After installing 64-bit Windows on one of my test machines, I scurried around to see what 64-bit desktop applications are available in the open source world. Firefox is one of them, but not officially -- at least, not yet. The reasons for this are not what you might think.

This HEXUS.help guide explains the essentials required to run a 64-bit operating system and
native 64-bit applications on a modern 64-bit capable PC system

AMD and Intel have both recently made the jump to 64-bit x86 computing, updating their older Athlon and Pentium product lines with SKUs that extend their processing worlds into 64 bits. The jump to 64-bit x86 computing therefore requires one of those processors and a supporting PC platform capable of running it, in terms of hardware. Almost all PCs sold in the last 12 months, that aren't at the very budget end of the scale, support 64-bit, giving ample scope for the user of a modern PC to try their hand at truly 64-bit computing.

 64-bit Windows support: A native 64-bit version is available for x64 Windows platforms

New version! - SecureCRT combines rock-solid terminal emulation with the strong encryption, broad range of authentication options, and data integrity of the Secure Shell protocol. The security of your network is critical — it is more important than ever to protect passwords, user accounts, data, and computer systems. SecureCRT provides secure remote access, file transfer, and data tunneling for everyone in your organization.

New version! - ProxyCap enables you to tunnel Internet applications through HTTP, SOCKS v4, and SOCKS v5 Proxy Servers. You can tell ProxyCap which applications will connect to the Internet through a proxy and under what circumstances. This is done through a user friendly interface, without the need to reconfigure any of your Internet clients. ProxyCap provides flexible rule system and allows you to define your own "tunneling" rules. You can add a new rule with just a few mouse clicks.

New version! - SmartFTP is an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client which allows you to transfer files between your local computer and a server on the Internet. With its many basic and advanced features SmartFTP also offers secure, reliable and efficient transfers that make it a powerful tool.

As many of you may be aware, the next version of Windows Server (Windows Server 2008 R2) will only be releasing in a 64bit version. Because the x64 architecture is simply an extension of x86 32-bit architecture, the code for 32-bit apps runs natively on the processor with no emulation. In other words, for most applications the transition should be fairly smooth and painless.

New version! - Win7codecs is an audio and video codec package for Windows 7. The installer will automatically remove most other popular codec releases from your computer before installing this concise yet comprehensive package. You won't need to make any adjustments or tweaks to enjoy your media content immediately. Windows Media Player and Media Center will instantly recognize all your files as playable.

New version! - REAPER is a powerful Windows application for multitrack recording and editing of audio. REAPER provides a flexible but easy to use interface that is suitable for amateurs and professionals alike.

New version! - Jetico Personal Firewall protects your computer from remote as well as outbound (trojan) attacks. It constructs filtering barriers between your computer and other networks. Jetico Personal Firewall uses unique triple-level filters and inspects every network related event in the system.

New version! - The HashCheck Shell Extension makes it easy for you to calculate and verify checksums (including hashes) from Windows Explorer. First, HashCheck can process and verify the checksums/hashes stored in checksum files--these are files with a .sfv, .md4, .md5, or .sha1 file extension. Just double-click on the checksum file, and HashCheck will check the actual checksums of the listed files against those specified in the checksum file.

New version! - This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys.

One of our more popular blog posts this year has been the guide on how to use a PS3 controller in Windows Vista. Many thousands of people found that guide to be helpful, but unfortunately 64-bit users were left in the dark. Furthermore, the driver only offered basic functionality, and many of the PS3 controller’s features were missing. This includes Bluetooth connectivity, SixAxis motion detection, and even the rumble feature of DualShock 3.

ALL Language Standalone for x64-based Systems (KB948465)

Service Pack 2, the latest service pack for both Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, supports new types of hardware and emerging hardware standards, includes all of the updates that have been delivered since SP1, and simplifies deployment, for consumers, developers, and IT professionals.

Pdplayer is a professional image sequence player and viewer for the 3D, CG and VFX industry, created by Asynthetic and distributed by Chaos Software. It supports most industry standard file formats including EXR, HDR, DPX, CIN, TGA, SGI, IFF, PIC and VRIMG. Multiple layers can be color-corrected and composed together in real time. The 64 bit (x64) version is not limited to 2GB or 4GB and can use all the available RAM as cache.

New version! - priPrinter is a printer driver that allows you to manipulate printer output before it is printed.  priPrinter is installed and selected in the same way as other printer drivers. After printing it automatically displays print preview where you can preview your printings, change layout, reposition pages, crop them and many more. After that you print it to the real printer or save your document for later using.

 Now it supports Windows XP/Vista 64 bits

New version! - FileMenu Tools lets you customize the context menu which is displayed when you click with right button of mouse over Windows Explorer, My Computer or Desktop. This application lets you configure the following aspects of the context menu:

Windows 7 Ultimate RC 64-Bit Edition virtualized on Fedora 11, 64-Bit
using Sun xVM VirtualBox 3.0

With little fanfare, Sun Microsystems released version 3.0 of xVM VirtualBox, the Open Source and multi-platform desktop virtualization tool for Unix, Linux, Windows and Mac. The new release represents a culmination of hundreds of bugfixes and significant performance enhancements, including the ability for the product to permit guest OSes to use up to 32 virtual CPUs each. Under previous versions of the product, only one CPU core per guest OS was permitted.

Use the Microsoft Online Services Migration Tools to forward copies of your Exchange Server mail to your Exchange Online mailboxes. You can also use the Migration Tools to copy content from your Exchange Server, POP3, or IMAP4 e-mail server mailboxes to your Exchange Online mailboxes. This product intended for use with Microsoft Online Services only. Version: 1418.67

New version! - AB Commander is a powerful yet easy to use file management tool for computers running the Windows operating systems (Windows 2000 or a later version). It lets you manage your files and folders easier and faster, using the convenient double-panel framework (pioneered in Norton Commander), while maintaining close integration with the standard Windows user interface.

New version! - WindowSpace is a desktop enhancement utility for Windows OS. Once installed, it allows you to manipulate windows in many new amazing ways – snap windows to screen edges or other windows, move and resize windows with the keyboard, maximize vertically or horizontally, pin windows on top, minimize them to tray, and it’s just the beginning!