can 16bit software run on a athlon 64 processor using windows xp x32 edition? and if they can, do you have any proof?

Yes, they can, at least on Intel x64 CPUs. We still have a few 16-bit apps that run here at work.

Google + Wikipedia Wiki Article

So basically, AMD64 will run 16 bit apps with WinXP 32bit, but not with WinXP 64bit.

did they say amd 64 will run 16bit apps or just intel 64? can you give me a link, I need proof for someone

The 64-bit silicon is ADDED to the existing silicon in both cases. The CPU core of the Athlon 64 is pretty much identical to an Athlon XP with the x64 and memory controller silicon tacked on. Similarly, the P4 6xx core is identical to the 5xx core (the x64 silicon is there, just disabled).

Hence, if the P4 5xx or Athlon XP will run something, the newer chips will as well.

The link is in my other post. Basically, Athlon64s will run 16 bit apps, but ONLY under Windows XP 32bit, but in Windows XP 64bit, 16 bit apps won't run, because the operating system won't support them.

If you follow the link, it's to the AMD64 article, and has nothing to do with intel

you can run 16 bit apps on that setup but not on windows x64,i only have 1 16 bit app and thats an old battleship type game,the rest are 32 bit and some 64 bit for when i move to windows x64.

1es more!!, its mostly the OS that add's or disables a function, windows xp x64 almost did had 16bits support yet for stability they did remove it..


and yeah it is kinda hard..


first 64bits --> 32bits emu, then emulate it to 16bits, ....

sop ya 16bits @ 32bits os yup (windows)

dont know if there's 16bits support on 64bits linux...

Wow, you're acting like the Athlon 64 was just released yesterday. Of course it can run 16-bit apps! The functionality in 32-bit Windows is exactly the same as other processors. Not less. If 16-bit support was gone for good we would no longer be able to boot up to DOS. Do you think everyone would just overlook a complete lack of 16-bit support?

Of course I recommend everyone to leave that 32-bit Windows behind as well as the 16-bit Windows apps. 64-bit Windows is the way to go.

I've have had a athlon 64 for awhile now, and talked to others if the cpu will run 16bit apps, its actually a good question because people had to look it up

Well if you're already using an Athlon 64, there's no need to look anything up. Just go to Start>Run and type "command" to see a 16-bit application. (CMD.EXE is 32-bit, but COMMAND.COM is 16-bit)

But even in Windows x64 I can use DOSBox to run old 16-bit DOS applications and games. You could use VMWare also, but that's kind of big and bulky for such small programs.

But thats sucks, so if i want ot run 64bit system so i have to leave any 16 bit wtf, its a big fault in XP 64bit

You should quit living in the past. How much 16-bit software are you really running anyway? Sooner or later you are going to have to leave it behind. Windows Vista is being used as a transitionary product to x64, and after that it will be almost completely x64.

and like i said, emulating 32bits programs in win64 (64bits) was a hard tinhg to get, emulating a 16bits program in a 64bits enviroment was just a no-go well they could have inserted it, yet 9 out fo 10 programs will just not work, cuz its to hard to get that working...

Keep in mind that in x64, 32-bit programs are not being emulated. They run at full-speed, and Windows redirects them to the 32-bit DLL files. Microsoft calls WOW64 an emulator because that's what it does on Itanium processors.

I believe they could have gotten most 16-bit programs to work fine through software emulation, but they just didn't want to spend the extra time and work to develop such a system and then beta test it. But again, not a lot of 16-bit programs are being used in Windows these days. I don't mind their decision not to include 16-bit support, as people need to move away from those programs anyways.

yha i agree, and heck i know its not really emulation... yet ya i think its cuz if the itanium that i got a lill messed up

I agree, but you will need to install a whole OS just to get one 16 bit application working.

do you?? i mean ,, that single program cant it run under a virtual pc?

... or if you really need 16-bit application support, then you don't upgrade to a 64-bit CPU & 64-bit OS in the first place!

'cause us debating it isn't gonna change the fact that they're unsupported and people need to plan accordingly.


Yes, a Virtual PC-based installation would suffice, but either way you're installing the OS.

Ideally, you shouldn't have to get one 16 bit application working. You have to leave many of the old DOS programs behind with regular XP anyway.

If there's one thing I hate to see it's a company using old, outdated software. I don't care if it works good enough, it's not the latest!

Ahem Duke Nukem 3D is teh latest, Duke Nukem Forever is never comin out