Internet Explorer 16 bit On Windows 8.

Also works on Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. But you must be running 32 bit Windows as 16 bit software does not work on 64 bit.

Internet Explorer 3 was in Windows NT4 and early versions of Windows 95. But Microsoft also made 16 bit versions of IE for Windows 3.1 and 3.11.

IE1, IE2, IE3, IE4 and IE5 came in either 16 or 32 bit ,depending on the Operating System.

So for a bit of fun I installed the 16 bit version of IE3 for Windows 3.11 on Windows 8. To see if it could run and it does.  I am surprised as I did not think it could run on 8 but here it is running on my 32 bit Windows 8.




The 32 bit version of IE would not install but the 16 bit version does. 

How to install on Windows 7 and 8. 

You need to run the installer as administrator.

Then copy the IEDKCS16.DLL to both the Windows/System folder and the Windows/System 32 folders on C Drive or where ever you have got Windows 7 or 8 installed.

Do the same thing if installing on Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Restart your computer if it tells you to.

The install of IE3 is different from the 32 bit install in that it is installed in the Windows not Programs folder as 32 bit IE is. But it will still work.

Internet Explorer 3 comes bundled with Internet Mail And News and also Real Audio Player. A very old version of Real Player that can only play audio files though it could not play anything because it does not support Windows Media files.

Still both the web browser and the email program works and here are some screen shots of IE3 and Internet Mail running on Windows 8. 

IE3 16 bit on Windows 8.

Google in IE3 on Windows 8.

Here IE3 16bit  on Windows 8 and it does connect to the Internet. A lot of other websites did not display well but Google. When I Googled my name it displayed both the images and search results as seen here.

Internet Mail 16 bit on Windows 8.

Here is Internet Mail And News 16 bit which is the email program that comes with IE3 running here on Windows 8. 

Real Audio Player on Windows 8.

And this is Real Audio Player on Windows 8 was replaced with Windows Media Player when you upgraded to IE4.

I am also able to display the 16 bit icons shown thanks to Be Cyicon Grabber, a software that can show all icons. 

So YES it is possible to run IE3 16 bit on Windows 8 but it will only work on 32 bit not 64 bit Windows.

See the full tutorial I made here in this video on how to install on Windows 7 and 8.

You may be wondering if Internet Explorer 4 or 5 works on Windows XP, Windows 7 or 8. The answer is NO it does not. I could not even get the 16 bit to install. But IE3 does.
Well now you know.

See also :

Wikipedia. 

Be Cyicon Grabber Download.