16-bit problem

My old Win 98 would run a 16 bit program. My harddrive has now been replaced and some version of Win 98 was installed. But now Win 98 will not run a favorite 16 bit program. The error message is that the program is not a valid 32 bit program. The "help" menus don't seem to cover this. I'd appreciate any help. Thanks. Bill

 

hmm, that's a bit fundamental!

was your 16-bit app. a part of old Windows 3.x, or something that runs from a DOS prompt, pls?

if you post the date/time of the OS files someone will probably be able to jump in to help ID which version of Windows it is...

I only have first edition here; first thought was to try notepad, calculator etc which were part of Windows3.x, but QuickView shows they've recompiled them as 32 bit...

old Windows 3.x Cardfile (16-bit) is really useful to patch in and doesn't get harvested for email addresses by malware as much as WAB does!

best wishes, HJ

 

I'd say there was some legacy program on your old disk which allowed 16 bit programs to be run in W98 and wasn't reloaded with the new install, but unfortunately at this time I couldn't tell you what. Maybe go back to whoever replaced your disk to help, or even somone here will come along and have a fix for you.

BOL

 

Hi Topdog

assuming "program" means an EXE, they just get a PIF rather than a LNK, rather the same as they do under W3.x (it may well be the same for a COM I haven't checked yet)

I run lots of old 16-bit non-Windows executables under W98, that's what my prehistoric Borland TurboC v2 produces - no special legacy stuff involved to run them

16-bit Windows executables (like my cardfile example above) just "happen" in a stunningly normal looking window

which is why I'm puzzled about Bill B B B's problems, and also why I picked up on this thread, in case here's some impact on the stuff I run every day

the PIF's (should) get generated automatically, maybe that's where the trouble lies? but that about as far as I can get at the moment.

best wishes, HJ

 

only a possible...

IF this is a non-windows 16-bit program, you might be missing a BATch file needed to set up appropriate paths etc. for the thing to run OK

perhaps? but it doesn't fit with the error message you are getting. I've never seen that message and I run 16-bit stuff every day... hence "fundamental" above...

what happens if you use file finder to look for *.PIF, pls.? I get 3 for various DOS prompts, a few others to do with windows, and one for each of my 16bit apps.

best wishes, HJ