Install older software on 64 bit Win 7 Home?

[walker2]

A colleague of mine is running Win 8 Home 64 bit. After he installed a number of updates from Microsoft, he was able to install and run an ancient 16 bit application from 1990 or so.

Has Microsoft come up with a similar update for Win 7?

I know, 32 bit code is going through an emulator on a 64 bit Ms platform, and 16 bit code has been an absolute no-no on 64 bit Win 8 too.

 

[goombawaho]

Who can tell what update you're referring or which one (if any) MAY have caused it to work? There's no real evidence that an update allowed the software to work.

So.... don't worry about updates. The simple thing is to run Win 7 with XP mode installed OR google this for Windows 8: no xp mode for windows 8

 

[strongm]

I am only aware of 16bit being available (although not by default, it has to be enabled) on 32bit W8

 

[linney]

Check that it is a 16-bit application, and not a 32-bit application. Check that is 64-bit machine and not a 32-bit machine. I don't think that what you state is possible other than by way of a Virtual Machine being installed on any 64-bit Windows.


List of limitations in 64-Bit Windows

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/282423#appliesto

32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/41531554-d5ef-4f2c-8fb9-149bdc5c8a701033.mspx

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=r...&ie=&oe=&redir_esc=&ei=_68SUc6EBIHsmAW47ICwAw

 

[walker2]

I am talking about Micrografx Designer 3.0, which is from 1990. 32 bit code was not invented back then!

All he reportedly did was installing those updates, 17 in all, suggested by Microsoft. And behold, he could install and run the win 3.1 code! That was NOT possible before those updates!

As the laptop was bought with pre-installed Win 8, it must be 64 bit. Nobody sells an upper-end laptop with 32 bit OS these days! You may be able to reinstall a 32 bit version, but that is not the issue here!

And no, he has not installed XP mode. That is probably only available for Pro users, just like for Win 7.

 

[strongm]

>it must be 64 bit

I think this is the bit we would have to argue with. If the system can run 16bit apps then it is NOT 64bit, at least not without an emulator of some descriptions. To quiote Wikipedia: Versions of Windows NT for 64-bit architectures (x64 and IA-64) do not include the NTVDM and are unable to run DOS or 16-bit Windows applications. This is because, in an x86-64 CPU, virtual 8086 mode is available as a sub-mode only in its legacy mode (for running 16- and 32-bit operating systems), not in the native, 64-bit long mode; a hard reset of the CPU is required to switch to legacy mode. And whilst Wikipedia is incorrect about the hard resety requirement, it iscCorrect that once the CPU enters 64bit long mode, VM86 is not supported anymore, so no 16bit legacy code will run. At all. An emulator is required.

>That is probably only available for Pro users, just like for Win 7

No, it isn't available at all for Windows 8

 

[goombawaho]

Yeah, what strongm said - just check it to humor us (32 vs. 64 bit). You have to discuss these things from a perspective of knowing the facts, not assuming them. Not trying to be snotty, just coldly logical.

All he reportedly did.....

In any event, I can't imagine any updates that could have possible fixed the problem. Maybe this person had been doing a ton of other things trying to get the program to run including, perhaps, some virtual machine installation.

>That is probably only available for Pro users, just like for Win 7
No, it isn't available at all for Windows 8

Which is why I suggested the workarounds for using XP mode in Windows 8