How to execute 16-bit installer on 64-bit Win7?

Question

I am trying to install Sheridan controls (ActiveThreed 2.01) on Win7 64-bit, but evidently it is a 16-bit installer so it won't execute.

What would be the best way to get round this problem?

Can anyone comment on whether http://homepage3.nifty.com/takeda-toshiya/msdos/index.html would be helpful?

Answer 1

It took me months of googling to find a solution for this issue. You don't need to install a virtual environment running a 32-bit version of Windows to run a program with a 16-bit installer on 64-bit Windows. If the program itself is 32-bit, and just the installer is 16-bit, here's your answer.

There are ways to modify a 16-bit installation program to make it 32-bit so it will install on 64-bit Windows 7. I found the solution on this site:

http://www.reactos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=10988

In my case, the installation program was InstallShield 5.X. The issue was that the setup.exe program used by InstallShield 5.X is 16-bit. First I extracted the installation program contents (changed the extension from .exe to .zip, opened it and extracted). I then replaced the original 16-bit setup.exe, located in the disk1 folder, with InstallShield's 32-bit version of setup.exe (download this file from the site referenced in the above link). Then I just ran the new 32-bit setup.exe in disk1 to start the installation and my program installed and runs perfectly on 64-bit Windows.

You can also repackage this modified installation, so it can be distributed as an installation program, using a free program like Inno Setup 5.

Answer 2

You can't run 16-bit applications (or components) on 64-bit versions of Windows. That emulation layer no longer exists. The 64-bit versions already have to provide a compatibility layer for 32-bit applications.

Support for 16-bit had to be dropped eventually, even in a culture where backwards-compatibility is of sacred import. The transition to 64-bit seemed like as good a time as any. It's hard to imagine anyone out there in the wild that is still using 16-bit applications and seeking to upgrade to 64-bit OSes.

What would be the best way to get round this problem?

If the component itself is 16-bit, then using a virtual machine running a 32-bit version of Windows is your only real choice. Oracle's VirtualBox is free, and a perennial favorite.

If only the installer is 16-bit (and it installs a 32-bit component), then you might be able to use a program like 7-Zip to extract the contents of the installer and install them manually. Let's just say this "solution" is high-risk and you should have few, if any, expectations.

It's high time to upgrade away from 16-bit stuff, like Turbo C++ and Sheridan controls. I've yet to come across anything that the Sheridan controls can do that the built-in controls can't do and haven't been able to do since Windows 95.

Answer 3

I posted some information on the Infragistics forums for designer widgets that may help you for this. You can view the post with the following link:
http://forums.infragistics.com/forums/p/52530/320151.aspx#320151

Note that the registry keys would be different for the different product and you may need to install on a 32 bit machine to see what keys you need.

Answer 4

I am mostly posting this in case someone comes along and is not aware that VB2005 and VB2008 have update utilities that convert older VB versions to it's format. Especially since no one bothered to point that fact out.

Points taken, but maintenance of this VB6 product is unavoidable. It would also be costly in man-hours to replace the Sheridan controls with native ones. Simply developing on a 32-bit machine would be a better alternative than doing that. I would like to install everything on Win7 64-bit ideally. – CJ7

Have you tried utilizing the code upgrade functionality of VB Express 2005+?

If not, 1. Make a copy of your code - folder and all. 2. Import the project into VB express 2005. This will activate the update wizard. 3. Debug and get the app running. 4. Create a new installer utilizing MS free tool. 5. You now have a 32 bit application with a 32 bit installer.

Until you do this, you will never know how difficult or hard it will be to update and modernize the program. It is quite possible that the wizard will update the Sheridan controls to the VB 2005 controls. Again, you will not know if it does and how well it does it until you try it.

Alternatively, stick with the 32 Bit versions of Windows 7 and 8. I have Windows 7 x64 and a program that will not run. However, the program will run in Windows 7 32 bit as well as Windows 8 RC 32 bit. Under Windows 8 RC 32, I was prompted to enable 16 bit emulation which I did and the program rand quite fine afterwords.