May 15, 2017 If it’s a DOS based 16bit program, you should be able to run it through DosBox. It “might” work directly in a normal CMD window, but I doubt it very much. If it’s an old Win3 / 95 program I think you’re probably out of luck. You’d have better chance to run it in something like XP.

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And, since Windows 3.1 itself was basically a DOS application, you can install Windows 3.1 in DOSBox and run old 16-bit Windows 3.1 applications, too. Use 32-Bit Windows for 16-bit Software. 16-bit programs no longer function on 64-bit versions of Windows. Many times we come across scenarios where we look for backward compatibility in order to run Legacy/Old Software’s on our Newer PCs or OSs. Or may be we need to Run the 32-bit or 16-bit Software’s on our Newer Machines. E.g Installing Windows 7 Software on Windows 8, Installing Windows Xp Software on Windows 8.1 etc,installing 32 bit software on 64 bit os.

John P. wants to continue playing a game he bought when running Windows 98.

That's a pretty old game. Realistically, there are limits on how long you can keep using old software. Eventually, operating system designers have to choose between backward compatibility and future capabilities.

And yet, if your program was created with Windows 98 primarily in mind, it has a reasonable chance of working in Windows 7 or 8. But if it was already old in 1998, or was written to be backward compatible back then, it will have problems with most current computers.

[Email your tech questions to answer@pcworld.com.]

If your attempt to run or install the program gives you an error message that reads something like the one below, chances are you're trying to run a 16-bit program in a 64-bit environment. You can't do that.

Originally, Windows was a 16-bit environment, and ran only 16-bit software. With Windows 95, the operating system went 32-bit, and could run both 16- and 32-bit programs. Windows Vista, 7, and 8 all come (or came) in 32- and 64-bit versions (the version you get depends on your PC's processor). The 64-bit versions can run 32- and 64-bit programs, but not 16-bit ones.

test

To see if you're running 32- or 64-bit Windows, check your System information. To get there in Windows 7, click Start, right-click Computer, and select Properties. In Windows 8, click the Search charm, type system, click Settings, then System. Once there, look for the System type field for the answer to your question.

If you're running a 32-bit version of Windows, you may be able to run that program. Right-click the .exe file, or a shortcut to the .exe file, and select Properties. Click the Compatibility tab. Then check Run this program in compatibility mode for and select an appropriate option. Then try launching it again. You may need to go through several options before you find one that works.

But if you're living in a 64-bit world (and these days, most of us do), your choices are limited. If you have Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate, you can download and install Microsoft's free Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC. This runs a copy of XP in a 32-bit virtual machine.

Unfortunately, if you're running a 64-bit version of Vista, Windows 8, or Windows 7 Home, that option is closed for you. You can download and install a free virtual machine program, such as VMWare Player, but you'll also need an old version of Windows to run in it.

https://tbrenew.amebaownd.com/posts/18213503. Or, if you're using the 64-bit version of Windows 8 Pro or Ultimate, you can use the included Hyper-V to run a virtual machine, although you'll still need a licensed version of XP.

Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.

All my personal records since the very early 1990s, my record catalogue, and my family research – which has been deposited as data DVDs in County Records in England and State Records in Australia – are based on 16-bit programming in Superbase.

I’ve alerted the various organisations that my data DVDs will not install in Microsoft Windows 10. At this stage, they will have to keep PCs running earlier editions of Windows, but this is not a satisfactory long-term bet for them or me.

Can you point me to any existing or prospective software which will respond to 16-bit .exe files with Windows 10? I recognise that the number of people in my situation is relatively small, but we do exist, and I really think that Microsoft (or someone) should have made provision to enable the continued use of older software.John

Microsoft and the Superbase programmers have done well if a personal computer program has worked for more than 35 years, but you really should have moved on before now. Schofield’s First Law of Computing says that you should never put data into a program unless you know exactly how to get it out. Perhaps I should also have specified “when”.

Although your problem may affect relatively few users, it does illustrate a point about the common failure to appreciate the value of data.

People seem to worry about which PC to buy, rather than think about the software and web-based services they use, and they pay even less attention to the fate of their data. It should be the other way round. PCs last a few years, and software might survive for a few decades, but data is forever. Also, it costs far more to recover or recreate lost data than to replace hardware or software.

History and the Next Generation

Run 16 Bit Program In Windows 10

Superbase was developed in the UK by Precision Software, and first appeared on the Commodore 64 in 1983. It was a huge success, was ported to other machines, and in 1988, it became the first database on Microsoft Windows.

Like a lot of good British software, Superbase was sold to an American company – Software Publishing Corporation (SPC) – which sold it on to Computer Concepts Corporation. It eventually ended up back in the UK, where it was rescued by Papatuo Holdings Ltd. This looks like a husband-and-wife team operating several small companies.

According to Wikipedia, Papatuo bought the Superbase family of products from the official receivers of Superbase Developers plc in 2010, and in 2015, it “also purchased the SIMPOL intellectual property upon the liquidation of Simpol Limited.”

Simpol originally stood for Superbase International Multi-Platform Object Language. It was designed to be the programming language built into SBNG, aka “Superbase Next Generation”.

In a press release posted in January 2015, the company said: “Superbase Software Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Papatuo Holdings Ltd, has been established to provide support, consultancy and training for Superbase both legacy Superbase and Superbase Next Generation (NG) based on SIMPOL. Users can be confident of on-going support for their legacy Superbase-based systems. Superbase Software Limited are also offering a related range of paid support and professional services.”

In theory, you have an upgrade path via Simpol Professional (£349), though the conversion may not be simple. Also, the Simpol.com blog has not been updated since June 10, 2014, before the merger into Superbase Software Limited. However, if paid technical support, consulting and bespoke development services are available, this could be an option for the businesses that still use Superbase.

Running Superbase today

Superbase’s developers released Superbase Classic, the latest version, in 2003 – only 13 years ago! This is still available as a free download. The problem is that it runs in 32-bit versions of Windows, not in 64-bit versions.

This may not have anything to do with Windows 10 per se: I can’t run Superbase Classic on any version of Windows I have handy because they are all 64-bit versions. However, it might run in Windows 7 or 10, if you have a 32-bit version.

Basically, 32-bit Windows uses a technique called “thunking” to convert 16-bit memory addresses to 32-bit addresses, and vice versa. In contrast, the 64-bit versions of Windows use a special

Run 16 Bit Program Windows 10