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Because no one makes programs that run in 16 bits anymore. Now they make 32 bit programs, and even some 64 bit. There are rumors of the soon to come 128 bit, but that isn't here yet. So while a 16 bit windows may run fine, none of the programs anyone uses would run on it. It is, therefore, legacy.

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16-bit Windows software is considered to be legacy software because it is software written for DOS or Windows 3.x and data is accessed 16 bits at a time, whereas computers running Windows 2000 or later OSs use 32-bit or 64-bit programs written to be able to access 32 or 64 bits of data at a time.

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11y ago
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15y ago

Because new software is written for 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems, and in 32-bit or 64-bit code.16-bit software has been outmoded for conventional use for many years. Also, Microsoft no longer supports any 16-bit or 16/32-bit hybrid version of Windows in any capacity, including bug fixes or security updates. Even most technical documents have been removed.

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Q: Why is 16 bit windows software considered to be legacy software?
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