16-bit Issues

Article
06/02/2010

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Vista

There are several known issues with 16-bit applications. The Compatibility Administrator addresses these issues through compatibility fixes and compatibility modes.

Fix Name	Symptom	Fix Description
WOWCFEX_FLATFORMVERSIONLIE	The installation program or application expects to find the Microsoft® Windows® 95 operating system or the Windows® 98 operating system running.	Changes the information returned by `GetVersionEx` to reflect the expected version information. It does not change the major and minor versions returned by the operating system.
WOWCF2_HACKWINFLAGS	The installation program or application expects to find the Microsoft Windows NT® Server 4.0 operating system running.	Turns off a flag to send Windows NT version information to the installation program or application. It does not change the major and minor versions returned by the operating system.
WOWCFEX_SP2CSDVERSIONLIE	The installation program or application expects to find Service Pack 2 running.	Returns the Service Pack 2 version information to the installation program or application. It does not change the major and minor versions returned by the operating system.
ForceSeparateVDM	The application window is hidden by a second window.	Adds the `CREATE_SEPARATE_WOW_VDM` flag to any `CreateProcess()` function call, so a separate VDM process is created.
WOWCF_NOWAITFORINPUTIDLE	The application becomes unresponsive.	Prevents the application from waiting on a spawned process after calling `LoadModule32`. Without this flag, the application waits for the new process to become idle before continuing with its own thread. This might make it appear that the application has stopped responding.
WOWCF_USER_DDENOSYNC	The application behaves unpredictably.	Prevents the application from synchronizing when sending DDE messages. Without this flag, some applications can behave unpredictably.
WOWCF2_FIXLUNATRAYRECT	You cannot restore a minimized application.	Fixes window placement problems caused by using themes. When themes are used, an application might calculate incorrect coordinates because a themed window (using the UxTheme.lib library) will return different window coordinates than a non-themed window.
WOWCF2_SETFOREGROUND	Messages appear behind the application.	Attempts to give the focus to the application displaying the message box.
WOWCF2_SYNCSYSFILE	You receive an error message stating that a file could not be found.	Redirects file open calls in the application from `systemroot\system` to `systemroot\system32`.
WOWCFEX_DISPMODE256	You receive a message stating that the application requires 256 colors.	Forces the display mode to 256 colors. It does not change the screen resolution.
WOWCFEX_EATDEVMODEMSG	You receive a message stating that the application requires 256 colors.	Prevents the sending of the `WM_DEVMODECHANGE` message to the application.
WOWCFEX_FORCEINCDPMI	A general protection fault (GP fault) occurs.	Forces DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI) memory allocations to use increasing linear addresses.
WOWCF2_DELAYTIMEGETTIME	A divide-by-zero error occurs.	Corrects a divide-by-zero error that occurs when the results of two consecutive `timeGetTime()` function calls are the same.
WOWCFEX_USEWINHELP32	The Help file does not open.	Substitutes Winhlp32.exe for Winhelp.exe.

See Also

Concepts

Known Compatibility Fixes, Compatibility Modes, and AppHelp Messages
Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool