When launching any program in Windows OS, the user may be faced with the inability to launch the specified program and a message stating that this program “is not a win32 application.” What is typical is that previously this program could work without any problems, which adds questions to the user regarding the reasons for what is happening. In this material, I will tell you what to do when an error appears - this is not a Win32 application, I will explain the reasons for the appearance of this message.
Win32 error appears
“Not a Win32 application” - the essence and causes of the problem
As follows from the error text, the system does not consider that this program can be run under 32-bit Windows OS, and therefore displays a corresponding message.
Specific reasons for the "Not a Win32 application" error may be:
- Random PC crash;
- The program is intended exclusively for 64-bit Windows OS;
- The program was created for a fundamentally different environment (Linux, Mac, DOS, etc.);
- The virus has damaged any application file;
- Error java.lang.NULLpointerexception;
- The antivirus is blocking (or has changed) some application file;
- The Windows OS registry is damaged (accidentally or intentionally);
- The user has deleted some important application file (accidentally or intentionally);
- The PC does not have the complementary files necessary to run the program (in particular, Microsoft Net Framework and Visual C++);
- The program archive is damaged;
- The program body was loaded incorrectly from an external source;
- The pirated version of the program used an incorrect hack;
- An unstable build of Windows OS is installed on the PC. Windows warning message
Now that we've figured out why the "Not a Win32 application" error occurs, let's look at how to get rid of this error.
It is not a win32 application, what should I do?
It is not a win32 application, what should I do? A short course on solving problems in Windows.
Let's discuss such a point as installing and launching EXE files that execute applications responsible for installing software, utilities and other installation packages.
It seems that everything was done correctly, according to the installer’s instructions, but after launch the error “ The program is not a win32 application ” appears, although there were no prerequisites for this.
Error example:
There can be plenty of reasons and there is no single correct solution to the problem.
We will try to give the most comprehensive answer to most of the inconsistencies and try to figure it out on our own without reinstalling the system, as many people like.
How to fix the "Not a Win32 application" error
I recommend doing the following to fix the problem:
- Restart your PC. If the problem was of a random nature, it will disappear;
- Check the system requirements of the program. It is quite possible that it requires a 64-bit version of Windows OS and will not run on a 32-bit one;
- Check the availability of the program on your computer. It is quite possible that, due to various reasons, a shortcut and a small part of the files remained. If necessary, reinstall the program;
- Check your system for viruses. Such tools as Dr.Web CureIt!, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, Kaspersky Removal Tool and other analogues will help you with this;
Checking your computer for viruses
- Try temporarily disabling your antivirus and then running the problematic application;
- Run the program as administrator. Place the mouse cursor over the program shortcut on the desktop, right-click, and in the menu that appears, select “Run as administrator”;
- Run the program in compatibility mode with an earlier version of Windows OS. Right-click on the program shortcut on your desktop, select “Properties” in the menu that appears, go to the “Compatibility” tab, check the “Run the program in compatibility mode” option, select an earlier OS and click on “Apply” at the bottom. Then try to launch the program from the specified shortcut;
Changing Windows Compatibility
- If the launched file has a fundamentally different extension than the Windows OS launched files (for example, dmg (Mac), deb (Linux), etc.), then you should think about launching them in a relevant environment;
- Adjust the system registry. Click on the Start button, type regedit in the search bar and press enter. In the registry that opens, go to the branch
Command
and if there are lines with a value other than “%1” %* , then convert the value of the incorrect lines to the specified form;
Registry Editor
- Check the integrity of files on your hard drive using the CHKDSK utility;
- Download and install the latest versions of Microsoft .NET Framework and Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 (X86 or X64) on your PC;
- Download the program from another resource;
- If you are dealing with a pirated version of a product, try another version of the hack for it;
- Roll back the system to a previous restore point. If the program previously ran without problems, then you should consider returning the system indicators to the previous stable state. Click on the Start button, type rstrui in the search bar and press enter. Select a restore point where the program started correctly and roll back to it.
Reasons for the error: “exe is not a Win32 application”
Well, now let's look at the reasons for this error, and they can be as follows:
- file corruption;
- the program was developed for a different architecture;
- the application is a virus;
- there is no software installed on the computer to work with this program;
- The antivirus is blocking the application from launching.
It is difficult to immediately name the cause of an individual case, so it would be reasonable to act by elimination, testing each method step by step.
The simplest methods for eliminating errors
However, there are many methods for troubleshooting such problems. The simplest solution would be to download a specialized Win32.reg file from the Internet and then run it.
What is Win32.reg? This is a system registry file that adds specific entries and keys to it to simplify the process of opening problematic applications.
Sometimes the situation may be due to mismatched file systems. In this case, you will need to format the disk or partition using, for example, FAT32 (especially when switching from a 64-bit to 32-bit OS).
There are situations when an update to the Microsoft .NET Framework is required, where in the platform settings you need to specify support for absolutely all processors, including x86. In general, there are quite a lot of examples that can be given.
How to get rid of the "File, program is not a Win32 application" error?
For many, simply downloading the file in question again will fix the problem. More serious causes (damaged drives or a virus) will require a little more work. The best solution to this problem is to run reliable antivirus software and check the integrity of the hard drive.
Troubleshooting this error in a developer environment is a little more difficult because it very much depends on how the application is compiled. Every software developer knows that creating an error debugger for a program is a very complex process. You're probably asking, where to start? Here are a few things you should definitely try:
- Be careful when working in a Visual Studio program if you are compiling for 64-bit or 32-bit environments. It's often best to select "Any Processor" . Thus, the file will be executable on two operating environments - x32 and x64.
- If you are creating a Windows XP application, be sure to install the "Platform Toolkit" to "Windows XP (V110_xp)" . For anyone using Visual Studio 2012, Service Pack 1 will be required to update older Windows platforms.
- Check which version of .NET your application is using. Later versions (4.5) do not support Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.
The file is not a Win32 application: reasons for failures
First, let's dwell a little on the most common causes of this error. It is quite obvious that if we are talking about the fact that the same Setup installation file is not a Win32 application, this can only mean that its launch is designed exclusively for a 64-bit OS.
Just check which modification is installed on your computer. But this is only a general version of what is happening. In fact, the main reasons for such system behavior are usually the following:
- partial or complete incompatibility with the operating system, including the inability to run files in the Windows environment that are designed for Linux or Mac OS;
- short-term system failures associated with damage to its main components and registry;
- lack of necessary additional platforms;
- an attempt to launch an incompletely removed program;
- exposure to viruses and blocking by anti-virus software;
- the presence on the computer of a hacked version of Windows or a pirated copy of a downloaded program.
It goes without saying that the reasons for such errors could be listed for a very long time. But let's move on to practical methods of eliminating the consequences.
Error: “The program is not a Win32 application” - for the user and for the developer
Hi all! I think every user has seen this error at least once: “the program is not a Win32 application” (the application is not Win32).
We fix the error: “the program is not a Win32 application” (the application is not win32).
It often happens that when you launch a program, the system gives you a message stating that “the program is not a Win32 application.” As a result, the program does not work. Question: why does such a message appear? And the second question: how to solve the problem? We answer in order. So! The Win32 crashes error may occur because a virus has messed with your registry, or you have a low-quality OS build (“pirate”) installed, or a system failure, or a conflict between programs and applications. In general, there are many options.
But the solution to this problem is very simple: to do this, you just need to download the special Win32.reg file. You can download it from our website: https://yadi.sk/d/E6-yfOgeQUbf2 (the file is on the Yandex disk and downloads in a second). And then all that’s left is to just launch it. You will see a message box telling you that “Adding information may change or delete blah blah blah…” - just click on “Yes”. After the change process is completed, you will need to restart the computer. After this, the Win32 error problem will disappear. By the way, if you often wonder: check my IP at work, then with this service you can do it quickly and for free; I use IP check often.
Tip: before running the Win32.reg file, scan your system for viruses! One of the best scanners is Doctor Web Kuret (CureIT), you can download Kuret, which itself is updated from our website: The best anti-virus scanner now with lifetime updates - dr.web anti-virus, dr.web portable.
And lastly: if the Win32 error caused problems with logging into the Internet (the browser also does not start, referring to Win32), then do this: launch the browser with Administrator rights and everything will work!
Fixing the error: “the program is not a Win32 application” (the application is not win32) - for developers
It happened to me that my program (C#, C++) does not run on another computer, there can be several reasons and they can be solved very simply:
- The program was created with MS Framework 4.5, but the computer does not have this version, solution: install this version;
- The program was created with MS Framework 4.5, but the computer does not have this version and cannot have it (windows server 2003) - we rebuild the program with framework 4;
- Everything is ok with the Framework, but the program does not start, go to the project parameters and select the “build application” option not for “Any CPU” (any processor), but for x86
For a snack, we have a mega funny video (well, I’m partial to cats =)):
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