OneDrive is Microsoft‘s cloud storage server, one of the most complete alternatives to Google Drive or iCloud where we can save our own files. This storage platform is part of Windows 10, since it is included and configured by default so that you can start using it as soon as you install the operating system. However, this client has been dragging an important limitation since 2015: it is only available in 32-bit format, which means that, when handling large files, we have problems. Luckily, this will end with the arrival of the new 64-bit client .
Windows 10 64-bit comes standard with most of its programs already upgraded to 64-bit. However, this OS is prepared to run 32-bit programs without problems thanks to its compatibility layer. This makes some developers, instead of recompiling their programs to create native 64-bit versions, settle for the classic 32-bit versions, since, in broad strokes, they will work the same. Including Microsoft itself.
When we install a Windows x64, most of the programs and services are already updated to this architecture. But one of the ones that haven’t been updated yet is the OneDrive sync client. If we open the Windows task manager, and we go to this process, we can perfectly see how it runs in 32-bit mode.
The program works, initially, without problems. But you are no longer enforcing the Windows 10 32-bit compatibility layer. And, given the limitations of x86 architectures, OneDrive may have trouble handling files larger than 4GB.
64-bit version of OneDrive available
Just a few hours ago, Microsoft released this new version of its OneDrive cloud storage client. And its main novelty is that it is compiled to run at 64 bits natively, being able to access many more PC resources (such as processor power and memory) than 32-bit applications. In total, the new 64-bit OneDrive could access up to 18.4 million petabytes of RAM .
Microsoft has not given many more details about other changes or other news in this new version of the client. Therefore, the only change is believed to be that it is able to access more RAM in case it needs it. However, since 64-bit applications work better and are more secure than 32-bit applications, we are expected to see improvement in this area as well. The more applications and services that are native to x64 on Windows, the better.
We do not know when this new OneDrive client will reach all users in a stable version, but it will surely be in the face of Sun Valley , Windows update 21H2.
Should I download and use it?
This new app is already in the preview phase. This means that Microsoft is almost finished and wants to start testing it on end users before it is the standard version for everyone. It can still have errors and give us problems, so we do not recommend installing it on our personal computer for daily use, but on a test computer.
To download it, we only have to access the following Microsoft link and, once the client is downloaded, install it on the computer. Of course, at the moment it is only compatible with AMD64 processors (AMD and Intel), so if we have an ARM64, we will have to continue using the 32-bit version.
