You've probably noticed while a lot of old late 90s/early 2000s games are in fact 32-bit...
...when you try to run the installer, you'll find it is a 16-bit application and refuse to start on modern 64-bit versions of Windows.
"This app can't run on your PC" etc
So the overwhelming majority of these were using a piece of software called InstallShield.
You can tell right away if a _INST32I.EX_ file is present or if you right click and check the properties.
The technical reason centers of why the main SETUP.EXE was a small 16-bit stub loader program, is to detect the host system's architecture (e.g., x86, PowerPC, Alpha, or MIPS).
Once it detects it, it would extract the real installer to C:\Windows\TEMP and run the native installer.
Since non-x86 versions of Windows like PowerPC, Alpha, and MIPS could also run 16-bit software with built-in x86 emulation (NTVDM.EXE for example).
It made sense at the time, but now it's made things a freaking mess.
Ever since 64-bit Windows hit the scene, it has never been backwards compatible with 16-bit software, only 32-bit software.
And 32-bit Windows is the only version backwards compatible with 16-bit software.
OTVDM can get you far with a lot of apps, but I had trouble with the InstallShield installers specifically.
WINE on linux supports 16-bit software too which is surprising and runs these just fine. Unless you're on a Box64 emulator setup on a Raspberry Pi / Android phone running WINE.
Fortunately! If you can fix the installer, by using a 32-bit XP machine and copying the extracted temporary files out of it, and placing it with the originals.
But if you don't have that, no problem!!!
Here's a thread where I've done the hard work for various versions. Just check your own setup.exe properties, and find a version close enough.
Just extract to the same directory as the Setup.exe file, but run the new Setup32.exe instead.
Troubleshooting:
For some games, I noticed it'll be running the Setup32.exe process but no window is visible.
A workaround I found is to open task manager, open details tab and right click Setup32.exe and select Analyse wait chain.
Kill the process its waiting on and suddenly the installer window will appear.
...No idea why that happens sometimes, for me it was explorer.exe
Anyhow!
InstallShield 32 Bit Binaries
32-bit InstallShield 5.14.157.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 5.10.151.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 5.10.146.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 5.0.200.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 3.0.118.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 3.0.96.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 3.0.77.0
CDN Download
...when you try to run the installer, you'll find it is a 16-bit application and refuse to start on modern 64-bit versions of Windows.
"This app can't run on your PC" etc
So the overwhelming majority of these were using a piece of software called InstallShield.
You can tell right away if a _INST32I.EX_ file is present or if you right click and check the properties.
The technical reason centers of why the main SETUP.EXE was a small 16-bit stub loader program, is to detect the host system's architecture (e.g., x86, PowerPC, Alpha, or MIPS).
Once it detects it, it would extract the real installer to C:\Windows\TEMP and run the native installer.
Since non-x86 versions of Windows like PowerPC, Alpha, and MIPS could also run 16-bit software with built-in x86 emulation (NTVDM.EXE for example).
It made sense at the time, but now it's made things a freaking mess.
Ever since 64-bit Windows hit the scene, it has never been backwards compatible with 16-bit software, only 32-bit software.
And 32-bit Windows is the only version backwards compatible with 16-bit software.
OTVDM can get you far with a lot of apps, but I had trouble with the InstallShield installers specifically.
WINE on linux supports 16-bit software too which is surprising and runs these just fine. Unless you're on a Box64 emulator setup on a Raspberry Pi / Android phone running WINE.
Fortunately! If you can fix the installer, by using a 32-bit XP machine and copying the extracted temporary files out of it, and placing it with the originals.
But if you don't have that, no problem!!!
Here's a thread where I've done the hard work for various versions. Just check your own setup.exe properties, and find a version close enough.
Just extract to the same directory as the Setup.exe file, but run the new Setup32.exe instead.
Troubleshooting:
For some games, I noticed it'll be running the Setup32.exe process but no window is visible.
A workaround I found is to open task manager, open details tab and right click Setup32.exe and select Analyse wait chain.
Kill the process its waiting on and suddenly the installer window will appear.
...No idea why that happens sometimes, for me it was explorer.exe
Anyhow!
InstallShield 32 Bit Binaries
32-bit InstallShield 5.14.157.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 5.10.151.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 5.10.146.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 5.0.200.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 3.0.118.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 3.0.96.0
CDN Download
32-bit InstallShield 3.0.77.0
CDN Download
Last edited:
