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Unsupported 16-Bit Files

AdminStudio 2025 R2 | 30.0 | Application Manager

For this operating system compatibility test, the Windows Installer database is scanned for the presence of components that contain 16-bit files without conditions that disable them for 64-bit Windows systems. The file extensions that are scanned are .exe, .dll, .sys, .drv, .ocx, .cpl, and .src.

Test Group/Test Category​

  • 0517—Operating System Compatibility/Windows Server 2012

  • 0618—Operating System Compatibility/Windows Server 2016

  • 1018—Operating System Compatibility/Windows Server 2019

  • 2817—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 10-1809 (and 2019 LTSC) (32-Bit)

  • 7017—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 10-21H2 (32-Bit)

  • 7217—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 10-22H2 (32-Bit)

  • 2917—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 10-1809 (and 2019 LTSC) (64-Bit)

  • 7117—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 10-21H2 (64-Bit)

  • 7317—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 10-22H2 (64-Bit)

  • 7417—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 11-22H2 (64-Bit)

  • 7517—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 11-23H2 (64-Bit)

  • 7617—Operating System Compatibility/Windows 11-24H2 (64-Bit)

Severity​

Error

Message​

This Windows Installer database contains 16-bit file [FILE_NAME] which might be installed in 64-bit systems (Table: File, key: [FILE_KEY]).

Background​

Since the introduction of 64-bit Windows systems, 16-bit code is no longer supported. If the launch conditions are missing or incorrect, 16-bit files might be installed on 64-bit Windows Server 2008 R2 systems. If a user attempts to launch such a file, they encounter an error message stating that the file is not a valid Win32 application.

Resolution​

The following resolutions are available.

Manual Fix​

A Windows Server 2008 R2-compatible application should be delivered by its manufacturer. Self-developed applications should be re-engineered by replacing 16-bit code with the appropriate 32- or 64-bit code.

Basic Auto Fix​

No resolution is available.

Advanced Auto Fix​

The 16-bit files that are configured to be installed on 64-bit systems are moved to separate components with conditions that enable them only for 32-bit systems; this is done in a Windows Installer transform.

This fix is enabled by default.

warning

On 64-bit systems, those files will not be installed.

See Also

List of Limitations in 64-Bit Windows