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Speravir (user on this site) has posted somewhere in a comment (unfortunately I can't find it anymore) that it is better to install the 32-bit Version of Miktex even if your working on a 64-bit Computer (Windows 10 in my case), because not all binaries would be defined in the 64-bit Version. What does that mean? @ Speravir: I sincerely apologize if I misquoted you, but it's all I remember.

Annick Biver
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  • In earlier times biber wasn't in 64 bit. This is no longer true. – Ulrike Fischer Jan 17 '16 at 08:20
  • @UlrikeFischer But does it matter? What gains are there in using 64 bit binaries? The 32 bit runs fine – daleif Jan 17 '16 at 08:36
  • @daleif I don't see much difference, but I don't have applications where performance really matter. In the long run 64 bit is IMHO the future and so on new systems I would take this but I won't change the existing 32 bit installations unless some real reason appears. – Ulrike Fischer Jan 17 '16 at 10:34
  • You can notice the difference when you work with large files that need a lot of memory. – skan Mar 22 '16 at 12:43
  • @skan do you mean that the 64-bit version is better for large files or the other way round? I was wondering this as well because on the MikTex download page, the recommended version is the 32-bit. I used the latter first on my old PC and now use the former and I can't tell the difference. – Saz May 02 '16 at 19:50
  • 64bit processors (and with a 64bit OS) let you use more than 4GB memory and let you execute most operations twice as fast because a 64bit operation can carry two 32bit operations at once, ut only if the program has been coded properly to do so. It doesn't mean yo can recompile a 32bit code as is.

    Nowadays most peope uses 64bit OS because it's the only way to use all the memory and take advantage of some newest instructions.

     – skan Nov 13 '17 at 01:03
  • If you use a 32 bit application on Windows 10 the application is limited to use 4GB of memory and small files, and it will be slower because it works with half the bits.

    And very important, if you use a 32 bit application on Window 10 x64 you are forcing Windows to use its WOW64 emulator and isolate the 32 bit application. That adds a newer layer of slowliness and instability.

    https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa384249%28v=vs.85%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

     – skan Nov 13 '17 at 01:03
  • Any complex application and any application potentially able to use large files or memory will take advantage of 64 bits. The reason many apps are not 64 bits coded is because they started as 32 bits and nobody had time to port it. – skan Nov 13 '17 at 01:05

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