Photo: Created by Nuno Sequeira André , edited by Joaquim Alves Gas · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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Oldest GUI application that still runs on Windows 11

The oldest GUI application that still runs on Windows 11 without modifications or emulation is CDPLAYER.EXE, which was linked on November 16, 1992, as part of Windows NT 3.1 Build 347. This application is 31 years old and still works on the latest version of Windows 11. The application uses the system's crtdll.dll instead of a bundled C runtime, which allows it to run without issues. In contrast, other programs in the same build crash due to the bundled runtime. The author also found that a 1993 version of the FreeCell game, FREECELL.EXE, with a modified date of February 22, 1993, also runs on Windows 11 without modifications. However, this is not as old as CDPLAYER.EXE.

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