Windows 8 is all set to break the conventions of traditional operating systems, thanks to its ultra modern features such as the Metro styled interface and Immersive browser. Moreover, as the Windows 8 support team reports, there is an in-built facility in Windows 8 that enables you to run your old 16 bit applications with ease.
So if you have been thinking that you’ll have to forego those vintage DOS based games while upgrading to Windows 8, you’re absolutely wrong. Below given is the procedure formulated by the Windows 8 support team for running your 16 bit applications in Windows 8:
The ‘16 bit Application Support’ in Windows 8
Normally while attempting to run a 16-bit application on Windows 8, according to the Windows 8 support team, you’ll receive a prompt message that asks you to enable the required support on your PC for the same. Perform the below given steps to effect the required settings:
- As the Windows 8 support team says, you may initiate the procedure by opening “Control Panel”.
- At the top-right part of the Control Panel, change the view of your icons by selecting “Small Icons”.
- The Windows 8 support team says that you may now click on the icon that reads “16-bit Application Support”, whereby the “Settings” box shall open up with “Enable” and “Disable” functions.
- In order to activate 16-bit Applications on your Windows 8 PC, click on the option “Enable”.
According to the Windows 8 support team, you can disable the same as and when you wish by selecting the “Disable” button.
By performing the above procedure prescribed by the Windows 8 support team, you’re sure to have enabled the working of 16-bit applications on your Windows 8 PC.
For any further assistance regarding Windows 8, please get in touch with Windows 8 support team.
This is great news. Windows 7 was a disappointment, because it was impossile to run great old apps with it (only 16-bit Windows programs will work on 32-bit 7.)
We are really happy about this as well, shows that Microsoft actually cares.
I have got Windows 8 RP ( Release Preview) 32 bit. And one thing that Windows 8 does well is run software for older versions of Windows,Windows 3.1,NT,95 and 98.as well as Windows XP and Windows Vista software.
I have installed Microsoft Entertainment Pack which are 16 bit games,Microsoft Bob,which is also 16 bit and other 16 bit games. And they all work on my Windows 8.
The only disadvantage is that the 16 bit has no icons. But you just choose an icon from the shell32.dill or the moricons.dll folder.
But that is not a Windows 8 issue as the icons on 16 bit app do not show on Windows 7,Vista or Windows XP either.
But yes,you must be running 32 bit Windows because 16 bit software only works on 32 bit not 64 bit Windows. One of the many reasons why I never run 64 bit Windows. Andrea Borman.
Microsoft disable 16 bit apps by default because of vulnerabilities impossible to patch since 1993.
Google security team member Tavis Ormandy has found several vulnerabilities in the Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) introduced in 1993 to support 16-bit applications that allow an unprivileged 16-bit program to manipulate the kernel stack of each process via a number of tricks. This potentially enables attackers to execute code at system privilege level.
1. The article did not specify 32 bit or 64 bit Win 8. Could it mean both will run 16 bit?
2. If 16 bit vulnerability was acceptable on 32 bit Win 8, why not allow it to run on 64 bit Win 8?