Need to play my 16 bit game on my 64 bit computer...but how?

Hi guys..

I got this 1998 game which I am very fond of but when I try to install on my cmputer it says...no.

It is a 16 bit game..i believe... and my computer is a 64 bit one running on...yes, you guessed right.. windows 10.

Any ideas how I can have a crack at beating my last high score?

THX


PS other solution than installing an older or different OS...please

a reply to: zatara

Might be easier to just find it on one of the classic emulator sights.

a reply to: zatara

I'm not really that computer savvy and probably not using the correct terms.
But, basically, at least, what my son did to get an old magic, the gathering running for me was to section off a portion of the computer and install an older version of windows that would play it.
Not sure if I am answering your question even.

Otherwise come up with an older computer ststem?

a reply to: zatara

Find a reputable emulator, or you can check Steam. Steam has lots of older games for pretty cheap.
Which game is it?

a reply to: strongfp

Thanks for all the replies so far..

The game I try to install is..Total Air War (DID Digital Image Design). I love this combat flight simulator so much..I really miss playing it. The graphics and features are parr to none so far.

I googled the problem and got directed to enabeling the NTVDM feature and need to insert some OS promt commands. But the NTVDM feature is not available on 64 bit windows 10 versions.. as always

a reply to: zatara

I've got the same issue with an older piece of database software. From what I can see, there are no easy solutions. One thing I've thought about is getting a separate hard drive and partitioning it to include Linux and the run WINE on that to see if my software will then run.

I may not know where to look, but it doesn't seem that straightforward to find old versions of Windows as well as product keys to make the OS work.

Definitely not cool of MS to just walk away from all the old software.

Cheers

a reply to: zatara

You might need to do some digging. Not sure if you've seen this forum post yet:

community.combatsim.com...

Might be worth looking into, lots of pages of discussion and links to downloading the game and even more. Seems to not be on Steam.

a reply to: strongfp

Frm the way I understand it a 64 bit os will accept 32 bit applications and a 32 bit OS 16 bit apps. The problem is from 64 to 16 and next thing I will try is what you suggested..an emulator.

I will try DOSBox, and see what will happen.

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
a reply to: zatara

I've got the same issue with an older piece of database software. From what I can see, there are no easy solutions. One thing I've thought about is getting a separate hard drive and partitioning it to include Linux and the run WINE on that to see if my software will then run.

I may not know where to look, but it doesn't seem that straightforward to find old versions of Windows as well as product keys to make the OS work.

Definitely not cool of MS to just walk away from all the old software.

Cheers

Yes, indeed...not very customer friendly. What do they care..MS has requiered more or less the monopoly of OS and make a lot of money. The customer is not very important to them. Convincing customers buying their product is not their first priority.

Dosbox. Thats all you need for this.

Source: Just ran Need for Speed 1 (!) on Win10 64bit. Dosbox solves the problems.

You may have BIT off more than you can chew with trying to do that.

originally posted by: zatara
a reply to: strongfp

Frm the way I understand it a 64 bit os will accept 32 bit applications and a 32 bit OS 16 bit apps. The problem is from 64 to 16 and next thing I will try is what you suggested..an emulator.

I will try DOSBox, and see what will happen.

DOSBox is a dos only emulator, you won't be able to run a Windows GUI program in it.

I looked at the details for the game, if it is the same one as this? F-22 Total Air War ?

If so, you can install VMWare Player for free, it lets you run a virtual PC. Then if you still have Win98 installation media, you can install that in it. But I very much doubt you do.

There are alternatives to getting 98 from some sites, but from what I remember, it's still illegal to do that. Even though the OS is 20 years old and not supported any more. Kinda sucky, imo. So I can't offer any help there. Because that'd be the easiest route.

But you can install a version of Linux (I'd opt for Ubuntu) and run it under Wine. I think it'd be over kill to make your machine dual boot your current OS and Linux, just for one program. and the process is a finicky one. And as it is an old program, it would likely run too fast, so any slow down from running it under a VM most likely wouldn't be noticeable.

But definitely DOSBox won't support the game. At least from the wiki I read. There was an attempt to implement kernel calls to support things like this, for DOSBox, I think, may have been a variant of dos that ran in a VM also, but no bueno..

originally posted by: ManFromEurope
Dosbox. Thats all you need for this.

Source: Just ran Need for Speed 1 (!) on Win10 64bit. Dosbox solves the problems.

That was a DOS game.

originally posted by: zatara
Hi guys..

I got this 1998 game which I am very fond of but when I try to install on my cmputer it says...no.

It is a 16 bit game..i believe... and my computer is a 64 bit one running on...yes, you guessed right.. windows 10.

Any ideas how I can have a crack at beating my last high score?

THX

PS other solution than installing an older or different OS...please

DOS is 8 bit
For any DOS games DOSBox will run em all

For Windows 16 bit Games ?
Run in Windows 95/98 Compatibility mode
Check -" Disable Full Screen Optimization" and may have to check "Run in 640 x 480 Mode"
Using those 2 , you can run any game

Check out GoG (Good old Games)
They already include DOS Box when you install them
No fuss , no muss
Just double click the icon as normal
DOS Box starts and loads the game for you.

Hint about DOSBox
You can just right click on the games executable , hold , and drag onto DOSBox Icon and you will see a choice "Run With DOSBox" Click on that

a reply to: Gothmog

Depends on which OS he has now. If it's Windows 10, even though the options are there for compatibility mode, it still pops up that big fat "This program can't run on your PC" message.

Just tried it with the very game they want.

a reply to: ManFromEurope

Or SCUMM?

OP, perhaps this might work? It's a reworking of it for more modern machines. But I cannot say to how authentic they kept it.

community.combatsim.com...

( nor if it even works... )

originally posted by: rickymouse
You may have BIT off more than you can chew with trying to do that.

Just NIBBLE away at it...

Magic the gathering 1998... thats gotta be shandalar

Fantastic game!!

originally posted by: gallop
a reply to: Gothmog

Depends on which OS he has now. If it's Windows 10, even though the options are there for compatibility mode, it still pops up that big fat "This program can't run on your PC" message.

Just tried it with the very game they want.

Already stated Windows 10
Most games as the OP , do refuse to run .
Or , have some really messed up graphics .
That is why I added the other 2 steps .
Some still refuse to run .
Those , get to know a VM such as VirtuaBox and run Windows 95/98 .