Can I run a 64-bit VMware image on a 32-bit machine?

64-bit vmware virtualization virtual-machine
John Sibly picture John Sibly · Sep 11, 2008 · Viewed 214.6k times · Source

Can I run a 64-bit VMware image on a 32-bit machine?

I've googled this, but there doesn't seem to be a conclusive answer.

I know that it would have to be completely emulated and would run like a dog - but slow performance isn't necessarily an issue as I'm just interested in testing some of my background services code on 64-bit platforms.

Answer

Dave Webb picture Dave Webb · Sep 11, 2008

The easiest way to check your workstation is to download the VMware Processor Check for 64-Bit Compatibility tool from the VMware website.

You can't run a 64-bit VM session on a 32-bit processor. However, you can run a 64-bit VM session if you have a 64-bit processor but have installed a 32-bit host OS and your processor supports the right extensions. The tool linked above will tell you if yours does.

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