Editing Wine (software) (section)

===Backward compatibility===
Wine ensures good [[backward compatibility]] with legacy Windows applications, including those written for [[Windows 3.1x]].<ref name="winelegacy">{{cite web
 | url        = http://media.codeweavers.com/pub/crossover/case_studies/WinLegacySupport.pdf
 | title        = Windows Legacy Application Support Under Wine
 | access-date        = 9 December 2010
 | archive-date        = 8 July 2011
 | archive-url        = https://web.archive.org/web/20110708174152/http://media.codeweavers.com/pub/crossover/case_studies/WinLegacySupport.pdf
 | url-status        = live
 }}</ref> Wine can mimic different Windows versions required for some programs, going as far back as [[Windows 2.0]].<ref name="Wine Windows 2.0">{{cite news
 |url          = http://www.maximumpc.com/article/still_need_to_run_windows_apps_have_a_glass_of_wine
 |title        = Still need to run Windows apps? Have a glass of wine
 |first        = Robert
 |last         = Strohmeyer
 |newspaper    = Pcgamer
 |date         = 6 April 2007
 |access-date  = 9 December 2010
 |archive-date = 22 June 2011
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110622002156/http://www.maximumpc.com/article/still_need_to_run_windows_apps_have_a_glass_of_wine
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref> However, [[Windows 1.0x|Windows 1.x]] and Windows 2.x support was removed from Wine development version 1.3.12. If DOSBox is installed on the system{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} (see below on [[#MS-DOS|MS-DOS]]), Wine development version 1.3.12 and later nevertheless show the "Windows 2.0" option for the Windows version to mimic, but Wine still will not run most Windows 2.0 programs because MS-DOS and Windows functions are not currently integrated.

Backward compatibility in Wine is generally superior to that of Windows, as newer versions of Windows can force users to upgrade legacy Windows applications, and may break unsupported software forever as there is nobody adjusting the program for the changes in the operating system. In many cases, Wine can offer better legacy support than newer versions of Windows with "Compatibility Mode". Wine can run [[16-bit computing|16-bit]] Windows programs ([[Windows API#Win16|Win16]]) on a 64-bit operating system, which uses an [[x86-64]] (64-bit) CPU,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.groovypost.com/howto/enable-16-bit-application-support-windows-10/|title=How to Enable 16-bit Application Support in Windows 10|last=Andre Da Costa|date=20 April 2016|website=groovyPost|language=en-US|access-date=9 April 2019|archive-date=20 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220142716/https://www.groovypost.com/howto/enable-16-bit-application-support-windows-10/|url-status=live}}</ref> a functionality not found in 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows.<ref>{{cite web
 | url        = https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/896458
 | title        = 64-bit versions of Windows do not support 16-bit components, 16-bit processes, or 16-bit applications
 | access-date        = 22 August 2015
 | archive-date        = 26 May 2016
 | archive-url        = https://web.archive.org/web/20160526135209/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/896458
 | url-status        = live
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 | url      = http://windowsitpro.com/systems-management/why-cant-i-install-16-bit-programs-computer-running-64-bit-version-windows-xp
 | title      = Why can't I install 16-bit programs on a computer running the 64-bit version of Windows XP?
 | first      = John
 | last      = Savill
 | date      = 11 February 2002
 | access-date      = 9 December 2010
 | archive-date      = 4 March 2016
 | archive-url      = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083829/http://windowsitpro.com/systems-management/why-cant-i-install-16-bit-programs-computer-running-64-bit-version-windows-xp
 | url-status      = live
 }}</ref> [[WineVDM]] allows 16-bit Windows applications to run on 64-bit versions of Windows.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://github.com/otya128/winevdm| title = 16-bit Windows (Windows 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, etc.) on 64-bit Windows.| website = [[GitHub]]| date = 27 October 2021| access-date = 25 September 2019| archive-date = 9 November 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201109015029/https://github.com/otya128/winevdm| url-status = live}} On GitHub.</ref>

Wine partially supports Windows [[console application]]s, and the user can choose which backend to use to manage the console (choices include raw streams, [[curses (programming library)|curses]], and [[Windows USER|user32]]).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://wiki.winehq.org/Wine_User%27s_Guide#Text_mode_programs_.28CUI:_Console_User_Interface.29 | title = Text mode programs (CUI: Console User Interface) | work = Wine User's Guide | access-date = 9 February 2023 | archive-date = 14 February 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230214014239/https://wiki.winehq.org/Wine_User%27s_Guide#Text_mode_programs_.28CUI:_Console_User_Interface.29 | url-status = live }}</ref> When using the raw streams or curses backends, Windows applications will run in a Unix terminal.