Question about memory with 32 bit guests on a 64 bit host

[msellery]

I have several 32-bit Windows 2003 images that I would like to run all at one time. To run them all at once on one machine requires a great deal of memory. To solve this, I plan on using a 64-bit CPU with about 8 to 12 GB of total memory. This host machine also has to run some version of Microsoft Windows (presumably XP 64-bit edition or similar).

Is such a setup possible with VM Workstation 6.0.2? Will those 32 bit guests be able to use the extended memory of the 64 bit host?

[Peter_vm · Accepted solution]

For each virtual machine:

Memory

Up to 8GB, depending on host memory.

No maximum limit for the total available for all virtual machines.

[msellery]

So 32 bit guests have no issues running on 64 bit hosts?

[TimSmith]

Correct. There is no problem running 32bit guests on a 64bit host.

You can even have 64bit guests on a 32bit host if the processor supports 64bit - even with the host OS running 32bit.