At long last the much anticipated stable version of Google’s 64-bit Chrome browser is available for download. According to Google, the 64-bit Chrome edition excels in three areas; it is faster, more secure, and more stable… but then Google would say that, wouldn’t they.
Both Mozilla and Google have been working on 64-bit versions of their browsers for some time now but, unlike Mozilla’s 64-bit Firefox (which seems to be destined for the scrapheap), Google has delivered on its promise. Google initially released the 64-bit build of Chrome through its public alpha testing channels back in June. Three months of testing later, and it appears the 64-bit build of Chrome has passed muster with the first stable version (37) now ready for the masses.
How to Upgrade from 32-bit Chrome to 64-bit
At this stage there doesn’t appear to be any option to upgrade from within an existing 32-bit Chrome so you’ll need to download the 64-bit installer, here: https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/?platform=win64 (make sure “For Windows 8/7 64-bit” is shown beneath the Download Chrome button).
The good news is that the 64-bit version automatically installs over the top of an existing 32-bit Chrome, although this means that the data then remains in the 32-bit orientated “Program Files (x86)” folder.
How to Tell if You’re Running 32-bit or 64-bit Chrome
To make sure the installation (or overwrite) completed correctly and you are indeed running the 64-bit version:
- Click on the settings icon at the far right of the address bar…
- … and then click About Google Chrome
Data, such as bookmarks and extensions, will be carried over to the new browser, although there have been reports of a lack of support for 32-bit NPAPI plug-ins. However, with the exception of a few lesser-known plug-ins, most major plug-ins such as Silverlight, Java, and Flash have all been updated to 64-bit.
Chrome 37 also introduces DirectWrite support (Windows only) for smoother and faster font rendering, plus a number of other improvements and security fixes.
Help! The email address and password, can they be the ones used on any email account. I tried using my Hotmail account, and they don’t seem to work. What am I missing, Mindblower!
What email address and password are we talking about MB? Sorry, I’m not with you.
Hotmail is associated with Microsoft, Gmail is associated with Google.
The first thing you see after installing Chrome, is a screen asking for your email address and password. I cannot use this browser without satisfying the entry. My Hotmail information is useless, so what’s the secret, Mindblower!
Okay. I uninstalled Chrome, deleted all the appdata, and re-installed, just so I could check. See what I do for you. 🙂
Anyway, the message says “Sign in to get you bookmarks, history, and settings on all your devices”. There is no need to sign in if you don’t want to sync across multiple devices, just click on the blue “No thanks” just under the sign in box and the browser will open.
Creating a Google account and signing in will also save your personal settings and features so you can access them on any computer. However, it isn’t essential.
Thanks for the assist. I thought I was viewing the entire page, and need to scroll down to see that NO Thanks. So. the 64 bit version is now installed, and the only weird comment I have so far, is that one needs to scroll down to view the entire page. IE and Firefox automatically display properly (no scrolling). Oh well, now I can try Chrome and see what all the fuss it about, Mindblower!
Jim,
I’m getting the Ah, Snap error message after installing the 64 bit version of Chrome, it started a few days after install, another thing is it removes RoboForm and you have to walk through extra steps to enable it, with the 32 bit version it would automatically install it’s self if you ran the RoboForm .exe
Hi Robert – Try running Chrome in “Incognito” mode and see if the Aw Snap error persists. If not, then it’s most likely associated with an extension or script. Check out Google’ support page here: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95669?p=e_awsnap&rd=1
Re Roboform – Yes, the 64-bit Chrome version does not support some NPAPI plugins.
My experience with 64-bit Chrome ended badly. It worked fine at first, then suddenly would not run at all. I searched on the net and found lots of similar stories across forums. None of the proffered solutions worked for me so I uninstalled and went back to 32-bit.
Cheers… Jim
Jim,
Thanks for the reply back and the research. I too ended up going back to the 32 bit version of Chrome, so far no issues and most likely will wait until they work out the bugs in the 64 bit version before trying again.
Robert Taylor