Wine for Windows? - SOLVED!!

[DCillusion]

Is there an emulator that emulates 16-bit applications on a 32-bit Windows XP system?

When I bought my computer, I could play, occasionally, 16-bit apps, but after my restart....NOTHING!!!  Not a single 16-bit Windows app.

I've tried everything & called everybody.  So if anyone has an idea, I love to hear it.  My software isn't very old; circa 1997 - Blade Runner for example.  This is the time period I can't run on my system.

[Gregjazz]

There's a small downloadable patch I found a while ago that lets Windows play those old 16-bit games. I forget where I got it, but I could play all those old games that would usually not work.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

...oh my, oh my. What sort of games are we talking about here? Does it include, say, Phantasmagoria 2? Or older like Betrayal at Krondor?

[DCillusion]

I'm trying to run Blade Runner & 2 Jumpstart games from the same time period.

[dasjoe]

i suggest trying vdmsound [1] for that games, or dosbox [2]. depends on how old they are.
or install a vm [3][4], install win98 on it and play old games with that. that's what i do.
[1] http://sourceforge.net/projects/vdmsound
[2] http://dosbox.sf.net
[3] http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx
[4] http://www.vmware.com/products/desktop/ws_features.html

[DCillusion]

All the games are 16-bit Windows apps only, so DosBox won't work.  I'll try Virtual PC, but I know there must be an easier way; as it worked before the restart.

[Barbarian]

I found this interesting tidbit of information over on the "XP Corner" at Quandaryland.com that might help, and I've downloaded the patch to allow 16-bit apps as they suggested and everything seems to works ok:

"Problems with old 16-bit Windows applications running in XP SP2
SP2 stands for Service Pack 2, and it is yet another attempt by Microsoft to distance themselves from the old Windows-on-DOS platform. Once you've installed Windows XP SP2, you may get the following error message when you try to run an older application, such as a game:

16 bit Windows Subsystem

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not suitable
for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows Applications. Choose 'Close'
to terminate the application.

[Close] [Ignore]

There is a way you can restore the required files that SP2 deleted by using the Windows XP installation disk, but the procedure is a bit complicated for all but the most intrepid geeks. However, no fear as there are simpler fixes floating around on the web. Several readers have reported success with the following patch, which is credited to TRF Systems, Inc.

xp_fix.exe

[DCillusion]

That's it!!!

I see why you're the ATC champion!!!

Horray for Barbarian!!!

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Hmmm, I wouldn't want to try that yet, since the error you described I never had. Some games which give me trouble are Legacy of Time (Journeyman Project 3), Ceremony of Innocence... and that's it, actually - at least the games that I really want to play are those two. D'you think the patch would help? Like I said, I don't want to try patching it yet - if I don't need it, I might screw something up.

[monkey0506]

I'm having some trouble with a game that isn't that old, but the original version was reported as "Windows NT not supported" (which XP is a version of NT), Black & White.  I bought the game and the Creature Isle Expansion Pack for around $10 at Wal-Mart, and I haven't been able to get the game to work since I bought it.

I install the game, run it, the splash screen shows up, and then nothing else happens.  I've tried every possible compatibility setting, and even tried running it on Windows 98 via a virtual computer (Connectix Virtual PC (an older version of MS VPC (before MS bought the program lol ))), but it stops running at that point every time.  Since we're on the subject of getting games to run on XP here I figured I may as well ask...

[TheYak]

I doubt it would work for Black & White, but there is an option to allow you to run 16-bit apps in a dedicated (pseudo-protected) memory space.  I can't remember where I found it... registry somewhere originally then in FreshUI, a Windows settings tweaker.  It gives a check-box to the Run Program box for the dedicated space.  Other than the compatibility wizard or exploring properties to try more conducive settings, I haven't seen any decent tweaks that work reliably. 

I'm thinking more and more about building a DOS/Win98SE box.

[Barbarian]

DC: Hey, good to know it worked for you. I guess you're quite happy now you can play all of your good 'ol games and programs again 

Rui: The patch will restore some files (that allow 16-bit apps to run) that SP2 or some XP Udates may have deleted. The patch should not create any problems, however, you can always make a "System Restore" checkpoint before installing the patch, and if for some strange reason you do have some problems with your computer afterwards, you can  rollback your system to your System Restore checkpoint you made.  Anyways, the patch seemed to worked great for me and everyone else that I know who's tried it, but it's a decision you'll have to make if you want to install it or not.

[Haddas]

I install the game, run it, the splash screen shows up, and then nothing else happens.

I had that problem too. Turns out it was one of the hotfixes or whatever they're called. theones that windows makes you install all the time. I removed it, and it worked. That was over a year ago so I don't remember which one it was but that should give you some pointers.