SHP Forums

Would this be a close list to what this would work with (was trying to find a good list) -

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List_ ... -bit_games

Most of those games are DOS games. This works with Windows 16-bit apps only. But whichever ones of those are Windows games, yes. However, it's not an exhaustive list because The Journeyman Project is a 16-bit Windows game and that's not there.

Yea, it is getting pretty good. As to goatmeal's listed failures, those are installation errors. Keep in mind that WineVDM uses a virtual Windows directory and all installer calls and writes to Windows ends up in this virtual Windows. If the game it is installing is 32-bit then the game will run without WineVDM and all calls to files and settings will be sought in your real windows. Thexder 95 is looking for its entry in the C:\WINDOWS\SIERRA.INI file when the installer wrote it in Otvdm\WINDOWS\SIERRA.INI.

In other words you can use WineVDM to run the installer and unpack the files, but you will need to manually configure the game and/or copy or edit any INI files, etc. in your real Windows. WineVDM will also not do anything to address API issues. In other words, it is a good tool to RE a 16-bit installer for a 32-bit game, but will do nothing to help run the installed game.

WineVDM true value is for the 16-bit games and programs. Beyond getting around the bit depth issue on x64 Windows, WineVDM addresses potential compatibility with these 16-bit games with the use of old Win16 dependencies and system files and dummy DLLs.


Part of my thinking is that it might be a good tool for future installers that require more than just WineVDM's 16-bit environment to run right. It can also be a good tool to RE some installers and fix what does not work out of the box with just WineVDM. If anyone has suggestions for any 16-bit Windows games that do not run out of the WineVDM box, let me know and if I have the game I'll consider looking into it. Compatibility issues shouldn't be the moving target that shims/patches and other workarounds for modern Windows since those Win16 APIs will not change.

BTW, SimTower works with no extra tweaking other than to add a couple of files to the virtual Windows and SYSTEM folders.

MusicallyInspired wrote: ↑Sat Jul 23, 2022 11:19 pm Most of those games are DOS games. This works with Windows 16-bit apps only. But whichever ones of those are Windows games, yes. However, it's not an exhaustive list because The Journeyman Project is a 16-bit Windows game and that's not there.

Yeah - I couldn't find anything that was WINDOWS specific. So I settled with a list that mixed it.

Besides the fact that most of those are DOS games, of the Windows games there are several 32=bit Win games listed like Earthsiege 2, Caesar II, and Lords of the Realm II.

Collector, thank you for the information and tips.

Updated the installer to fix a reported problem of failing to make a required registry entry. Grab it from the first post in this thread.