virtualbox.org

I am using VirtualBox on a window 10 host . I have installed Windows xp Pro x64 on guest. I run VB so that I can run two Windows applications at the same time.
But when I open the application installation file, the system show "... not a valid win32 application". I don't know why can't it run.
I don't think it is the files' problem, because I can run it smoothly on my host. And I even try both use shared folder to run the installation from the host and download the file again from the internet on guest. But the problem is not fixed.

Any ideas or suggestions? It seems to me that the problem is my computer. I try to run other applications but end up in the same way.

Why did you choose XP for the guest? And why do you think that you are running XP x64?

Windows XP is very old and will not 64-bit programs. The only x64 version of XP was an experimental version based on Windows Server 2003 x64. It was not widely used.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_X ... 64_Edition

Venti wrote: when I open the application installation file, the system show "... not a valid win32 application".

The most common reason for XP issuing that message is... <drum roll> ... it isn't a valid Win32 executable file.

There are several possibilities. If you are correct that you installed Windows Pro x64 then, like all 64bit Windows, it cannot run Win16 applications. Back in the XP era it was still common for a lot of application installers to be Win16 apps (because the installers were generic, configurable, and written during the previous Win16 era).

The opposite is also possible: that you are incorrect about the guest OS, it's actually XP Pro 32bit, and the app installer is 64bit.

Another possibility is that the installer simply isn't a Win32 application. It could be anything from a corrupted executable, to an executable for the wrong OS

The following would be useful to settle some of our doubts:

1. A picture of the root directory on the CD, with some indication of which file you are trying to run
2. Maybe also a screenshot of the properties of that file
3. A screenshot of the dialog resulting from My Computer|Properties, showing that you are indeed running XP-Pro(x64).

I recognize the issue, both from VM and from "bare metal" running Win XP Prof 64 bit. So, conclusion 1: it is not a VBox issue.
Next, (almost) all installers that work on WinXP will work on XP64 except when they are 16 bit (from my own experience, this is about 32 bit programs from the Win XP era).
Now an example of the issue: I downloaded the current MalwareBytes installer; this does not install on Win XP at all! BOTH versions report "not a valid Win32 application".
So, conclusion 2: it could well be an XP issue. Perhaps the installer doesn't want something as old as XP anyway?
Could also be that suppliers simply never thought about 64 bit XP anyway (i.e. the installer does not recognize Win XP 64 bit as being 64 bit).