running old programs possible?

Hello:
I tried to install an old software, which runs well under WIN XP, I got:
The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows
you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether
you need an x86(32bit) etc................

I tried to run it with win xp sp3 compatibility mode, I didn't succeed.

is there a solution for that?
it makes no sense to destroy backward compatibility, is this true?

thank you

On 1/8/2012 6:10 AM, Maurizio wrote:
> Hello:
> I tried to install an old software, which runs well under WIN XP, I got:
> The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows
> you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether
> you need an x86(32bit) etc................
>
> I tried to run it with win xp sp3 compatibility mode, I didn't succeed.
>
> is there a solution for that?
> it makes no sense to destroy backward compatibility, is this true?
>
> thank you
What win 7 version are you using? Win 7 Pro with XP running in a virtual
machine may be needed. We've gotten some fairly old games to run
this way. Win 7 32bit is a bit easier than win 7 64 to use to do this
sort of thing.

On Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:10:02 +0200, Maurizio wrote:

> Hello:
> I tried to install an old software, which runs well under WIN XP, I got:
> The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows
> you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether
> you need an x86(32bit) etc................
>
> I tried to run it with win xp sp3 compatibility mode, I didn't succeed.
>
> is there a solution for that?
> it makes no sense to destroy backward compatibility, is this true?
>
> thank you

I believe the error message is trying to tell you that you need to run the
program on 32bit.
If you have another partition, try installing it on that.

Perhaps you are trying to run a 16bit installer for said program on the
64 bit Windows 7? That doesn't work.

On 1/8/2012 5:10 AM, Maurizio wrote:
> Hello:
> I tried to install an old software, which runs well under WIN XP, I got:
> The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows
> you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether
> you need an x86(32bit) etc................
>
> I tried to run it with win xp sp3 compatibility mode, I didn't succeed.
>
> is there a solution for that?
> it makes no sense to destroy backward compatibility, is this true?
>
> thank you

On Sun, 8 Jan 2012 06:32:34 -0500, richard <> wrote:

>I believe the error message is trying to tell you that you need to run the
>program on 32bit.
>If you have another partition, try installing it on that.

And how is running the program on another partition going to do
anything different, bullis?

Perhaps it's best you not try to give computer advice, since you
obviously know nothing about computers.
--
To reply via e-mail, remove The Obvious and .invalid from my e-mail address.

On 08/01/2012 6:10 AM, Maurizio wrote:
> Hello:
> I tried to install an old software, which runs well under WIN XP, I got:
> The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows
> you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether
> you need an x86(32bit) etc................
>
> I tried to run it with win xp sp3 compatibility mode, I didn't succeed.

It's not a "true" XP program, but most likely a DOS program whose API
has been tweaked to run on XP.

> is there a solution for that?
> it makes no sense to destroy backward compatibility, is this true?
>
> thank you

It depends on the program, and the W7 version. I use Pro-64bit, which
runs my 32bit programs (XP versions) without problems. However, I no
longer use Win2000 or earlier versions. If your program was written for
Win 9.x or earlier, there are no guarantees, even if the version you
have ran on Win2000 or XP, as you have discovered. Two solutions: keep
XP on your machine; or use a virtual machine inside Win7 to run XP, and
via that, the old program(s).

From my own experience:
Win 2000: runs DOS (Win9.x and even earlier) programs. It has a nearly
complete DOS component.
Win XP: runs NT/2000 programs and many but not all DOS programs.
Win7: runs XP programs. I don't have W2000 or earlier programs on this
machine anymore.

Games: Depends. Many (most?) of the more complex games use Windows only
as a loader, and have their own direct access to the hardware, in order
to speed up execution. In effect (and sometimes in reality) they load
their own mini-OS. If the screen goes blank before the game appears, you
can be pretty sure that the games is installing its own
direct-to-hardware access software, and bypassing all or most of the
what's built into the OS. These games will usually not run on Windows
versions newer than the one they were written for. Check the system
requirements.

Business programs: Many small businesses have found that their
database/POS/etc programs will not run on newer versions of Windows.
Some of these programs are still DOS-based, so that should not be
surprising. The fact is that many of these old business-level programs
do what they do very well, and are very stable. They may not have the
prettiest interfaces, but that's not an issue. IOW, there's no reason to
"upgrade".

Comment/Side bar:
The main reason newer OSs are so bloated is that the user interface
takes far more horsepower to run than the actual programs. Integrating a
variety of programs so that they interchange data seamlessly is not as
simple as it seems (eg, e-mailing from your word processor requires that
both programs "know" the other's file formats).

It's technically possible to build applications that are OS/interface
neutral: all it would take is a common API layer. Or ship programs with
all current APIs, and let the installer figure out which one to use.
However, without regulatory pressure, this will never happen. The fear
of government intervention often results in consumer-unfriendly business
practices. Not surprising, when you think about it.

HTH
Wolf K.

Maurizio wrote:

> I tried to install an old software, which runs well under WIN XP, I got:
> The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows
> you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether
> you need an x86(32bit) etc................
>
> I tried to run it with win xp sp3 compatibility mode, I didn't succeed.
>
> is there a solution for that?
> it makes no sense to destroy backward compatibility, is this true?

We are to *guess* if you have a 32- or 64-bit version of Windows 7?
Provide details about YOUR setup. You didn't even mention which
*edition* of Windows 7 that you have.

Windows XP allowed both 16- and 32-bit installers. With 16-bit
installers getting really ancient compared to the newest version of
Windows, 64-bit versions of Vista/7 only permit 32- and 64-bit
installers.

"16-bit programs are not supported on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista
or of Windows 7."
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926657

You said you already tried compatibility mode. You never mentioned
WHICH edition of Windows 7 that you have. Some of them permit you to
install XP Mode with is Windows VirtualPC running a license of Windows
XP. So you might be able to install your old software in XP Mode.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...indows-xp-mode
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/vir...t-started.aspx

If you have an edition of Windows 7 that doesn't support XP Mode, you
can still get VirtualPC 2007 and install Windows XP in a virtual machine
(VM) to run your 16-bit programs from there. However, you will need a
legitimate license for Windows XP to run it inside a VM. Legitimate
means you never used that XP license to upgrade to another version of
Windows since you only get to maintain the 1 license to Windows across
all the upgrades from the full version (e.g., 1 full + 4 upgrades = 1
license, not 5). So the disadvantage of using Windows inside a VM is
that you need a license for it. XP Mode in Windows 7 (some editions)
gives you both Windows 7 and a Windows XP licenses.

You will still get the 16-bit error if you install XP Mode or Virtual PC
if you just run the 16-bit installer as you have before. You need to
make sure you run the 16-bit install *in* the VM for Windows XP. Sorry,
but I haven't used XP Mode so you'll need to have someone tell you how
to do target an install so it is executed within the VM. With
VirtualPC, you load the VM (it shows in its own console window) and run
the installer there. I have read where users trying to use XP Mode for
16-bit programs couldn't get them to work until they disabled the
Integration Features for XP Mode.

If it's a really old DOS-mode program, neither VirtualPC (running
Windows XP) or XP Mode (under Windows 7) may work. In that case, you
might trying using DOSbox. However, you said the old software ran under
Windows XP so you might get it to work in XP Mode else try VirtualPC.
However, unlike XP Mode, VirtualPC doesn't support USB devices, so if
you're stuck having to use a VMM (virtual machine manager), like
VirtualPC, you might want to instead look at VirtualBox which does
support USB devices. VMplayer (VMserver is no longer supported) which
is free also supports USB devices and is another VMM choice. If it's a
really old DOS-mode program that you happened to get working in Windows
XP, you might instead want to use a VMM to run MS-DOS and run your old
DOS-mode program from there.

While VMs let you run old software under old operating system, or even
under different operating systems (i.e., running Linux in a VM on
Windows), they aren't made for playing games. All the hardware except
the CPU is emulated by software which means it everything in a VM runs
slower, sometimes much slower. If you want to use the native (real)
hardware with your old games, you would have better performance running
those old programs on their intended operating system by using multi-
booting: you use a multi-boot manager to select which OS to load when
you boot your computer. You'll need a multi-boot manager that resides
wholly in the 446-byte bootstrap area of the MBR of the hard disk (first
detected or used by the BIOS), like GAG (gag.sourceforge.net), along
with other primary partitions (on the same or different hard disk as
Windows) where you install the other OS and use the multi-boot manager
to select them to load on booting the computer. Then you're not using
emulated hardware to run your old apps but instead running them in their
own intended OS and on the real hardware for faster and more compatible
operation. Since GAG runs from the MBR bootstrap (outside of any OS),
it should be compatible with Windows 7; however, I haven't used GAG for
awhile and definitely not with Windows Vista or 7 (I now have separate
hosts for each OS to eliminate all the software workarounds).

Windows 7 x86 (32-bit) can run a 16-bit installer in Windows 98/ME
compatibility mode. Windows 7 x64 cannot run 16-bit programs. Although
some 16-bit installers deliver 32-bit programs, you still need to run
the 16-bit installer to extract the 32-bit program. So check if the
software vendor has a later version of their program that uses a 32-bit
installer.

Yes, it does make sense to destroy backward compatibility. Supporting
old stuff requires a lot of overhead and to support it. If you had a
product that was dead for many years, why would you still support it?
Car makers are only required to manufacture parts for 10 years after
introducing a model (after that it comes out of stock or comes from
aftermarket suppliers). Figure 6 years for computer stuff. It is,
after all, /*soft*/ware. Hardware has longer longevity.

On 08/01/2012 13:10, Maurizio wrote:
> Hello:
> I tried to install an old software, which runs well under WIN XP, I got:
> The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows
> you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether
> you need an x86(32bit) etc................
>
> I tried to run it with win xp sp3 compatibility mode, I didn't succeed.
>
> is there a solution for that?
> it makes no sense to destroy backward compatibility, is this true?
>
> thank you

Thanks all
effectively, I'm using W7 64bits ultimate

VanguardLH wrote:
> Maurizio wrote:
>
>> I tried to install an old software, which runs well under WIN XP, I got:
>> The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows
>> you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether
>> you need an x86(32bit) etc................
>>
>> I tried to run it with win xp sp3 compatibility mode, I didn't succeed.
>>
>> is there a solution for that?
>> it makes no sense to destroy backward compatibility, is this true?
>
> We are to *guess* if you have a 32- or 64-bit version of Windows 7?
> Provide details about YOUR setup. You didn't even mention which
> *edition* of Windows 7 that you have.
>
> Windows XP allowed both 16- and 32-bit installers. With 16-bit
> installers getting really ancient compared to the newest version of
> Windows, 64-bit versions of Vista/7 only permit 32- and 64-bit
> installers.
>
It would also help a lot if we were told what the program the OP is
trying to install is as well as which version of Windows 7 he has. There
may be an updated version or a work around.

As you say, though, sometimes it just isn't worth the effort to support
old programs.


--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:21:28 -0800, Evan Platt wrote:

> On Sun, 8 Jan 2012 06:32:34 -0500, richard <> wrote:
>
>>I believe the error message is trying to tell you that you need to run the
>>program on 32bit.
>>If you have another partition, try installing it on that.
>
> And how is running the program on another partition going to do
> anything different, bullis?
>
> Perhaps it's best you not try to give computer advice, since you
> obviously know nothing about computers.

Due to the way windows handles 64bit and 32bit.
The x86 folder is checked and certain action is taken based upon that.
Don't know why, but removing that program from the x86 folder bypasses that
action.

As an example, 40tude dialog has problems within the x86 folder.
Installed elsewhere, it's fine.
I normally install my programs on other partitions anyway.