16 Bit Application Won't Run

[ka6uup]

I have a handy little 16 bit application called "All The Time"which has
been running on my xp computer for several years.
About two weeks ago for no reason I can see it quit running.
It doesn't need to be install, It simply runs from its folder. It
previously opened and ran fine when the icon was clicked on.
I have tried several of the recommended solutions on the web but none of
them work.
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Chuck

 

[JJ]

I have a handy little 16 bit application called "All The Time"which has
been running on my xp computer for several years.
About two weeks ago for no reason I can see it quit running.
It doesn't need to be install, It simply runs from its folder. It
previously opened and ran fine when the icon was clicked on.

It's difficult to tell without any description on how it "won't run".

Any error message?
Do other 16-bit programs won't run too?
Did you install anything in the past two weeks?
Did you change anything that might affect the system globally? e.g.:
third-party tweaker or cleaner.

I have tried several of the recommended solutions on the web but none of
them work.

What have you tried, exactly?

 

[ka6uup]

When I click on the icon, the little hourglass comes on for about 10
seconds and then nothing.
I did a repair of the config.nt and autoexec.nt files.

 

[Andy]

When I click on the icon, the little hourglass comes on for about 10

seconds and then nothing.

I did a repair of the config.nt and autoexec.nt files.

If the program has an icon, it is not 16 bit, unless you associated an icon with the program.

I would reinstall it.

Do you run it from cmd.exe or command.com ?

Andy

 

[Paul]

When I click on the icon, the little hourglass comes on for about 10
seconds and then nothing.
I did a repair of the config.nt and autoexec.nt files.

What happens if you open a command prompt window,
CD to the folder with the executable, and run it
from the command prompt ? Any error message ?

This article suggests that Ntvdm.exe and wowexec.exe are
part of making a 16 bit application run.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320127

Paul

 

[ka6uup]

If the program has an icon, it is not 16 bit, unless you associated an icon with the program.

I would reinstall it.

Do you run it from cmd.exe or command.com ?

Andy

Apparently it is not a 16 bit program then.
It unzips to a folder with all necessary files in it.
Several of the files have to be installed in the Windows System folder.
then you click on the icon and it runs.
It is not installed as such.
I have been using it for so long I have forgotten whether it was a Win
95 or Win 98 program.

Chuck

 

[ka6uup]

Apparently it is not a 16 bit program then.
It unzips to a folder with all necessary files in it.
Several of the files have to be installed in the Windows System folder.
then you click on the icon and it runs.
It is not installed as such.
I have been using it for so long I have forgotten whether it was a Win
95 or Win 98 program.

Chuck

I Should have said copied to the Windows System file.

 

[ka6uup]

Don't choose the icon.

Go to the folder where the program is located and choose it. See if it
works and recreate the PIF/LNK that launches the program.

I have no idea what you are talking about. PIF/LNK???

 

[ka6uup]

I have a handy little 16 bit application called "All The Time"which has
been running on my xp computer for several years.
About two weeks ago for no reason I can see it quit running.
It doesn't need to be install, It simply runs from its folder. It
previously opened and ran fine when the icon was clicked on.
I have tried several of the recommended solutions on the web but none of
them work.
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Chuck

OK, I went into the ATT folder and tried opening the exe file and
received an error message that said the runtime.dll file was the wrong
version.

 

[Paul]

OK, I went into the ATT folder and tried opening the exe file and
received an error message that said the runtime.dll file was the wrong
version.

Can you give a *link* to the source website of the application ?
Using "All The Time" as a search time, is getting me gibberish for
search results.

Also, quote the *exact text* of the error message. There are several
kinds of helpers for executables.

DLL built by the developer
Visual Studio helpers, like MSVCRT.dll (multiple versions, different year of intro)
.NET stuff (for dotNET programs)
JAVA stuff (for JAVA programs)

for the Visual Studio ones, they can be stuffed into the application folder,
or in a System folder.

And a developer, if not careful, can fit a "time bomb" into code,
which can cause it to stop functioning on an arbitrary date. In many
cases, this is unintentional (or, so they claim).

I can't think of too many mechanisms, that would cause a desirable version
of a helper, to just... disappear. Normally, new versions are added in
parallel. A file may be patched for security reasons, but its main identifiers
would not change (the loader would see the same info as before). The version
of the file, like 6.1.7694.3 might change after a patch, but it would
still be MSVCRT71.dll or whatever. And probing it with something like
Dependency Walker, should show the same kinds of details. Patching
a file, should not change the declarations inside it.

It's possible an AV program could quarantine a desirable file.
In which case, you'd look in whatever folder is used for quarantining,
for a hint. I would be betting on an AV incident, before blaming
Windows Update.

So there's an idea. Name any AV you happen to be using.

Paul

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Don't choose the icon.

Go to the folder where the program is located and choose it. See if it
works and recreate the PIF/LNK that launches the program.

I have no idea what you are talking about. PIF/LNK???[/QUOTE]

PIF/LNK = shortcut.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

On Wed, 24 Jul 2013 23:28:31 -0400, "David H. Lipman"

How long have you been using a computer ?

Has nothing to do with how long someone has been using a computer, has
much more to do with how they approach said task - as a computer user
who just wants things to work so they can get things done, or as a
technical user who wants to understand how things work. There is
nothing wrong with wanting to be a computer user rather than a
technical user, but it does take a different approach by those wishing
to assist.

 

[Ben Myers]

I have a handy little 16 bit application called "All The Time"which has
been running on my xp computer for several years.
About two weeks ago for no reason I can see it quit running.
It doesn't need to be install, It simply runs from its folder. It
previously opened and ran fine when the icon was clicked on.
I have tried several of the recommended solutions on the web but none of
them work.
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Chuck

Recopy the program's files to its folder.

Ben

 

[ka6uup]

Can you give a *link* to the source website of the application ?
Using "All The Time" as a search time, is getting me gibberish for
search results.

Also, quote the *exact text* of the error message. There are several
kinds of helpers for executables.

DLL built by the developer
Visual Studio helpers, like MSVCRT.dll (multiple versions, different
year of intro)
.NET stuff (for dotNET programs)
JAVA stuff (for JAVA programs)

for the Visual Studio ones, they can be stuffed into the application
folder,
or in a System folder.

And a developer, if not careful, can fit a "time bomb" into code,
which can cause it to stop functioning on an arbitrary date. In many
cases, this is unintentional (or, so they claim).

I can't think of too many mechanisms, that would cause a desirable version
of a helper, to just... disappear. Normally, new versions are added in
parallel. A file may be patched for security reasons, but its main
identifiers
would not change (the loader would see the same info as before). The
version
of the file, like 6.1.7694.3 might change after a patch, but it would
still be MSVCRT71.dll or whatever. And probing it with something like
Dependency Walker, should show the same kinds of details. Patching
a file, should not change the declarations inside it.

It's possible an AV program could quarantine a desirable file.
In which case, you'd look in whatever folder is used for quarantining,
for a hint. I would be betting on an AV incident, before blaming
Windows Update.

So there's an idea. Name any AV you happen to be using.

Paul

ATT is a very old 16 bit application (mid 90s)and there is no reference
I could find to it by Googling it.
It is not installed.It runs from the folder which contains all the files
for the program.
These 9 files: VBRUN300.DLL, DISKINFO.DLL, CTL3D.DLL, ATTSUPP.DLL,
CMDIALOG.VBX, PICCLIP.VBX. MSCOMM.VBX, THREED.VBX and
XLIST.VBX are copied to the system folder.
I have it on 4 computers and all was well 'till my wife's son fooled
with this particular computer and now I cannot get it to run.
I have deleted all the files from it and copied the folder from a
working computer to this one but there is no change.
Also, I had to run the Norton removal tool and after I did that I
received an error: 16 bit MSDos Subsystem error
c:\progra~1\Symantec\S32EVNT1.DLL
I fixed that but still am unable to get it to run
Chuck

 

[ka6uup]

Recopy the program's files to its folder.

Ben

I have done that
Thanks,
Chuck

 

[Paul]

ATT is a very old 16 bit application (mid 90s)and there is no reference
I could find to it by Googling it.
It is not installed.It runs from the folder which contains all the files
for the program.
These 9 files: VBRUN300.DLL, DISKINFO.DLL, CTL3D.DLL, ATTSUPP.DLL,
CMDIALOG.VBX, PICCLIP.VBX. MSCOMM.VBX, THREED.VBX and
XLIST.VBX are copied to the system folder.
I have it on 4 computers and all was well 'till my wife's son fooled
with this particular computer and now I cannot get it to run.
I have deleted all the files from it and copied the folder from a
working computer to this one but there is no change.
Also, I had to run the Norton removal tool and after I did that I
received an error: 16 bit MSDos Subsystem error
c:\progra~1\Symantec\S32EVNT1.DLL
I fixed that but still am unable to get it to run
Chuck

I don't know what to try next. I tried DependencyWalker here, but it
doesn't work on a 16 bit program.

And this is the only other suggestion I could find - scanbin.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12468229/dependency-walker-equivalent-for-16-bit-dlls

The idea would be, to see if the program has any outstanding dependencies.

*******

It could be, that the subsystem that runs 16 bit programs is broken,
in which case, it's the launching process that isn't happening
(Ntvdm.exe and wowexec.exe, and whatever things they rely on).

Paul

 

[Tim Slattery]

If the program has an icon, it is not 16 bit, unless you associated
an icon with the program.

How do you figure? What do you think we did before everything was
32-bit? Of course 16-bit Windows programs have built-in icons.

 

[Tim Slattery]

I have a handy little 16 bit application called "All The Time"which has
been running on my xp computer for several years.
About two weeks ago for no reason I can see it quit running.
It doesn't need to be install, It simply runs from its folder.

What does it do? Maybe there's something a bit more modern that will
do it.

 

[Ben Myers]

I have done that
Thanks,
Chuck

Try refreshing the "VBRUN300.DLL" file.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/196285

Note that the installer extracts the file to the "C:\VB3RUN" folder and you will have to
move it to "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32". I suggest you save a copy of the existing file.

Also, I found what appears to be a copy of the ATT program, although I can't vouch for its safety.
Use at your own risk.

http://win31.no-ip.org/freeware/att35all.zip

Ben

 

[Andy]

How do you figure? What do you think we did before everything was

32-bit? Of course 16-bit Windows programs have built-in icons.



--

Tim Slattery

(e-mail address removed)

Could you give me an example ?

I write 16 and 32 bit programs using assembly.

I would love to learn how to build icons into my 16 bit programs.

Andy