A couple of days ago I wrote 32-Bit CorelDRAW X6 Best Choice for Most Users. After it was posted, I have had a number of users ask me where to find it or they have told me it didn’t exist on their DVD. Today I want to explain the confusing naming on the DVD that is leading users to struggle to find it.

I don’t understand why Corel doesn’t offer users on a 64-bit operating system a choice in the installer to pick 32-bit, 64-bit or even both. Not only doesn’t that option exist in the installer, the name chosen for the folder of the 32-bit version is baffling to graphic designs who aren’t Windows geeks.

Microsoft has used the x64 name to indicate 64-bit files and x86 to indicate 32-bit files in their products. Unfortunately that isn’t the least bit helpful to designers looking for a folder that indicates 32-bit in plain old English. My handy-dandy geek-to-designer translator says that x86 means 32-bit.

For those who purchased a download version of CorelDRAW X6, you’ll need to download the 32-bit installer from Corel’s Web site. If you have a DVD, you’ll get something similar to the screen shot above. Make sure to open the folder of your DVD drive rather than letting it Autoplay as that simply installs the 64-bit version. Once on the DVD, go into the x86 folder as shown in the red circle at the top of the dialog box. Then double-click on Setup.exe to launch the 32-bit installer.

A couple of notes that will save some questions. Maybe you are not seeing the “.exe” on the Setup file. This means you have the default (awful) Windows setting of hiding file extensions. I explained how to get extension to show up in Display File Extensions in Windows Explorer and Dialog Boxes. Once you get the installer running, please choose to do a custom install as described in Using a Custom Install When Installing CorelDRAW and Other Software. That way you’ll get everything you do want and nothing that you don’t want.

Hopefully this clears up installing for you. Want to get even more from CorelDRAW, make sure to get a copy of CorelDRAW X6 Unleashed as it is loaded with hundreds of pages of information and hours of video tutorials.