Unsupported 16-Bit Application error occur

Unsupported 16-Bit Application error occur

Since you are on x64 Microsoft Windows 7, I’m not sure if you can go around it without running the installer in an x86 operating system in virtual machine like VirtualBox. Here’s a little history on the fact. Beginning in 1995 until maybe 1998, it is a very common practice for setup applications to be opened in 16-bit loader stub of Windows 3.1 because originally, Windows was a 16-bit environment.

This provided the installers the ability to pack up multiple binaries for Win16, Win32, and Windows NT for Alpha CPUs. Today x64 Microsoft Windows no longer implement the ability to open 16-bit Windows 3.1 applications. As a result, there are many x86 applications that would work fine on these x64 operating systems but are not permitted from installing.

When Windows 95 was released, the operating system went x86 [32-bit] and is capable of running both 16-bit and 32-bit applications. When Windows 7 and Windows 8 came, it came in 32-bit and 64-bit and you can get any of these versions depending on your processor. The 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows is capable of running 32-bit and 64-bit applications but not 16-bit.

Fortunately, you can use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 which you can download for free. It runs a copy of Windows XP in x86 virtual machine. But you can only use this if you have x64 Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate. If you are in x64 Windows 7 Home, Windows Vista, or Windows 8, this option is closed for you.