The error "Is not a win32 application ...". What to do?

A question from one of the users

Hello.

I'm trying to install some game, everything seems to be fine, but when I start it, I get an error "... Launcher.exe is not a Win32 application."

I've been fighting this for the second day, tell me what to do with this error, can I somehow eliminate it with "little" blood ...

Good day!

This error is not uncommon, and it can occur in a wide variety of applications, including games. It is difficult to indicate what could be the reason in your particular case, especially since even the name of the game is not indicated ... 👀

Nevertheless, in this short note I will give some tips that will help eliminate the most common causes of such an error.

So...

Causes of the error ("... Win 32.")

Usually, this error occurs immediately after launching an application. It looks something like Fig. 1. The only thing that can distinguish your version of the error is another EXE file (those. not launcher.exe) .

Fig. 1. Typical error when starting the game // Not a win32 application

👉 Reason # 1: the file with the game was not loaded, or it was damaged when copying

The most common reason for this error is haste. Those. many players are anxious to launch a game quickly, and they often start installing or launching a game that even not fully downloaded!

In general, it is best to pay attention to hash sums files. If anyone does not know, then this is a special algorithm that gives for each file its own unique set of letters and numbers (for example, 32 characters). Those. if the files differ by only 1 byte, they will have different hash sums!

Hash sums are very useful when transferring files over the network - by comparing the original amount with the amount of the downloaded file, you can see if it is damaged (hence they have another name - checksums).

There are several algorithms for determining checksums, the most popular: CRC, MD5, SHA1. When downloading many files (including torrents), checksums are always indicated (example in Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Checksums

To determine the checksums of the downloaded file (including the game file) - just start Total Commander, click the menu "File" and calculate the amounts (see Fig. 3).

Total commander

Developer site: //www.ghisler.com/

One of the best commanders to replace the conductor. Allows you to easily and quickly work with files, archives, FTP servers, disks, etc. Moreover, it is much more convenient than a conductor! Many users install this program one of the first, after installing Windows ...

Fig. 3. Total Commander - checksum calculation

By the wayAs for the game: if you have a game on a disc, try reinstalling it; you can also download the game from another source if your downloaded copy refuses to start (perhaps it was just a broken file that was originally uploaded by the developers / distributors).

👉 Reason # 2: it is not a Windows application

Often this error (note: with Win32) appears due to the fact that Windows are trying to run an application that is not intended for this system!

For example, this application can be DOS, perhaps for PDP-11, ZX-Spectrum, BSD, or, in general, garbage.

The easiest option is to read the description on the Internet about this game (file, program). Perhaps you just need emulator ?

Emulator Is a special program that can recreate a specific environment in Windows. For example, there are DOS emulators that will allow you to run applications that refuse to run on Windows.

DOSBox

Website: //www.dosbox.com/

Excellent DOS emulator - allows you to play old games on new Windows OS, including Windows 10! More information at the office. website of the program.

👉 To help!

How to run an old game on a new computer - instructions

By the way, a special function is built into Windows, which is designed to ensure compatibility of old programs with new operating systems.

If any program does not work for you, just right-click on it and select "Properties" .

Then open the tab "Compatibility" , check the box "Run this program in compatibility mode" and select the older Windows OS where the program worked well before. Save the settings and try to run the program again - it helps in many cases (see Fig. 4 👇).

Fig. 4. Windows compatibility mode

👉 Help!

How to run old Windows (and programs in it) in a new operating system: setting up a VirtualBox virtual machine

👉 Reason # 3: the file is damaged by a virus / antivirus

If, when launching several programs / games, you get a similar error, it is highly likely that you have contracted a virus.

The fact is that when a virus infects a file, it violates its integrity (and the checksum, by the way, too). Therefore, in this case, you can also check the checksum of the file. (note: I talked about this at the beginning of the article 👆).

By the way, the culprit of the error may be antiviruses : when they treat, they often cripple. The fact is that by cutting out the virus code from the infected file, the antivirus also spoils the program itself - it stops working. And when you run it, you will see an error related to Win32 ...

👉 Help!

Simple advice: install yourself some modern antivirus and scan your computer completely. Free antiviruses of this year were given here ->

👉 Reason # 4: lack of NET Framework

The absence of the NET Framework package, which is used in many applications, can also cause this error to appear.

In general, the system requirements of many programs (games) always indicate which package Net Framework they need it. If you do not have the required package, just install it (different packages are available at the link below - you can download it from the official Microsoft website).

👉 Help!

Microsoft .NET Framework and bugs in games, programs. How to update or reinstall Microsoft .NET Framework

How to find out what Net Framework is in Windows

Open 👉 the Windows Control Panel, then the " Programs / Programs and Features ", on the left, on the side, open the link Turn Windows features on or off .

Next, you will see a window in which all installed packages will be Net Framework on your computer (see Figure 5 👇).