Microsoft Office - 32bit vs. 64bit
Beginning with Office 2010, two versions of Excel are available: 32-bit and 64-bit. Prior versions of Excel were all 32-bit. The new 64-bit option was designed to allow for faster processing of much larger amounts of data.
Office Connector continues to be compatible with all supported 32-bit versions of Excel but will not run under the 64-bit version. This is because Office Connector and the components it utilizes (including the ODBC driver for Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate) are programs built to run only in a 32-bit environment. The 64-bit versions of Microsoft Office applications (such as Excel) do not provide backward compatibility to support the use of 32-bit add-ins.
Note that the primary advantage of the 64-bit version is the ability to use Excel files that are larger than 2GB. To-date, we have not seen evidence that users of Office Connector require this capability.
Solution
If you currently have the 64-bit version of Excel installed and wish to use Office Connector, you can do one of two things.
- Option 1 - Uninstall the 64-bit version of Excel (or Office) and then install the 32-bit version of Excel (or Office).
- Option 2 - Install the 32-bit version on a separate machine or virtual machine. Both versions (32-bit and 64-bit) cannot be installed in on the same computer. Click here for more information.
Note that both options can be completed using the installation media originally used to install the 64-bit version. Also, Microsoft allows both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions to be installed using the same product key. This means that you do not need to purchase a new license of Microsoft Office in order to install the 32-bit version.
Microsoft Windows - 32bit vs. 64bit
The requirement to use the 32-bit version of Excel does not limit your choice of 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems. Office Connector will run in the 32-bit version of Excel on a computer that is running a 64-bit version of the Windows operating system.
Additional Resources from Microsoft
- 64-bit editions of Office 2010
This article identifies Microsoft’s recommendation to use the 32-bit edition if there is a need to use 32-bit add-ins (such as Office Connector).
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee681792(office.14).aspx
- Choose the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Microsoft Office
In this article, Microsoft indicates that the 32-bit edition is recommended for most people and then identifies the advantages and disadvantages of using the 64-bit edition.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/choose-the-32-bit-or-64-bit-version-of-microsoft-office-HA010369476.aspx