Make 32-bit programs run on Windows XP 64-bit

Question

I have a Windows XP 64 bit version and all applications work as 32 bit.

I'm having difficulties running these applications.

How can I make them work as 64 bit?

Solution 1

The only way you'll make the applications work as 64-bit applications is to compile them as 64-bit applications. Til you do that, they'll run as 32-bit. They should work fine, but will have most of the same limitations they've always had.

There are ways to help ensure that code will be compatible with 32- and 64-bit processors. Make sure you don't do int-->pointer and pointer-->int conversions, or rely too much on the size of ints, longs, etc.

If you don't have the original code, you're kinda screwed, and will have to wait for whoever does have the code to release a 64-bit version of the app.

Solution 2

See this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896456

From the article:

The WOW64 subsystem does not support the following programs:

• Programs that are compiled for 16-bit operating systems

• Kernel-mode programs that are compiled for 32-bit operating systems

Comments

[cHao]

Then you're probably screwed. Only someone who has the source code can (re)compile the application. And that someone would usually be whoever made it, unless the app is open source.

[Admin]

what's the source code about?? and how can i get it?? Note: those applications worked well before on the 64bit version of windows without programming issues. Thanks

[cHao]

The source code is what gets compiled and turned into the application. If the app is open source, you should be able to google it and find a site with download links for the source. If it's not, you probably won't get the source code. Either way, though, it's not a process that anyone but a programmer should really be doing, at least on Windows.

[Admin]

aha, you mean re-installing the application?? or looking for source files?

[uxout]

To summarize and simplify - applications need to be compiled, that is, written and assembled, for either 32-bit or 64-bit operating. This is not something you should be trying to do if you know nothing about programming, and it's not something you CAN do without access to the original code anyway.