Upgrading from 32bit to 64bit

[Raditude]

Last night, I was playing with Ubuntu 9.10, trying to install a theme, and tried to downgrade Gnome Display Manager from 2.28 to 2.20, so I could theme the login screen. After more messing with it, I completely bricked my laptop.

I decided to try to reinstall from my CD. I popped it in, and it got halfway through the install, when it said it couldn't read from the disc. I pulled it out, and there's a really deep scratch in it. I don't have the original ISO, so I have to redownload it.

My computer is capable of running 64bit operating systems. What I want to know is, will any programs cease to work if I upgrade to the 64bit version of Ubuntu.

I currently have it setup with 4 partitions 1 and 2 were the original system partitions that came with the computer, to restore Windows. 3 and 4 are ones I created for Ubuntu.

Partition 3 has the Ubuntu Root files, and 4 has my Home files.

I run VirtualBox with Windows XP as a guest inside Ubuntu. The guest disk is saved on my Home Partition. Everything else is standard or comes from Package Managers.

[Naitsirhc Hsem]

I have used 64-bit a little and most everything runs in 64-bit, I use 32 bit because I don't feel like updating.

[Naitsirhc Hsem]

Also you might want to use a usb installer

[Raditude]

I'm not sure if I can boot to USB or not. The only USB flash drive I have already has stuff on it, so would I have to format it to make it bootable? I don't wanna lose the info on it, and don't have enough space on any of my hard drives to backup the data.

[Sef]

I have used 64-bit a little and most everything runs in 64-bit....

+1. Almost all of the programs that I have used have a 64-bit version. What programs do you want to run on the 64-bit?

[Raditude]

+1. Almost all of the programs that I have used have a 64-bit version. What programs do you want to run on the 64-bit?

VirtualBox is my main one. I need to make sure I can transfer my current Virtual Machine to the new setup.