MATLAB: Is running 32-bit MATLAB on a 64-bit platform supported

32-bit64-bitMATLAB

I would like to run MATLAB (32-bit) on a platform in which a 64-bit processor is running a 64-bit operating system.

Best Answer

For Windows:
This is a supported configuration as-of R2010b. In R2010a and earlier, this configuration is not supported, but is expected to generally work.
There are a handful of known issues with running 32-bit R2010b on 64-bit Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
They are as follows:
1. MATLAB Distributed Compute Server may fail when both 32-bit MATLAB and 64-bit MATLAB are installed on the same computer.
2. Real-Time Windows Target will not run.
3. Data Acquisition Toolbox cannot connect to parallel ports.
4. Embedded IDE Link and Target Support Package may fail to start Code Composer Studio.
Note that platform cross-compilation (for example, attempting to use 64-bit MATLAB to create a 32-bit MEX file) is not supported.
R2010a and earlier releases have more significant limitations, mostly in the area of invoking external C compilers and other third party applications.
For Linux Users:
MathWorks does not support running 32-bit MATLAB binaries on 64-bit Linux.
For Mac Users:
Mac users do not have the same kind of exposure to these concerns and can generally ignore this topic. This is because OS X 10.5 and 10.6 do not have any user-visible distinction between 32-bit and 64-“bit- ness” in the OS (that is, there is a single OS image that supports both 32-bit and 64-bit execution). Further, beginning with R2010b, a 32-bit version of MATLAB is no longer produced for the Mac.
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