32 bit

John has a Fujitsu ScanSnap to scan business cards into his Mac. But a recent update doesn't support macOS anymore. Nor will it support the images that get scanned. Leo says it's probably because of 32-bit software that macOS doesn't support anymore. As such, many companies are dropping functions, rather than try and retrofit the software to work. According to the Chatroom, Fujitsu is making new software, they're just killing the old version.

Joe upgraded to macOS Catalina and has now lost his ability to use Adobe Photoshop CS5. Leo says that's because CS5 was a 32-bit app, and macOS doesn't support 32-bit apps anymore. You can subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud, but that's really your only option. You can subscribe to Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom for $9.99 a month. If you need other apps, then you're looking at the $52.99 a month full option. One thing to consider is buying Adobe Photoshop Elements. That's about $89. 

Tom wants to know what is the advantage of updating to macOS Catalina and can he? Leo says it depends on how old the Mac is. He may not be able to go all the way up to Catalina! In general, he wants to stay up to date. But that one caveat is the 32-bit issue. Check out this link - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436

Debra has a Dell XPS 15 and would like to install Microsoft Office 2016. Will she be able to since it's 32 bit? Leo says that buying the Office 365 subscription would be a better option, because then she will always have the most recent version.

Fred has an iPhone 6 that's been updated to iOS 11. But when he updated it, he lost his password vault file. Leo says that Apple discontinued support for 32-bit apps in iOS11 and as such, a lot of apps simply broke and stopped working. They won't work unless the developer updates them. Fred will have to contact the app developer and see if they're working on a solution. If it backed up the data to DropBox then he may see it there.

Dave had a problem with a Windows update and he realized that if he deleted another program that Roxio installed, then it worked just fine. But now several programs he relies upon don't work. Leo says that it could be a problem with apps that are 32-bit, though Windows 10 still supports them. Microsoft may have killed off third-party 32-bit support. There is a program compatibility troubleshooter in Windows 10 Control Panel. It could walk him through how to run his app in compatibility mode.

Stacey has a Dell Inspiron running Windows 7. Can she upgrade it to Windows 10? Leo says yes, and she can do it for free through July 29th. She should wait until she gets the invitation, that means her hardware is compatible. If she missed it, she can download and install the Windows 10 ISO file. Then she can enter in the Windows 7 serial number when she installs it.

Dudge is having a hard time moving to 64 bit. Leo says that the only advantage of 64 bit is to address more memory for gaming, video editing apps, and the like. If his software works fine in 32 bit, then there's no real reason to go to 64 bit. Leo says to keep using what he has until it stops working. When it stops working, upgrade everything.

Theo says he has a 64 bit processor and he's running 32 bit Windows, and thinks that might have something to do with it. Leo says it shouldn't matter that he's using a 32 bit version of Windows on a 64 bit processor. All processors are 64 bit and can run 32 bit operating systems. Theo says whenever he initiates the setup for Windows Home Server, it tells him the version he's trying to install isn't compatible with the version of Windows he's running.