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We are testing the Windows XP-64 version of Pro/E WF 2.0+ Pro/MECHANICA since they came available (about 6 months ago!)
For Windows XP-64 you need the 64 bit version of Pro/E which is available as a normally licenced version since WF 2.0 M160. Before that you could use the 64 bits version of Wildfire 2.0 (M140or M120), bothrun without license and have a build-in time bomb.
The regular 32 bits versions of Pro/E do NOT run on a computer (AMD 64 bits or Intel with EM64-T) with Windows XP-64 installed.
All 64 bitsversions can be downloadedby customers with maintenance from thePTC site (at least I do not think there is a restriction for resellers only here...). You can also get Windows XP-64 versions for the Wildfire 3.0 pre-production. All versions include MECHANICA which benefits nicely from the 64-bits environment (larger address space and increase in speed 30% on the same machine).
Pro/E extensions developed by third party like PDX, EMX, EFX are not available for the 64 bits version yet.<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />
I think you'll need to 'fool' the setup program.... You can do this by installing 32-bit Pro/E on a 32-bit machine and then copying the loadpoint over to the 64-bit computer.
I've heard similar things with other programs. My advice would be to stay away from Win64 until it has at least a servicepack 1. There's just to much issues on hardware, drivers, etc. to call this a stable platform as for now. You also do not gain anything worth risking the step-up as long as the entire setup is not 64-bit, that is : machine-operating system-program. The most important advantage for CAD would be memory addressing and as long as there is anything 32-bit in between it won't work.
If you have machines prepared in 64-bit mode I would advise to add Win2K or XP as second operating system, turning the machine into a dual boot computer. At least you won't have to reinstall the entire 64-bit OS when it's ripe.
I have run Pro/E WF2 32-bit using this method. Actually, the 32-bit loadpoint is on a network loadpoint, but it runs very well on our 64-bit workstation (HP9300 with 16GB ram).
Also, there is a benefit to running 32-bit Pro/E on a 64-bit workstation:
Out-of-the-box Windows XP (32-bit) can allocate a maximum of 2GB per process (program) our of the box. This is regardless of how much physical RAM you have in the machine (which is 4GB max for a 32-bit computer). In reality, the xtop.exe process actually crashes at around the 1.7GB point.
By using the 3GB option available in 32-bit XP, you can extend the maximum per-process virtual memory limit from 2GB to 3GB. In reality, the xtop.exe process will now crash if you get to more than 2.6 or 2.7GB.
Windows XP 64, out of the box, will allocate a maximum of 4GB or virtual memory to a 32-bit process. (4GB is the absolute limit that a 32-bit program can understand).
So... Going from XP to XP with the 3GB option increases your RAM headroom by one Gigabyte. Upgrading to a 64-bit platform (hardware and OS) increases your headroom by another GB.
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