User:Petr-akhlamov/WOW

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Windows on Windows (WOW) — is a system component, which enables running apps that use legacy 16-bit version of Windows API (Win 16) in 32-bit versions of Windows NT.

WOW is implemented with the help of NTVDM and win16api stubs. NTVDM is used for running 16-bit code, and win16api stubs thunk legacy 16-bit APIs to their newer 32-bit equivalents.

Usually, WOW is needed for old 16-bit installers.

29-03-2018: Aleksandar Andrejevic (NTVDM developer) announced that he plans to work on WOW.

In May 2019, support was implemented in Wine 4.9, for building 16-bit modules in PE format

Why 16-bit apps work in Wine?

In the Wine, running of 16-bit apps depends on kernel module ldt16, whereby emulate 16-bit code.[1]

Other software

Win3mu

According to the official website:

Win3mu is a Windows 3.0 emulator. It includes an 8086 CPU emulation that loads 16-bit Windows executables and maps API calls onto the modern 32 or 64-bit Windows API.

Win3mu currently won't run most Windows 3 programs however it does run quite a few games.

Not all apps work and it runs by dragging to app icon.

In 2018, the author opened the source code. It doesn't work in ReactOS since .NET Framework 4.6.1 can't be installed.

WineVDM

Latest builds

Settings

Since 0.4.15-dev-g0f05abe, ReactOS automatically opens 16-bit executables with WineVDM if it is present in Program Files\otvdm directory.

  • Extract archive file you downloaded
  • Copy folder to C:\Program Files
  • Rename it to otvdm
  • Go to 16-bit exe-file and just run it.

Illustration and games

ROS WOW.png

Links

Other links