It turns out that one of the requirements for software to earn either the Works with Windows Vista Logo or the stricter Certified for Windows Vista Logo is that the software support x64 versions as well as 32-bit versions of Windows Vista. You would think from Microsoft's documentation that avoiding 16-bit components would be enough for most applications to run in the WOW64 emulator, but that doesn't s I’m responsible for getting an application certified as Vista compatible, and our lead tester has found that just running this 32-bit application on 64-bit Vista causes weird things to happen on the desktop. Double-clicking on desktop icons opens their page properties instead of launching their applications. Some keyboard functions get reassigned. It all goes back to normal after a reboot, fortunately.Unless someone can set me on the right path, I’m going to have to debug the application on a 64-bit Vista system to diagnose the problem. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I had to rebuild the application as 64-bit to fix all the problems.Unfortunately, I don’t have even one 64-bit CPU in my office or at home: I have six desktop systems, but the newest is a three-year-old system with a 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 with HT, and the oldest is a ten-year-old system with a 450 MHz Pentium III. My oldest daughter has a Turion 64 X2-based laptop, but she lives 40 minutes away, and uses the machine heavily. I have no real choice but to get a new machine in here, one way or another. Ideally, the machine would come with 64-bit Windows Vista already installed by the manufacturer. Ideally, it would be a laptop powerful enough to run Visual Studio.There are two issues to think about for 64-bit compatibility in a PC. The big issue is of course whether the CPU supports 64-bit operation. Newer AMD CPUs that do have x64 support typically have “64” in their name. Intel CPUs aren’t that clearly marked, but the newest higher-end chips do support 64-bit operation. For example, in the Centrino processor family, CPUs numbered T5000 or greater support 64-bit operation; the T2000-series processors you typically see in low-end laptops do not.The second issue, and one that’s much harder to answer unless the manufacturer has done the testing, is whether all the other equipment on the PC has signed 64-bit Vista drivers. Imagine trying to use Windows on a computer that didn’t have a working driver for its pointing device. Even better, imagine trying to use a computer that didn’t have a working driver for its disk controller, or its networking controller. It’s a nightmare. I went to my friendly local CompUSA store, and the salesman who helped me didn’t know what x64 meant. When I asked again, this time saying “64-bit Vista” instead of “Vista for x64,” he knew what I meant, but didn’t know if any of the machines they had on display supported it. When I pointed to the laptop right in front of us and asked if it supported 64-bit Vista, he didn’t know, and went to the back of the store to find out.In his absence, I brought up the system information, and discovered that it was already running 64-bit Vista Ultimate. Another somewhat more knowledgeable salesman said that, oh yes, all of the Ultimate systems on display were running 64-bit.Unfortunately, the system I wanted, an HP dv9225us, on sale for $1,399, was out of stock. Would they call me when they got one in? No, but I could check their stock online. The other notebook systems running Ultimate in the store were over $2,000, out of my price range. No sale. I’m still looking, but now I’m looking online. If you have suggestions, please let me know. Software Development