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16-bit Windows (Windows 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, etc.) on 64-bit Windows

An altered version of winevdm (a 16-bit Windows emulator), ported to 64-bit Windows.

• Download or compile
• Run "install" shortcut or right-click on install.inf and select "Install"
• You can execute Win16 binaries directly!

If the registry is initialized by Windows Update, perform the above procedure again.

You can uninstall it by running uninstall.reg.

See otvdm.ini.

• Install Visual Studio 2017
• Edit PropertySheet.props
• Compile

git clone https://github.com/otya128/winevdm.git
cd winevdm
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make

This program contains the following items

• CPU Emulator
  • 64-bit Windows cannot modify LDT(NtSetInformationProcess(,ProcessLdtInformation,,) always returns error)
• wine based Win16->Win32 conversion codes:

  BOOL16 WINAPI DestroyWindow16( HWND16 hwnd )
  {
      return DestroyWindow( WIN_Handle32(hwnd) );
  }

  Relay routines from 16-bit to 32-bit are autogenerated by convspec

  53  pascal -ret16 DestroyWindow(word) DestroyWindow16

• DOS emulation for Win16
• 16-bit <=> native HANDLE conversion
• Fix compatibility problems, fix compatibility problems

When 64-bit Windows detects a 16-bit installer, it has a mechanism to start an alternative installer which is not 16-bit. This program uses it.

Some Win16 programs try to save their settings in %WINDIR%<filename>.ini

In recent Windows, it is not allowed to save to %WINDIR%, so it redirects.

winevdm.exe [--app-name app.exe] command line
winevdm.exe CALC.EXE

It can also run DOS executables (DOS emulator-like). You can set the DOS version with the VDMDOSVER environment variable.

DOS emulation is incomplete and it is recommended to use DOSBox or MS-DOS Player.