win16 subsystem insufficient resources to run

Have work computers running Windows XP Pro. Two different ones have a program they have run for months.

Suddenly when they try to open the program an error pops up saying "win16 subsystem has insufficient resources to run".
I googled this and saw info on 16 bit and 32 bit, etc. and I'm no IT expert but I am the one here that needs to fix this.

What do I need to do (in layman's terms)?

 

One computer (we'll call it computer 1) was rebooted and the program was opened FIRST before other programs and all was fine.

Computer 2 tried this also but the program still did not open and gave the same error message....so...?

 

Download THIS file to your desktop and run it.

 

Thanks -- I saved it on the network and just ran it on both the client computers that were having problems (I'm assuming that was ok to do).

Hopefully that's all we need. Thanks for your response.

 

You're welcome, glad to help.

 

Well -- I thought we had this all fixed but...

After I ran the "fix" program on both computers -- Computer 1 is happy.

Computer 2 still won't run the engineering program though -- same error message as before.

That computer has M$ Windows XP Pro v. 2002, Service Pack 2, 2 GB Ram, Pentium 4. It's only a couple months old and had been running everything fine.

Any other ideas?

 

Have you tried reinstalling the engineering program?

Also, how old is this program?

 

No -- I didn't do that because it sounded like a Microsoft problem.

The program has been used for a couple years...I installed it when I set up the computer a couple months ago.

 

The programs files may have become corrupt.

I would try reinstalling it first.

 

OK -- I'll do that tomorrow at work and see what happens...thanks.

 

Good luck.

If that fails, uninstall it, then reinstall it to a different folder.

For example, if it was in C:\Program Files \Engineering Program, install it to say C:\Engineering Program etc.

That way it will make new Registry entries instead of using the old ones which may be corrupt.

 

Sorry this took a few days for me to check. I tried what you said above but it didn't work -- still getting the same error -- only on this computer though. Same error whether I run the program from the C: drive (new location) or from the network. For instance, the program is stored (originally) on the network drive. I can run it from the network on my computer fine, I can't run it from the network drive on computer 2. So it's not just a matter of the copy of the files -- it's something to do with this particular computer.

But like I said, it had been running it fine...then one day...nothing.

 

Hi Pegg,

Try Compatibility Mode.

Right-click the programs executable, then properties, then Compatibility Tab.

Select the operating system then apply then OK.

You may have to experiment and try more than one operating system.

Also, try running it in 256 colours.

 

How do you guys know this stuff? Thanks -- it worked with my first try!

 

Glad it worked.


We aren't called MajorGeeks for nothing.

If we didn't know, it would be called MinorGeeks.

Remember, we know everything you're doing on your computer.

 

OK -- well - the engineering program isn't working again. I had changed it to be compatible to Windows 98 AND to run in 256 colours and it ran fine for awhile but now it won't run and gives the same error message.

Does it have anything to do with the type of computer it is?

That computer has M$ Windows XP Pro v. 2002, Service Pack 2, 2 GB Ram, Pentium 4. It's only a couple months old and had been running everything fine.

 

It's not the computer so much, it's the engineering program.

It must be old or not compatible with XP. (What's it called?)

Try playing around with compatibility mode.

If Windows 98 isn't working, try 2000 or NT4 etc.

 

This may help. Or bring new ideas to this situation:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314106

 

Yeah - it is old -- AquaCut (it's from Jet Edge Corporation, probably 10 years old). We've used it for all those years probably and we've used it on Windows XP Pro computers for as long as those computers have been manufactured (? years).

As I've said before, the program is fine on everyone else's computer -- about 6 other computers (I load it from the same CD). With Computer 1 the 1/18 "fix" program did the trick for a week or so but then I had to change compatibility on that one too (so far so good).

But the "fix" program NEVER made a difference on computer 2 and the compatibility change worked for a week or so but now the program won't open.

 

If it worked OK for all those years then you were lucky.

It's not designed for XP, so if it runs, great, but there are no guarantees for stability.

It may work on one XP machine and not another, that's just how it is sometimes.

To emphasise, there is nothing wrong with the other computer, it's the program.

If the company doesn't make a patch, then you will have to play around with compatibility mode, or try something like Virtual PC etc.

Uninstall it, then use compatibility mode on the installer itself.

 

You lost me here. I know how to "right click on AquaCut.exe" and change the compatibility but how do I do it on the "installer itself"??

 

When you installed the program, what did you use?

Right click on the installation file, even if it's on CD.


(I'm not talking about the programs executable, but the actual file used to install it originally)