Win32s Frequently Asked Questions

How can I obtain the latest released version of Win32s?

Win32s is available for users in the Microsoft Software Library. You can obtain this file (Pw1118.exe) by clicking the "Microsoft Win32s Upgrade, Version 1.30c" icon below. Or, download Pw1118.exe.

Related Install Information

For information on Win32s installation see the following Knowledge Base article: Q122235: Microsoft Win32s Upgrade

If you need slightly more detailed instructions to walk you through the installation, see the Win32s Detailed Install Web page. This information is meant to expand on the information in the above article, Q122235.

Related Software Library Files

The following related Microsoft Software Library files are available for downloading. Before choosing one of these links, make sure your Web browser's "load to disk" mode is enabled (if applicable).

Microsoft Win32s Upgrade -- Version 1.30c This file contains the latest version of Win32s to allow you to run Win32-based applications under Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1x or later. Files updated February 1996. (2,530,739 bytes, dated 2/19/96 )

I get an error message indicating that Win32s is not installed correctly. How can I make sure that Win32s is installed correctly?

The installation guide for Win32s that is included in the Win32 SDK recommends running Freecell to verify that the installation was successful.The Microsoft Knowledge Base article "Troubleshooting Win32s Installation Problems" discusses some of the errors that may occur when trying to run Freecell on an unsuccessful install. The article also contains a list of corrective actions to help you reinstall Win32s.

Please see the following Microsoft KB articles when Win32s does not install correctly:

Troubleshooting Win32s Installation Problems

PRB: Display Problems with Win32s and the S3 Driver

How can I remove Win32s?

To remove Win32s:

1. Remove the following line from the [386Enh] section in the System.ini file:

       device=<WINDOWS>\<SYSTEM>\win32s\w32s.386

   where <WINDOWS> and <SYSTEM> are where the Windows and System directories are, respectively.

2. Modify the following line from the [BOOT] section in the System.ini file:
   

      drivers=mmsystem.dll winmm16.dll

   to the following (remove winmm16.dll)

      drivers=mmsystem.dll

3. Delete the following files from the <Windows>\<System> subdirectory or from the System directory in network installations:
   
   W32sys.dll
   Win32s16.dll
   Win32s.ini
    
4. Delete all the files in the <Windows>\<System>\Win32s subdirectory or the <System>\Win32s subdirectory in network installations. Then delete subdirectory itself.
    
5. Restart Windows.

NOTE: <Windows> refers to the Windows installation directory. On a networked Windows installation, the system directory may be located on a remote share. If you are removing only Win32s from your machine, then you do not need to remove the shared files (in <SYSTEM> and <System>\Win32s). Before removing these files from the network share, make sure that all users that use Win32s have removed the references to Win32s from the System.ini file.

What are the known bugs in Win32s version 1.30a?

An article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base lists the known bugs in Win32s version 1.30a at the time of its release.

Related Knowledge Base Articles

For more information about this topic and other related issues, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base. It contains thousands of articles that include answers to common questions about using Microsoft products. See the following Knowledge Base articles:

Win32s 1.30a Bug List at the Time of Its Release

What known bugs in Win32s version 1.25a were fixed in Win32s version 1.3?

An article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base lists the known bugs in Win32s version 1.25a that were fixed in Win32s version 1.3.

Related Knowledge Base Articles

For more information about this topic and other related issues, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base. It contains thousands of articles that include answers to common questions about using Microsoft products. See the following Knowledge Base articles:

FIX: Win32s 1.3 Fix List

Why am I having display problems with Win32s and the S3 driver?

There is a known problem with the S3 driver. You can make certain S3 drivers that exhibit these problems work with Win32s by editing your System.ini file before running any Win32-based applications as follows:

1. In the System.ini file, you will find an entry in the [display] section:

      aperture-base=100

   
   Change this entry to:

      aperture-base=0

2. Restart Windows and the display problems no longer occur. If this does not help, obtain the latest S3 drivers. It is reported that S3 driver version 1.3 does not have this problem.

Related Knowledge Base Articles

For more information about this topic and other related issues, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base. It contains thousands of articles that include answers to common questions about using Microsoft products. See the following Knowledge Base articles:

PRB: Display Problems with Win32s and the S3 Driver