Hi win 10 forum members,
I would like to share my experience of transitioning to Windows 10 Pro on an older Dell laptop. It is a XP era Dell Inspiron 1525 with a Core2 Duo processor, 3 GB of ram, 120 GB Intel 520 Series SSD. This laptop is fully capable of running a 64-bit OS and has been since Win 7. This computer is used primarily as a entertainment system in my living room to play DVD's, music, Skype, on a 55" Vizio tv via HDMI cable.
This laptop was running a clean install of Win 8 64-bit that had been upgraded to Win 8.1 when I did the upgrade to Win 10 pro. The upgrade to Win 10 was flawless and had no problem with activation. I couldn't leave well enough alone so I did a clean install of Win 10 pro 64-bit. When I started re-installing drivers and programs is when things started getting dicey. I was able to resolve most of the driver issues but a key piece of software that I use often would not install, Power DVD 8.3.1 would hang for hours at 40-50% after unpacking the files and never move forward with the install. Same thing happens when I try to install this software on my Alienware Area 51 desktop that has a clean install of Win 10 pro.
Since I have no plans of upgrading the hardware in this laptop, I decided to try a clean install of Win 10 32-bit just for grins. Long story short, device manager is clean and Power DVD 8.3.1 installed without a hitch and works like a charm. At this time I have no plans to change back to the 64-bit Win 10 because the 32-bit is activated and doing what I need it to do.
It's ironic but some others with the exact version of PowerDVD provided by Dell were having issues on 7 a few years back while I have run previous versions of the same program without issues on XP, Vista, but not 7 having let that one go since. Presently PowerDVD DX 8.3 is still seen while version 13 is now available for purchase. That has support for Blu ray as well as Ultra HD video.
The other option while still having the 64bit on at the time would have been simply going with a different program. Generally the 64bit is a bit more efficient on how things are handled as well as a more stable and secure platform. But as long as the 32bit install is working out who can complain?! You also save the $90 you would have spent on the latest version.
Night Hawk, thanks for the reply. You are correct about PowerDVD 8.3 having issues early on and Dell put out a patch to fix it. Then Dell used PowerDVD 8.3.1 and 8.3.1BD for BluRay. I have been using all three versions for years and have no desire to upgrade to version 15 at this time, I don't need all the editing capabilities, I just want to watch a movie. I found a free BluRay player for my 64-bit Win 10 desktop computer and it will do for now. Besides I spent the $90 on an impact wrench at the pawn shop.LOL
I have not had any stability issues at all with the 32-bit version of Win 10 so far. I'm starting to really like Win 10.
10 is a workable OS to begin with compare to the mess that was seen in 8 to the disliking of a good number of people who rejected it at first sight! At least 10 is now making headway as far as following a progression from the favorable rep seen with 7! So MS is back on the right track it would seem.
For dvds and MPeg II playback where WMPlayer in 7 was having a problem of squashing the vertical down to a thin line running across the screen before MS decided to strip WMP down I found a great little freebie called MediaPlayer Classic on the web that so far has been working like a champ on the 64bit 10 and shouldn't any problem for you on the 32bit side either. Download Media Player Classic
That one originally seen for XP has been a regular all the way through to 8.1 and works well on 10. It operates much like WMP would as far as the menu options. It won't have a music/video library option however. I can't say it would play Blu ray disks however and that would be the one downside for seeing a complete player good for all formats.
When having PowerDVD here I went for the independent purchase not the Dell version years back. That was priced at about $30 I thought about 10yrs. ago. That offer was seen when ordering a new optical drives for one or two new XP builds back then where you got the player cd included with the drive but could only use it with that brand of drive being linked by brand there and then going after a full version separately later when drives went or a new build came up.
