Has anyone been running RootsMagic on Microsoft’s newest PCs - either the Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC or the Surface Pro Copilot+ PC? Both run Windows 11, but use the Snapdragon X Series Processors, which I believe are ARM based CPU’s as opposed to Intel based CPU’s. I had read that there were some compatibility issues and was wondering if RootsMagic operates successfully on these devices?
Thanks!
Pretty specific question that you may not get an answer to.
Where did you see that there were compatibility issues?
In any event, I’d download RM and see what happens - if it works, it works, if not …
Please post your results.
CoPilot says (and ends circling right back here!):
RootsMagic 10 can run on Windows 11 devices with Snapdragon X Elite or other ARM processors, but there are some considerations to keep in mind. Windows on ARM uses a translation layer to emulate x86_64 architecture, which allows many traditional Windows apps to run12. However, this emulation can sometimes affect performance and compatibility.
If you have specific concerns or need detailed information about running RootsMagic 10 on your ARM device, it might be helpful to reach out to RootsMagic support or check their community forums for user experiences2.
Thanks MadDog. I am already a RootsMagic user on Windows10. I am considering upgrading to the Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+ PC but before I take the leap, was concerned about it being an ARM device vs. an Intel device and potential compatibility issues. Thought I would check here to see if any current RM10 users have experience running it on these new machines.
A recent article said Microsoft ARM emulation was less than stellar especially with games. Apple’s Rosetta emulation to handle obsolete Intel code was much better. Judging by RM10 performance on mac emulation is a significant drag compared to native code.
Well that is not too encouraging. This article from May 22, 2024 suggests that “Prism x86 emulation for Arm PCs is as good as Apple’s Rosetta” . Based on your comments this may not be great for RM10 
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Rooty is just an avowed Mac owner who bashes Microsoft here regularly… many times asserting myths and mistaken falsehoods.
I believe the above “falsehood” was from pcmag or forbes which are not mac centric.
No Microsoft bashing needed from amateurs familiar with both systems–professional reviews are sufficient.
I just tested this on my Microsoft Surface Pro X (earlier ARM PC but basically same architecture as the new Copilot+ PCs)
I can get the 32-bit (x86) version of RM10 installed and running with no issues. I can’t comment on the performance, as I do not have large DB to test, but it all seemed to work fine. I even tried Ancestry and FamilySearch sync, and they worked fine to.
However, I was NOT able to install the 64-bit (x64). It would error during installation saying that it can only install on x64 architecture PCs.
I’m pretty sure Microsoft added the x64 emulator to the Surface Pro X a long time back, as I have been able to install other x64 software previously.
Hope that helps.
Simon.
Thanks Simon. I assume from your reply that you are finding that the 32-bit version is running “acceptably” on the Surface Pro X.
Incidentally, I have submit a “technical” issue asking if a native ARM based version is being planned.
Gary
Yes, RM10 does appear to be working well, although I’ve not tried every feature. I feel as long as you have access to a regular Windows PC for those apps or devices (scanners, printers, etc) that you may encounter problems with, having the Windows ARM systems is so far a very positive experience. For office work and normal usage for 99% of the time: Web, Mail, Office, Socials, Media consumption etc, it works a treat with no issues (3rd party VPN software aside). More and more apps will become available for native ARM64, but perhaps for smaller software houses like RootsMagic the demand may not be there to warrant the effort required?
I have been running Windows 11 on Snapdragon ARM for a couple of months, although I have not delved into Copilot. I appear to be running fine as expected.
Eric
Thanks everyone for your feedback. I did take the plunge and upgraded to a Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+ PC and installed RM10. So far everything seems to be working fine.
FYI, I also submit a technical support issue and the response was “an arm version has been reported to our development”
I purchased a Surface Pro Copilot+ PC recently. Most of my software is 64bit and runs OK, but RM10 64bit does not appear to. Downloaded the 32bit version. All my RM data files are in 64bit. Should I be able to open them using the 32bit RM program? Or do I need to GEDCOM the 64bit files and import back into the 32bit program?
Data files should not be affected by storage on a 32 or 64 bit OS. Programs are specific to the OS version they are meant for.
The 64bit file opens ok with the 32bit RM10, but when I add or change anything in the file it errors out and will not save the change. Do I need a 32bit data file to use the 32bit program?
Sorry for the delay in responding, Tom. I took a small 64 bit test file from my desktop computer that contains no one from as recent as 1400 AD, and opened it with my 32 bit program. Made a few changes (including adding a few people), and saved a backup. Everything worked just fine. The updated file reflects last changed as today.
The file I normally work with is my family and ancestors (going back to pre-new world times in Europe). That file is the one I had the problems with. I have opened a backup copy of it on my Intel based Win11 Pro desktop and made a change to it, then saved, so it is current date. Will test it with the RM 10 32bit program tomorrow (using a backup file) to see if the problem I have had (while in Europe with only the MS Surface Pro and it’s non-Intel system) shows it’s self again. Will report back.
There is no 32-bit version of the database file as @Rooty previously stated. The database file is the same whether created under the 32-bit application or the 64-bit RM application for Windows. But those two versions of the application differ slightly not only in features but also in reliability. On Intel-based computers and maybe more generally Ryzen-based too, it seems the 32-bit version has fewer errors. I think the jury is still out on those using the Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM cpu - RM Inc is silent on the subject and there are scant user reports. Maybe you are experiencing a system-dependent problem.
Thank you for the responses and clarification. Seems to be working now. Have not been able to replicate the condition.