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) is much stronger.
- Kernel Patch Protection (KPP) is the default.
- Data Execution Protection (DEP) is in hardware and defaults to on.
Better performance
For example, getting rid of the 3.2GB memory address limitation.
The only disadvantages I can think of are:
- the need to maintain compatibility with old software
- the larger byte sizes taking up more space in storage and memory.
Better features
Many Windows developers already default to their 64-bit version e.g. Microsoft Office
The 64-bit version of Office is automatically installed unless you explicitly select the 32-bit version before beginning the installation process.
Some apps no longer have an active 32-bit version.
New Windows sub-systems like Hyper-V and Windows Subsystem for Linux are only 64-bit because of the hardware features required by them.
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Came here to say Microsoft is phasing out x86 apps, but Remah already hit the nail on the head.
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Do you mean they are blocking x86 apps with Windows, or that they are making their own apps x64?
I believe what they’re doing is similar to Mac OS Catalina, they’re phasing out 32 bit starting with OEMs only getting 64 bit versions.
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This latest announcement is about neither of these scenarios. 32-bit Windows app will continue to run using WOW64 compatibility but we can expect 32-bit app support to disappear within this decade.
This latest announcement is about the platform not the apps. Now that almost every new Windows computer has a 64-bit CPU and at least 4GB RAM, it is not much use having an 32-bit operating system that can only address 3.2GB of that RAM.
I saw you posted earlier than Chrome doesn’t support 32-bit, but when I searched online some recent forum posts showed that some people still get a 32-bit version? https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/27746707?hl=en
Or maybe it’s just installing an old non-updated 32-bit version for that person and that’s why they are annoyed?
Thanks for posting these details about 64/32 bit apps as related to Windows. I believe it’s actually not so difficult for us to switch to only a 64-bit version of GlassWire but then 32-bit customers could no longer use our app.
We will consider making the change to 64-bit only in the future. For now though we’re focused on bringing some new features to you ASAP along with another change that will decrease resource usage further and make GlassWire even more stable.
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You are right. My mistake, now corrected. 32-bit Chrome for Windows is listed under “Other platforms”.
At the moment, I’m not suggesting that you switch. Just provide a 64-bit option.
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I would 100% use 64 bit if it was available.
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Same here, with Microsoft no longer supporting 32bit environments except in enterprise installs there should be an x64 build. It wwould also allow for a more secure and more efficient system (less thunking memory).
Since its been over 18 months since this subject came up it needs to be revisited again.
As GW is stable, wouldn’t it be possible to freeze GW at version .374 or the next one for 32-bit PCs and to release the next versions in 64-bit?
The .374 version should remain available for download for 32-bit PCs.
Windows 11 is only able to be installed on 64 bit processors. 32 bit apps can still run on it though.