Like other applications (e.g. some
popular games), the InstallShield software used for the installation
of Softinterface software makes use of 16-bit Windows technology which requires
a valid AUTOEXEC.NT file to be present in the system. This file, which
is part of the Windows 16-bit subsystem as it ships with Windows 2000,
Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003, normally resides in the
"System32" subdirectory of the Windows installation directory.
Installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2 on an otherwise "healthy"
Windows XP system may delete the AUTOEXEC.NT file. As a result, when
trying to run certain applications which make use of 16-bit technology
an error message like the following may be displayed: "16 bit Windows
Subsystem - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not
suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose
'Close' to terminate the application."
The error message can be
misleading, because it is displayed even if the AUTOEXEC.NT file is
actually missing.
To verify whether you have the file, type
"%windir%/system32/" in the address bar of an Explorer window. If
there is no AUTOEXEC.NT file proceed as follows:
- Browse to
"%windir%/repair/" (usually "C:\WINDOWS\repair")
- Right-Click
and Copy the AUTOEXEC.NT file
- Browse to "%windir%/system32/"
(usually "C:\WINDOWS\System32")
- Right-Click inside the window
and Paste the file
The error condition described here may
also be the result of corruption of the AUTOEXEC.NT file, in which
case the above procedure may be helpful to restore a valid file.
Corruption of the AUTOEXEC.NT file has also been related to virus
programs. You may want to virus-check your system with one of the
following free tools:
Microsoft has several Knowledge Base
articles on this issue, including the following:
Also see:
