Switch Snow Leopard to 32 bit mode ?

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I'm having some problems with Snow Leopard, in 64 bit mode. Is there a way to turn it to 32 bit ? I'm using a Mac mini 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo with 4 GB (the max it will ever have), so I don't think it needs 64 bit.



Is there any advantage/disadvantage to run in 32 bit, if you just have 4 GB of ram ?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    hudson1hudson1 Posts: 800member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kali View Post


    I'm having some problems with Snow Leopard, in 64 bit mode. Is there a way to turn it to 32 bit ? I'm using a Mac mini 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo with 4 GB (the max it will ever have), so I don't think it needs 64 bit.



    Is there any advantage/disadvantage to run in 32 bit, if you just have 4 GB of ram ?



    I believe the Mac mini only runs in 32 bit mode. What are you seeing on your computer that indicates it's running in 64 bit mode?
  • Reply 2 of 5
    kalikali Posts: 634member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hudson1 View Post


    I believe the Mac mini only runs in 32 bit mode. What are you seeing on your computer that indicates it's running in 64 bit mode?



    Well, various "small" problems and bugs. Most notably, all the "old" 32 bit Intel screen savers aren't working anymore...
  • Reply 3 of 5
    wplj42wplj42 Posts: 439member
    If you look in Activity Monitor, it will show apps that are running in 64-bit mode. I know nothing about the mini. Can't imagine it isn't running in 64 bit mode, when my mid-2007 iMac does. Activity Monitor will clear up that question.



    In some cases, you can switch an app to 32-bit mode. Safari must run in 32-bit mode to use Shockwave. In the case of Safari, highlight it, then right-click to Get Info. There you will find a checkbox for running in 32-bit mode.



    So far, that is all I know about 64 versus 32 bit. Someone smarter than me figured out the Safari thing. Just passing along what I was told. While it may not help your current issues, it may be useful later.



    Congratulations on your new mini!!!
  • Reply 4 of 5
    hudson1hudson1 Posts: 800member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by WPLJ42 View Post


    If you look in Activity Monitor, it will show apps that are running in 64-bit mode. I know nothing about the mini. Can't imagine it isn't running in 64 bit mode, when my mid-2007 iMac does. Activity Monitor will clear up that question.



    In some cases, you can switch an app to 32-bit mode. Safari must run in 32-bit mode to use Shockwave. In the case of Safari, highlight it, then right-click to Get Info. There you will find a checkbox for running in 32-bit mode.



    So far, that is all I know about 64 versus 32 bit. Someone smarter than me figured out the Safari thing. Just passing along what I was told. While it may not help your current issues, it may be useful later.



    Congratulations on your new mini!!!



    The only Mac that runs with a 64 bit kernel out of the box is the xServe. Everything else requires the user to make a manual change to configure for a 64 bit kernel (and that's not every model, mini is not one of them). Are you sure you're not referring to running 64 bit applications? That's an entirely different subject and any Mac with a Core 2 Duo processor or later along with OS X 10.6 can run 64 bit applications.
  • Reply 5 of 5
    wplj42wplj42 Posts: 439member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hudson1 View Post


    The only Mac that runs with a 64 bit kernel out of the box is the xServe. Everything else requires the user to make a manual change to configure for a 64 bit kernel (and that's not every model, mini is not one of them). Are you sure you're not referring to running 64 bit applications? That's an entirely different subject and any Mac with a Core 2 Duo processor or later along with OS X 10.6 can run 64 bit applications.



    I upgraded from Leopard to Snow Leopard. My iMac is not a 64-bit machine. I sort of (way over my head) understand that only the Mac Pro boots directly into 64-bit. Newer Macs can be convinced to boot into 64-bit. I suppose that is what kernel is about. I haven't a clue. Back in my Windows days, kernel 32 was the first to crash with any good screen reader. That's another story.



    I suspect Kali is referring to 64-bit apps, and so am I.



    Just like with Windows users, the new Mac OS gets, the less likely it is to work with everything.



    Some people think newest is best. I still like Leopard more than Snow Leopard. My smart buddy told me how much better it is, just like Windows 7 over Vista. I like older OSes until I'm positive. While it matters to others, I don't like Snow Leopard. Glad it was only $29!
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