Can’t Get Your Older Games to Run on

 Windows XP

or

Windows VISTA?

Windows XP offers native support to a great many games that were originally written for earlier versions of Windows, mostly for Windows 98/ME and Windows 2000. And Windows Vista offers similar native support for several thousand Windows XP games. Occasionally however, there's a glitch, or you're loading a game written for an older version of Windows ....... and you just can't get the game to run.

The Typical Problem: You load a Windows 95 or 98/ME game on your Windows XP system. All seems normal, until you try to play the game, when your screen freezes, you get an error message, or perhaps the dreaded BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH. Your first reaction, of course, is that you’ve wasted your hard-earned money; in point of fact, all is decidedly NOT lost!

 WINDOWS PROGRAM COMPATIBILITY WIZARD:

While the folks at MICROSOFT seem to constantly be putting stuff in their operating systems we just don’t need, at least with Windows XP they’ve finally done us gamers a favor in the form of the PROGRAM COMPATIBILITY WIZARD. This handy program can run an older program in an emulation of the operating system for which it was written. In other words, the Compatibility Wizard can take that treasured original QUAKE CD and run it in a Windows 95 emulation, so you can play it again!

To modify a game (or any older program, for that matter) to run in emulation mode, go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Program Compatibility Wizard. At that point, simply follow the straight-forward instructions and you’re good to go!

Well, almost! Sometimes the Compatibility Wizard just doesn’t quite do the trick, or you're running Windows VISTA, which doesn't have the Compatibility Wizard per se. You’ll be able to tell as soon as you try to play the game, because it’ll freeze up again. Not to worry!  Though it is a bit more complex and time-consuming, there is a more effective way to modify the Program Compatibility. (The following method is the only current work-around for all flavors of Windows VISTA)

 WINDOWS PROGRAM COMPATIBILITY - The LONG Version:

With the game CD in the CD Drive, go to Start > My Computer > CD Drive (which ever one it’s in). RIGHT click on the drive, then LEFT click on Explore. This will open the contents of the game CD.  Look for all executable files (those with a .exe extension at the end). 

·         [If your computer does not currently show the extensions: From your toolbar at the top, go to Tools > Folder Options > View. Check the box in front of “Display the Contents of Systems Folders”, Show Hidden Files and Folders”; Uncheck the boxes in front of “Hide extensions for Known File Types” and “Hide Protected Operating System Files”. You should now be able to see all the 3-letter extensions at the end of the file name, as in “Setup.exe”.]
 

For EVERY executable file (.exe): RIGHT click on it, go to Properties > Compatibility. Check-mark the box “Run this program in compatibility mode for:”, and below that chose the flavor of Windows the game was written for.

·         [If you aren’t sure, you can generally find something on either the game disk or the accompanying paperwork telling you it is compatible with Windows 95 or 98/ME; a web search can also generally supply this information. Most games have their copyright date on the game disc, and you can deduce the Windows version from that date. When in doubt, I’ve seldom had problems running most older games in Windows 98/ME emulation, as Windows 98/ME supported most Windows 95 games.]
This should be done with EACH and EVERY .exe file, including any that are inside other folders of the game. You may notice quite a few .exe files, especially on older games; be sure not to miss any! Once this has been completed, LEFT click on the Setup.exe file (in other words, simply INSTALL THE GAME!).

Okay – You’re half way there! Once the game has been installed, you will need to adjust the compatibility of the installed components. It’s easier than it sounds! First, open the folder in which the game was installed. This is generally found by: RIGHT click on Start, then LEFT click on Explore. Go to C:\Program Files\Game’s Name.

·         [HINT: Sometimes the game may be within a folder by the name of the company producing the game, as C:\Program Files\Sierra\Half-Life.]
Now, just repeat the process you did for the installation disk by adjusting the compatibility for EACH .exe file again, but this time in the installed game. That’s: RIGHT click on the .exe file, go to Properties > Compatibility. Check-mark the box “Run this program in compatibility mode for:”, and below that chose the flavor of Windows the game was written for. Again, make sure you open any sub-folders within the game folder to check for (and adjust compatibility of) any enclosed .exe files. Got ‘em all? GREAT! You’re now set to sit back and enjoy that classic game you nearly trashed!

We've tried to make this as clear as possible, but if you have questions, write us at techsupport@captdansgames.com and we'll have one of our technicians try to answer your questions.

 DOSBox:

Sometimes, even with the best of efforts, the Windows Compatibility Mode just won't get that vintage game running. There is another, FREE program that is made especially for DOS-based games: It is called DOSBox, and is available for FREE DOWNLOAD at http://dosbox.sourceforge.net./news.php?show_news=1  We have tried this program on some of the games the Windows Compatibility Mode won't work on - those wonderful old DOS games - and have had terrific success! So if the Compatibility Mode won't get that game running, try DOSBox! Their site also has an extensive forum to answer any DOSBox-related questions.

 MICROSOFT  VIRTUAL  PC  2007

Okay, as if you haven't had enough choices yet, here's another excellent resource. The folks at Microsoft have this great Virtual PC here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=04D26402-3199-48A3-AFA2-2DC0B40A73B6&displaylang=en; it will allow you to create a virtual PC within it's own window, capable of running nearly any X86-architecture Operating System. Yup, you can run games in their native Windows 95 or 98, or even in Linux if you want! The down side:

• It currently supports Windows XP Pro and Windows Vista Ultimate (and some of Vista Business, Server, and Enterprise editions). You may be able to find work-arounds for other versions of XP or Vista with a Google search.
• You will need an installation disc (and license, if applicable) for the Operating System you wish to install on the Virtual Machine. 

All that said, it is another great resource, and readily capable of playing virtually every game in its native Operating System. AND you aren't limited by how many different Virtual Machines you have, each with its own Operating System, AND IT'S FREE!!!

If you don't have versions of Windows that will accept the Microsoft Virtual PC program, don't dispair! There are several good virtual PC programs available, at least several of them for free! Simply do a Google search for 'Free virtual PC for Windows xxxxxx' , where the xxxxx is your version of Windows. The available programs change constantly, and since it is imposible for us to try them all we'll just point you in the right direction on this area. Also please keep in mind it is beyond our scope to offer tech support for these products; most sites offer their own tech support and/or forums.

Whew! That's a lot of information up there! We hope it has been helpful, if only to let you know that there is NO reason to throw away those great classic games you enjoyed a decade ago!  While the graphics in older games definitely show their age, it is not uncommon to find better storylines and A.I.  In fact, many classic games have found new life as cell phone games - such as the original Doom - so you can practice on your PC and continue your gameplay on your cell phone!