especially if the 16 bit application was meant to run on Windows in the first place.

But, since DOS hasn't been really been used much since the Windows XP days (back in 2001), there's a very slim chance that anyone will want to go this route In the extremely rare case you need to run a 16-bit DOS-based program, you might want to consider using DOSBox. Option #3: Use DOSBox to Run your 16-bit ProgramĭOSBox is a program that emulates a 32-bit environment, which supports 16-bit applications. Anyone who has tried this is welcome to comment. To be honest, I have not tested whether or not the license will 'stick,' since technically it is running on new 'virtual machine hardware'. In theory your Windows 10 32-bit should now run inside of the Windows 10 64-bit desktop, using the same license. Once that is done, test the virtual machine to ensure it works, then restore your disk image backup to put your system back to Windows 10 64-bit. Vmware vcenter converter to convert the physical machine to a virtual machine. To do so: backup your existing Windows 10 64-bit using a disk image, then format the drive and install Windows 10 32-bit. Going about this would be somewhat tricky to avoid paying for another Windows license. If your computer has at least a quad core processor and 8 or more gigabytes of RAM, then the best bet would be to use a virtual machine to emulate Windows 10 32-bit inside of your Windows 10 64-bit environment. Option #2: Use a Virtual Machine to Emulate Windows 10 32-bit

Since RAM makes a massive difference in the usability and speed of a computer, you would not want to switch to Windows 10ģ2-bit if you have more than 4 gigabytes of RAM. Windows 10 32-bit supports a maximum of 4 gigabytes of RAM. Windows 10 32-bit supports 16-bit applications directly, but before you install it, please note that Option #1: Use Windows 10 32-bit to run 16-bit Programs That said, there are workarounds to the problem. The same holds true when trying to run 16-bit applications on Windows 7 64-bit or Windows 8 64-bit. You cannot run 16-bit applications on 64-bit Windowsĭirectly, including Windows 10 64-bit. So the question is, how can I run 16-bit programs on Windows 10 64-bit? ' I believe the Visual Basic program uses 16-bit architecture. I have Windows 10 64-bit and when I try and run an old Visual Basic software program, it says 'This app cannot run on your PC'.

Downgrade windows 10 64 bit to 32 bit