Running a game for xp on windows 7. How to start safe mode on a computer with Windows XP? Software update
Many of us remember the good old games that we played at the dawn of computer technology, and which we often think about today.
Technologies are growing and developing, the graphics are becoming more realistic, and the gameplay is getting more and more "fancy", but sometimes you want to play something old and painfully familiar, from those times when the gaming industry has not yet got on the conveyor belt and has not begun to churn out dozens of games and hundreds of thousands. When each toy was an event, and each had its own "zest". Many of these games have become true masterpieces, the popularity of which cannot be reached by modern projects, even sometimes very, very good ones, soundly and of high quality.
And it doesn't matter what caused it - either ordinary nostalgia, or you yourself are still quite young and just want to try what your parents "cut" into during their computer youth. Or maybe you are a fan of some game series, for example, a space simulator x3, and were surprised to find that the universe " X", it turns out, did not begin with the advent of the very first X, and much earlier - with the appearance of the legendary ELITE, which was born back in the 80s of the last century and since then has undergone several dozen reincarnations in various sequels and clones for a variety of operating systems, and a relatively new x3 only continues the tradition of gaming legend. There are quite a few such series in the world of games - this is SETTLERS, And C&C with his first red alert"oh, and a series about Combat Robots, famous Civilization Sid Meier, and the legendary DOOM, which is almost the progenitor of all modern shooters. A real fan will definitely decide to go all the way, starting with the very first, still DOS game, that's why he is a fan.
However, it does not matter what was the initial impetus, but you got it, downloaded it from the Internet (fortunately, there are enough such resources now) or brought an old toy on a disk, anticipating a pleasant evening. And this is where the disappointments begin. The game either does not want to install at all, or it installs, but does not start or does not work correctly, or it works so fast that it is not possible to somehow curb this process. The process of incomplete compatibility of old programs with Windows XP and Vista appears before us "in all its glory". But you should not despair - all these problems have long been solved by other users, and we can only talk about the methods for solving them, and you should carefully read and try.
So let's start by dividing the old games conditionally into two categories: games for the DOS platform and slightly more modern ones for the Windows 95/98 platform. The first type, games for DOS, were created for a completely different type of operating system, so they will flatly refuse to run under Windows XP and, even more so, under Windows Vista. However, there is also a way out.
Running Legacy DOS Games on Windows XP and Windows Vista
Among the abundance of necessary functions and a whole bunch of useless features of modern operating systems, the function we need to launch DOS applications in Windows XP and Windows Vista is completely absent. But here third-party developers come to the rescue, who have created many DOS emulators specifically for this purpose - programs that imitate the functions of the DOS operating system and allow you to run old DOS applications in modern OSes. One of the most popular and widespread emulators has become DOSbox(dosbox.sourceforge.net). The program is quite simple and does not require much effort to master, but here the main problem for beginners may be the lack of skills in working in DOS and ignorance of its text interface. Especially for such users, several graphical shells have been developed that offer convenient intuitive control. One of these shells DOG We invite you to take advantage.
Download as the emulator itself DOSbox, and a graphical shell to it -DOG- you can from our site. Download links are at the bottom of the article in the attached files.
After downloading both programs, install Dosbox first (the installation is standard and does not contain any difficulties). Then we run the DOG shell installer, during installation we specify the path to our DOSbox emulator to the installer program. That's it, now we can easily run old DOS games in Windows XP and Windows Vista using an emulator equipped with a convenient graphical interface.
Copy the desired game to your hard drive and run the emulator. We find the control panel and the button in it Profiles -> New Profile. Click, enter the name of the game in the field profile name. Next click Select after the EXE file name. We press OK and launch the game by double-clicking on it.
Sometimes, thanks to the fans, old, beloved DOS games are experiencing a "second birth". Try searching the Internet for a "ported" version of an old game, perhaps someone has already made a version for Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Running old Windows 95/98 games on Windows XP and Windows Vista
With games created for the slightly newer Windows 95/98 operating systems, things are a little easier. Developers from Microsoft have provided a special utility for this purpose - Compatibility Mode, and if the old toy completely refuses to run under Windows Xp or Vista, you should enable this mode. For this purpose, we find the executable file of the game and go to its properties (right-click on the file with the option Properties). Go to tab Compatibility. The rest is in the field Run the program in compatibility mode for... check the box next to the desired operating system (Windows 95 or another, depending on which operating system the game was developed for). It remains only to press Apply, close the properties window, and you can run the toy and enjoy!
A small digression. Sometimes the developers of older games create special patches so that their programs can run on newer operating systems. So, for example, the creators of the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R, which was originally born under Windows XP and did not want to function normally in Windows Vista, did so. After the release of the patch, all problems were resolved. If you managed to find a similar patch for your toy, install the game first, then the patch and play. If the developers have tried, you will be able to enjoy the process.
Decreased speed in older games
Another problem for old games on new computers can be too high a speed of the gameplay, because the power of modern computer hardware is several times higher than that for which old games were designed. You will understand what we mean as soon as you experience it yourself. If the game goes too fast, as if in an accelerated mode, you will have to forcibly reduce the power of your computer using special applications. One of the most popular programs for this purpose is CPU Killer, forcibly reducing the frequency of the processor. You can also download it from our website (see links to attached files at the bottom of the article).
A small guide to working with CPUKiller
Download CPU Killer and install it. Installation is simple and no different from other programs, just follow the wizard, install and run.
Novice users are not recommended to change the program settings, just go straight to using it. In the working window of CPUKiller, you will see a graph of the processor and a scale with a slider just below. In order to reduce the frequency, you need to move the slider to the desired percentage and press start. The processor frequency will be forced down immediately. Minimize the CPUKiller window and play. To turn off just press stop.
The program can be used without any fear, turned on or off at any convenient time and for any period.
We hope that you will no longer have problems running old games under Windows XP or Windows Vista, and you will have a great time enjoying rare toys!
One of the most popular operating systems, despite the release of Windows 10, is Windows 7. Users prefer it. However, some programs, mainly office ones, and games work correctly on Windows XP. You have to install a second operating system. However, if the PC is weak or has a limited amount of hard disk space, this option is not the best. Therefore, you can try to emulate this operating system using Windows XP Mode.
What is Windows XP Mode?
Windows XP Mode runs on the Windows 7 operating system as a virtual machine and as a means of opening some programs. Windows XP Mode starts in a separate working window and, when you turn on the PC, is displayed in the list of programs of the Seven. It can be compared to a program, but it will not be correct, since it is a fully functional version of Windows XP. In it, you can create and save documents, surf the Internet, access services and programs, use a CD-DVD drive.
What you need to know before installing XP Mode?
Before installing Windows XP Mode on your PC, it is worth double-checking whether the computer meets the following requirements:
- Operating system Windows 7 build Ultimat, Professional or Enterprise;
- Support for hardware virtualization. You can check your PC for this parameter using the Microsoft utility.
The XP mode virtual machine does not work on Windows 7 Home build versions. However, that doesn't mean you can't make it.
Installing XP Mode on Windows 7
We go to the Microsoft website using the link and select Windows 7 Professional as your operating system. You should not set Home, as the site will not allow you to download the installation file for Windows XP Mode. Next, select the language and click "Download".
After downloading, it is worth downloading Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode update. They need to be installed in this order:
- Windows XP Mode;
- Virtual PC;
- Windows XP Mode update.
It is not necessary to violate the order of installation, so as not to cause errors. If during installation an error appears: “This update is not applicable to your computer”, then you have chosen the wrong operating system.
The "Unable to start Windows Virtual PC because hardware-assisted virtualization is disabled" error can be ignored. It is solved by installing Windows XP Mode.
After installing all three packages, you need to restart your PC. The mode will be set. However, it will not be possible to launch it from the Start menu. To fix this "problem", you should go to the "C" drive, then to the "Program Files" folder, "Windows XP Mode".
We find the file “Windows XP Mode base.vhd” in the folder and right-click on it. Select "Properties". Go to the "Security" tab and click "Advanced".
In the advanced options window, open the "Owner" tab. The default will be "System". Click "Change".
In the next window, select your current Windows account.
You will be notified that you have been granted rights to the file.
We return to the "Advanced Options". Go to the "Permissions" tab. Select "All" and click "Edit".
In the next window, do the same.
We set marks for full access.
In the new window, click "Create a virtual machine". Give it a name and click "Next". After we set the amount of RAM and click "Next". In the next window, select "Use an existing hard disk" and indicate the path to Windows XP Mode base.vhd, which is located in the "C" drive, the "Program Files" folder. Then click "Create".
Now we restart the PC. The Windows XP emulator will run for a while as it is not activated.
This answer collects information regarding the different techniques of the operating system option Windows 7, both by means of the OS itself, and with the help of various secondary programs.
Restoring the Traditional Start Menu in Windows 7
Return the traditional launch menu, the return function to which in Windows 7 absent, it is possible with the help of a free program CSMenu. This utility makes an alternative "Start" button, returning to it the traditional style, perfectly recognizable by the interface Windows 2000. After installation (administrator rights are required), the program leaves two icons on the desktop. By running one, the user starts scanning programs that are in the start menu. After indexing, this icon can be deleted, and then, in order for the configurations to take effect, log out of the profile and log in again. After logging in, you need to move the second icon to the taskbar - it will serve as a specific "Start" button, made in the traditional style. With all this, the real button does not go anywhere, it remains in place. Download CSMenu there is an opportunity from the forum about Windows 7 www.windows7forums.com. There you can also watch a video on how to install the program.
Internet search through the start menu
IN Windows 7 it became possible to find on the Internet through the Start menu, but by default this function is disabled. To enable search on the Internet through the Start menu, you need to do the following:
Enable DreamScene in Windows 7
dream scene is one of the functions in Windows Vista Ultimate, which allowed you to set the video as the wallpaper of the desktop. But this feature has been removed from Windows 7 and it was replaced by the function Desktop Slideshow— function of automatic change of background pictures of a desktop. Possibility to enable dream scene still exists. In order to run dream scene V Windows 7, you need to make the following function:
It is worth implying that dream scene not officially supported in Windows 7, because its options are not in the applet Personalization(Personalization) and on the configuration page Desktop background(Desktop background sketch). Despite this, all functions dream scene, including play(Reproduce), Pause(Stop) and audio are supported.
Restoring the Quick Launch Panel
IN Windows 7 Quick Launch has been replaced by a new feature supported by the taskbar - pinning applications to the taskbar. In order to pin an application to the taskbar, just press the right mouse button on the application window in the taskbar and select the "Pin this program to the taskbar" item.
To restore the quick start panel (Quick Launch) you need to make an additional toolbar and point to the folder Quick Launch: to do this, right-click on the taskbar and select the "Panels" item in the context menu and then "Create toolbar ...". In the dialog box that opens, point to the following folder: C:Users\AppDataRoamingMicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick Launch. (In that case the folder AppData is not visible in the dialog box, you need to open the control panel, select the "Appearance and personalization" item, select the "Show hidden files and folders" item in it and select the "show hidden files, folders and drives" option in it) After which the toolbar Quick Launch will be added to the taskbar. For its traditional display, it is possible to right-click on the panel and uncheck the text display characteristics Show Text and headlines show title. The convenience of the traditional quick launch panel is that the user will have access to the icons of applications that place their shortcuts in this panel.
Changing Windows 7 taskbar to XP/Vista style
One of the most obvious configurations in Windows 7 is a brand new taskbar, in which icons are shown instead of buttons, and all application windows are connected together under one button. The first thing to do in order to return to the older style of the taskbar is to right-click on any free place on it and select the line from the menu that appears Properties(characteristics). More on the tab Taskbar(taskbar) opposite the label of the taskbar buttons Taskbar buttons you need to select the option Never combine(never merge once), which will set the taskbar to display a separate button for each individual window. It is also possible to select the option Combine when taskbar is full(Merge once when the taskbar is full) which will merge windows together when the taskbar is full. After performing these actions (and naturally implementing them), the buttons will be displayed with text labels ... which, however, will be made in the style Windows 7. To fix this, you still need to go to the characteristics of the taskbar and set the item for using small icons Use small icons. The taskbar with all this will become a little narrower and will be very similar to the panel Vista. The only remaining inconsistency will be the "pinned" icons, which will still be on the taskbar. But it is possible to remove them by clicking on each of them with the right mouse button and selecting the item Unpin this program from taskbar(unpin this program from the taskbar). And after that the taskbar will look and work almost like a panel WindowsXP/Vista.
Changing the LOGON UI Welcome Screen in Windows 7
Windows 7 has a new welcome screen LOGONUI. The welcome screen, it's just possible to change it using the free program Tweaks Logon Changer. With its help, the welcome screen has the ability to change to any other picture or return the original welcome page. In that case, the image size is more than 256Kb, then Tweaks Logo Changer will offer to make a copy of it and automatically compress it to a suitable size.
It is also possible to change the welcome screen by means of the system itself, in the absence of the use of additional programs. How to do this is thoroughly described in this article.
How to enable/run Windows XP Mode in Windows 7
XPmode(mode WindowsXP) is an addition that, in conjunction with virtualPC allows you to ensure full comparability of old applications with Windows 7. XP Mode is a virtual machine with a pre-installed system Windows XP; it starts from under the very Windows 7 and offers to create a launch of old applications that are not compatible with Windows 7, just in the environment Windows XP, due to which complete comparability is achieved.
It is important to note that the function Windows XP Mode irrevocably asks for hardware support for virtualization, in addition, the company's specialists Microsoft It is advised to use a computer equipped with at least 2 GB of RAM. It is possible to make sure that the hardware of the computer meets the necessary requirements by downloading and running the utilities posted on the microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc page.
The finished "super button" with the proud title "turn on Windows XP Mode" No. Development is external to itself Windows 7, with all this, only professional editions are supported - Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. To install XP Mode to a computer running Windows 7, you need to download the latest version from the special Microsoft website Virtual PC(file Windows 6.1-KB958559-x86 ~4.9 Mb) and the finished image Windows XP(file VirtualWindowsXP.msi~445 MB), which already has the necessary services and drivers installed. For those who wish to make their own virtual image, the website contains update versions for Vista/XP, the installation of which in the virtual OS adds that support for the mode Windows XP mode. After downloading both files, you need to install them - at first Virtual PC For Windows 7, later the image itself.
In the "Start" menu in the "Programs" there is a section Windows Virtual PC, and in it is actually an item Virtual Windows XP. At the first start, the image changes in a very elementary way - only the password of the future user is requested. In the start menu, in the same section Windows Virtual PC there is a section Virtual Windows XP Application with links to virtual applications. It is possible to run as a virtual machine with Windows XP, as well as individual programs installed inside the virtual environment. With all this, the system provides completely transparent work with such applications and does not impose any multifunctional restrictions on them. From running inside Windows XP programs have the ability to work with files of the parent system, interact with USB and other devices connected to the computer, copy data via the clipboard, send them to print, etc.
Additional to the site:
How to enable/run Windows XP Mode in Windows 7?
This answer contains information regarding the various methods of the Windows 7 operating system option, both by means of the OS itself and with the help of various secondary programs. Restoring the Traditional Start Menu in Windows 7 It is possible to return the traditional start menu, which does not have a return function in Windows 7, using the free CSMenu program. This utility makes an alternative "Start" button,...
We all remember the good old games that we played at the dawn of the development of high computer technology and which are sometimes so lacking today. Raster and developing graphics, gameplay, software capabilities of the gaming industry, but sometimes you want to take a break from all this abundance and play something old and native. This is where the catch awaits us - old games do not run on new operating systems, they work too fast, or they don’t want to install at all. What to do if you want to play, but the game does not start. This article will help you solve this problem and tell you how to run older games or slow them down.
How to install and download old games
So, let's look at acceptable options for "revitalizing" old games, which, due to the invincible nastolgia, we wanted to play. Older games can be roughly divided into two categories: games for the DOS platform and more modern games for the Windows 95/98 platform. The first type, DOS games, were created for a completely different type of operating system, so they will flatly refuse to run under Windows XP and, even more so, under Windows Vista. However, there is always a way and we will tell you how to run the old DOS game on the Windows XP/Vista platform.
How to Run Old DOS Games on Windows XP/Vista
Download DOSbox emulator - DOS emulator for XP, DOS emulator for Vista
Download GUI for DOSbox - DOG
So that lovers of good old toys do not get bored in the latest operating systems among the abundance of functions and useless features, many DOS emulators have been developed. A DOS emulator is a program that mimics the functions of the DOS operating system, allowing you to run old games on Windows XP and Windows Vista. Learning to work with the program does not require special skills and knowledge, so you can install, configure and run your favorite rare game as quickly as possible. One of the most common DOS emulators is DOSbox (dosbox.sourcefprge.net). The main problem for novice users may be ignorance of the DOS operating system, namely its text interface, however, in this case there is a ready-made solution. To simplify the process of working in the emulator, a special graphical shell was developed, that is, an intuitive interface - DOG. For installation DOG, you need to install dosbox, then run the setup file and tell the installer the path to your DOSbox emulator. Now you can easily run old DOS games on Windows XP and Windows Vista using the Dosbox emulator, equipped with a user-friendly DOG GUI. Copy the desired game to your hard drive and run the emulator. Find the control panel, and on it the button Profiles - New Profile and enter the name of the game in the field profile name. Next click Select after the filename with EXE. Click OK and launch the game by double clicking on it.
Download DOSbox emulator and DOG GUI You can from our website using the appropriate links.
Some of the old DOS games that were loved by the public at one time have been reincarnated for new operating systems, thanks to enthusiasts and fans. Try to find a "ported" version of the old game on the Internet, perhaps someone has already created a version for Windows XP or Windows Vista.
How to Run Old Windows 95/98 Games on Windows XP/Vista
With games made for newer Windows 95/98 operating systems, but those. which still do not want to run under Windows XP or Vista, Microsoft developers have provided a very useful feature. In Windows XP / Vista operating systems, there is a special utility that allows you to run old programs and games in compatibility mode with the new OS. In order to enable compatibility mode, you need to find the downloaded game file and go to its properties (right-click on the file - properties). Go to tab Compatibility and check the box next to Run the program in compatibility mode for... Select operating system Windows 95(or another, depending on which OS the application was developed for) and the apply button. Now run the old game and enjoy!
Developers of old games often resort to developing patches for new types of operating systems. Patch(in this case) is an add-on program that allows you to run the old game on Windows Xp or Vista. Install the game, download its patch and install it to the desired directory. if the developers have tried their best, you can fully enjoy the game.
So, for example, the developers of the domestic game did S.T.A.L.K.E.R. developed for the Windows XP operating system. The game refused to run or worked incorrectly on the newer Windows Vista OS, after which the development company released a patch for the game on the newer operating system.
Decreased speed in older games
Download CPUkiller
Another problem for older games for newer PCs can be the speed of the gameplay. After all, the gigahertz of modern processors is growing every day, thereby forcing some old games to work much faster than they should. You will understand what we are talking about when faced with this. If your game is running too fast, like it's in overdrive, you'll need a program that will force your CPU to slow down. One of the most popular programs of this kind is CPU Killer. It is very easy to use and compact. Download CPU Killer- a program that reduces the frequency of the processor, you can from our website.
Instruction manual for CPUKiller
First of all, you need to download CPU Killer and install it. Installing CPU Killer is quite simple and is no different from installing regular programs - you will be greeted by the installation wizard and prompted to specify the installation folder. Follow the prompts of the wizard and run the program.
Novice PC users are not recommended to change the settings of the program, so let's go straight to using it. On the screen of the program, you see a graph of the processor, as well as a scale with a slider below. To reduce the frequency of the processor, you should move the slider to the desired percentage to the right and click start. After that, the forced reduction of the processor frequency by the program will immediately take place. CPU Killer. Roll up the window and play! To turn off just press stop.
As you can see, the program can be used safely and without fear, as well as turned on or off at any convenient time and for the desired period.
We hope you will have no problems running old games on Windows XP or Windows Vista and have a great time playing old games. Commandos or UFO.
Sometimes old games do not run on modern computers, so they need to be launched via dos box emulator, we will give a small instruction.
DOSBox: how to use?
To run the game using DOSBox for Windows 7, 8, 10 or XP:
- Download free DOSBox for your operating system on the official website;
- Install DOSbox. A shortcut will appear on the desktop;
- Download the game if you haven't already;
- Unpack the downloaded archive, you will get a lot of files. Important: games under DOS are launched with *.bat, *.exe, or *.com files, in each game differently, start in turn, I advise you to start with a file in the name of which the name of the game is present, for example doom.exe;
- Go to the game folder and drag the game's launch file directly onto the DOSBox shortcut on your Windows desktop. As shown in the picture.
All!!! The game starts and runs without problems.
If suddenly the game does not start: check the setup.exe or install.com files - in DOS games the sound was configured manually, at that time the sound cards were not compatible, you need to run one of these files, select a sound card, for example "sound blaster", and save the settings.
List of DOSBox system buttons:
ALT-ENTER - Switch dosbox to full screen
CTRL-F1 - Remap buttons
CTRL-F5 - Take a screenshot
CTRL-F6 - Start/stop sound recording to wave file
CTRL-ALT-F5 - Start / Stop creating a video from the screen (video capture and recording to avi)
CTRL-F9 - Close DosBox
CTRL-F10 - Capture/Release Mouse
CTRL-F11 - Slow down game speed
CTRL-F12 - Increase game speed
Pressing ALT-F12 (Remove speed limit (turbo button)) accelerates the game to the limit. Acceleration goes while the combination is pressed. It can be very useful for scrolling cutscenes, speeding up waiting, even if the game does not provide for this. Unfortunately the combination is not very stable. The most common symptom with such acceleration is the disappearance of sound in the future.