Creating the 64-bit configuration

Creating the 64-bit version of a project in Visual Studio 2005/2008 is a rather simple procedure. Difficulties will appear later at the step of building the new configuration and searching for errors in it. To create a 64-bit configuration you should make the following 4 steps:

Step 1

Open the configuration manager as shown in Figure 2:

Figure 2 - Launching the configuration manager

Step 2

Choose support of the new platform in the configuration manager (Figure 3):

Figure 3 - Creating a new configuration

Step 3

Choose the 64-bit platform (x64) and take the 32-bit version settings as the base (Figure 4). Visual Studio environment will automatically modify those settings that impact the build mode.

Figure 4 - Choosing x64 as the platform and loading the Win32 configuration as the base

Step 4

You have added the new configuration and now may select the 64-bit configuration version and start compiling the 64-bit application. Figure 5 shows how to choose the 64-bit building configuration.

Figure 5 - Now you have both the 32-bit and 64-bit configurations