|
16 bit on most 32 bit Windows. Except anything 16bit that REALLY accessed hardware never worked on NT.
The problem was the Not Invented Here syndrome and unwillingness to re-write NTVDM and WOW for 64 bit. The reasons NTVDM and WOW16->32 (both 32 bit code) don't work on x86-64 Windows is complicated. DOSbox for 64bit Windows will even run Win 3.0 at least as well as DOS.
The WOW for 32bit on 64bit Windows is a mess and unrelated to the old WOW 32 bit code. Basically MS official line is:
"We've included Vbox, so just install your old XP / Win2003 / Vista / Win7 / Win 8.x on it." That's MS Compatibility solution. Curiously the SAME VM files of old Windows will run on Vbox on Linux.
The only reason they even did a 32 bit Win10 was because some 64 bit Atom tablets made for Win10 launch can't run 64 bit windows! They can run 64 bit Linux.
Also Linux 64 can run 32 bit Wine and VB6.0 SW that won't run on ANY 64 bit Windows, even Win7 64 bit.
MS only want to sell you cloud services. Eventually Win 11 will be free even without a valid Win7/8/10 key.
|