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Trying to reinstall Photoshop 4 & 5 on new Windows 10 64-bit computer causes this Error: Unsupported 16-bit Application.

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
March 19, 2019
5 replies
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I'm 67, have 25 years of computing experience, and years ago I bought Photoshop 4 on a CD, and upgraded to Photoshop 5 also on CD. Using Windows 95 tells you where I started at. These two versions of Photoshop, were expensive, so that is why I stopped at Photoshop 5, since I used it only at home. It's a fantastic program and on my newest PC, aDell Windows 10 with 64-bit, the computer's great, but trying to install Photoshop 4 and then 5, I'm blocked from the beginning. When I attempt to setup, that ERROR message appears, with the explanation beneath it:

The program or feature\3\D:\Photoshop\disk 1\setup.exe cannot start or run due to incompatibility with 64-bit versions of Windows. Please contact the software vender to ask if a 64-bit Windows compatible version is available.

Somewhere in the massive database of Adobe Photoshop, my name and the SERIAL NUMBER for the Photoshop 4 disk I own, is marked in the records. But since I have NEVER, EVER encountered an error like this, I'm lost. I simply have no awareness of a 16-bit version of Windows unless that is what Windows 95 had. So, my question is this:

What would be a solution for this, short of spending another small fortune buying a 64-bit version of Photoshop, so I can install it? Or must I start using my last Dell Windows 7 pc, that had 32-bit setup? Speaking of which, why does it say that I have an UNSUPPORTED 16-BIT PROGRAM, that is not compatible to a 64-bit pc, YET it installed on a 32-bit pc, with no trouble? Any answers would be appreciated.

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Correct answer Nancy OShea

Cestmoila wrote
I'm no expert, but it's my understanding that software developers added pieces of code, to make them compatible. If I am correct, then what would be the reason, Photoshop hadn't been upgraded, to allow it to work on 64-bit systems?

There's no simple fix for this. Support for PS 4 ended 18 months after PS 5 came out. And support for both products ended almost 20 years ago!!! Face it, you got your money's worth. It's time to move on.

The Creative Cloud Photography Plan costs $10.month. You get a lot of software for $10.

Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan | Professional photo editing software

Or get Photoshop Elements for $100.

Easy Photo Editing Software | Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019

Either way, you'll enjoy your retirement a lot more with software that was made this century instead of last.

John Waller

Community Expert

Cestmoila wrote
What would be a solution for this, short of spending another small fortune buying a 64-bit version of Photoshop, so I can install it?

If you only want it for hobbyist use at home, try the latest version of Photoshop Elements 2019.

You can run a free trial for up to 30 days and it'll cost you $100 or less to purchase.

Jeff Arola

Community Expert

The reason is that older adobe software like photoshop 4 and 5 use 16 bit installers, while the actual program is 32 bits.

Windows 64 bit operating systems don't have the 16 bit sub system (NTVDM) necessary to run 16 bit installers or programs.

If your good with computers you can try the steps here to get ps 4 or ps 5 installed.

https://www.reactos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=10988

Or you could use a virtual machine like VMware Player or Virtual Box to run an older version of windows that will run

ps 4 or ps 5 like win 95, 98, 2000 or xp provided you have the install disk(s) for any of them.

C

CestmoilaAuthor

Participant

Even at 67, some days are a bit harder to make your free time in. This is to mainly indicate that I am certainly interested in almost any type of help to get my OLD versions 4 and 5 to work on my Windows 10 64-bit machine. I saw the link you provided, but had no time to get into understanding what all it meant. Perhaps tomorrow I'll have more time with this.

My FIRST point, is that as you all have indicated, 16-bit went with 32-bit systems, and software worked on them. But the 64-bit system is too new, too developed, and too needy, for a 16-bit program to run on. Ok, but my 25 years of dealing with computers, certainly don't make me a tech expert, but these two old versions of Photoshop, ARE THE VERY FIRST SOFTWARE, TO BE INCOMPATIBLE with my 64-bit system. As I said, I'm no expert, but it's my understanding that software developers added pieces of code, to make them compatible. If I am correct, then what would be the reason, Photoshop hadn't been upgraded, to allow it to work on 64-bit systems? This is not a critical attempt to shame Adobe, because it's certainly not. But it's an effort at trying to understand an issue, that is new to me.

Second, and most important one, is why can't a portion of our hard drive, be PARTITIONED and add Windows 7, let us say to the new partition. Where in my case, my pc would boot up in Windows 10, but have Windows 7 simply being idle on the new partition. Would that not then allow Photoshop 4 and 5 to install on that partition, being it did install on my Windows 7 pc. Would that indeed work, or am I not fully understanding the operations of a computer?

This is simply an idea that kept buzzing around in my head today, and before trying it out, I just feel like getting a reply on it possibly working. And if it can't work, there is still the link you provided, that I may do it from. But anyhow, thank you for the suggestions, and one that I'm not sure if it's worth trying, is contacting tech support directly, to be walked through it. Have a good evening to you all.

Paul Breaux

John Waller

Community Expert

Cestmoila wrote
Second, and most important one, is why can't a portion of our hard drive, be PARTITIONED and add Windows 7, let us say to the new partition. Where in my case, my pc would boot up in Windows 10, but have Windows 7 simply being idle on the new partition. Would that not then allow Photoshop 4 and 5 to install on that partition, being it did install on my Windows 7 pc.

That would work if you've got:

the hard drive space
a full version of Windows 7 to install
a full version of Photoshop 4 or 5
the inclination to do it

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Yes this is as expected. Way way too old. Window 10 is running far and fast ahead, locking out old apps constantly. You can’t buy the currentvzoviyishop at all. But it’s from $10 per month. If you don’t want that, run an old old system.

John T Smith

Community Expert

Two ideas that MAY work to install and/or run old programs in Windows 10

-RIGHT click the program icon or EXE and select a compatibility mode in the pop up option window

-or Run as Administrator http://forums.adobe.com/thread/969395 to assign FULL Windows permissions may help... this says Encore, but is sometimes required for ALL Adobe programs (this is NOT the same as using an Administrator account) so follow the instructions, substituting the name and location of your specific program for Encore

-also https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/create-local-administrator-account-windows.html