How do you know if your computer will run Vista 64 bit operating system?

Does any one have any current experience with a Vista 64 bit operating syster? I understand a lot of the problems have been resolved with service pack 1.

I am getting ready to put together a new computer (with help) and want to maximize the capabilities for running Photoshop.

Also, what is the best Hard drive to use for the system Hard disk. How important is the disk speed for the system disk?

I am going to use a WD Raptor for a scratch disk.
I am planning on using a new Intel quad core processor.

Clark

Here are my suggestions:


- Lots of RAM (at least four gig, maybe eight).
- Dual monitors (at least 20")
- 150 gig RAPTOR system drive
- 150 gig RAPTOR scratch drive
- 500 gig SATA apps drive
- 500 gig SATA data drive
- Blu ray burner
- second dual layer burner
- a DROBO or some other type of backup solution.


I would strongly look at a Dell XPS system, unless you are going to have the machine custom built.

I've heard, but not experienced personally, that Vista 64 is more stable than Vista 32.

Hope that helps. David I'm sure has more (possibly better) suggestions as well.

Mike.

You refer to an APPS disk. I assume this is a disk you keep programs on other the the operating system program. I thought you had to have photosho and the operating system on the same disk.

Probably. I'm not positive on that. You could just scratch the 500 apps drive and make your system drive your apps drive and then have the 500 data drive be for you data.

It would save some money, and I'm pretty sure it would work fine.

Mike.

You programs have to be on the same drive as your operating system. I suggest then, as Mike said, to use another drive as you image/data drive. I started with 500MB drives, but I just installed 1TB drives yesterday as data drives. I then use two other drives that are backups. I keep one in my safety deposit box.

I use 250GB Raid1 as my system disks and 250GB as my scratch disk.

Actually your apps don't have to be on the OS drive. I am currently running my OS on a Raid 0 (striped) drive and my Apps are on a separate drive. This is in case windows get corrupted I can install an image of the OS and be up and running in no time. I have edited the registry so that the default location for installing apps is D:

I am actually in the planning stages of building a new computer at the moment. What I have decided on for now is...
Intel Q9450 quad core cpu
8GB RAM - why not? It is so cheap.
2x 320GB sata HDD in Raid 0 for os and apps. Will probably partition the drives to have the OS on one partition and the apps on the other.
3x 500GB HDD in raid 5 for storage
1x whatever size HDD I have kicking around for scratch drive
Vista 64 to take advantage of all that cheap RAM

hope this helps a bit

Craig, Do you have trouble installing the Photoshop plugins with Photoshop on the D drive? Do other apps have trouble finding the plugins when they use them?

I always used to run Photoshop, NX and other applications on my D drive and kept it reserved for applications only. I had the same thought that if Windows ever kicked up a fuss I could just swap out the C drive and be on my way. Everything always ran just fine, plugins and all as far as I can remember.

But I got thinking about that idea when I built my last machine. If you do that, you're going to lose all the registry hooks into the operating system and have to reinstall the software again anyway so I gave up that thought. My newest machine is running a 10,000 rpm Raptor for a C drive with Vista 64 bit and all my apps. That's it. Then the D drive is another Raptor on which I clone a copy of the C drive (which I then hide from the operating system) every 6 months or after installation of any new software. The remainder of the 2nd Raptor's available space is where I have my Photoshop scratch drive.

All current data files are in a pair of 500 gig WD drives that are in a RAID set up to mirror onto another pair of 500 gig drives. That way I always have 1 Tb of fast access data drives that are continuously backed up. These are regularly backed up to a third set of drives that are stored in a fire safe lockbox.

As John mentioned all plug-in work fine as the location is noted via the registry.

If the OS goes south I don't re-install it, that takes ages with updates and re-installing programs. Instead I have an image of the OS drive (made with ghost) with all the associated programs installed. Then I can just install the image and I am ready to go in no time at all. This is a faster way than having to install from scratch should something so wrong. All I have to do is re-image the drive should I make any major changes to the system like upgrade/change a program or install a new application.

Craig,

That's essentially the same thing that I do, but I include the apps in the C drive which is then cloned in case of a failure on the C drive. Do you really have a "drive full" of apps? When I look at my drive allocation, the C Drive is using only about 75 Gb, including Windows Vista 64 and all applications. I decided a separate drive for applications wasn't a good use of drive space. Just curious if you have a lot more apps loaded than I do.