Microsoft unveils 64-bit version of OneDrive for Windows at last

After teasing a 64-bit version of its cloud storage solution earlier this year, Microsoft has revealed that its updated version of OneDrive is now available in public preview.

While the software giant first released a 64-bit version of Windows back in 2003, up until now users could only access a 32-bit version of the software to store their files, photos and other documents. The problem with running 32-bit software on a 64-bit version of Windows 10 is that 32-bit programs can only access 4GB of system memory even on systems with higher amounts of memory.

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By making OneDrive available as a native 64-bit application, users will likely see a performance increase as the software can now use more of their available RAM.

64-bit OneDrive

In a new blog post, Microsoft's Ankita Kirti explained that the new 64-bit version of OneDrive will make it easier to transfer large files, saying:

“The 64-bit version is the right choice if you plan to use large files, if you have a lot of files, and if you have a computer that's running a 64-bit version of Windows. Computers running 64-bit versions of Windows generally have more resources—such as processing power and memory—than their 32-bit predecessors. Also, 64-bit applications can access more memory than 32-bit applications (up to 18.4 million Petabytes).”

It's also worth noting that at the moment the 64-bit version of OneDrive is only available for systems running Intel or AMD processors. For now, users with ARM64 devices will need to continue using the 32-bit version of the software.

Interested users can download the 64-bit version of OneDrive here for use with their OneDrive work, school and home accounts.