Games and programs for Windows XP run without problems in new version OS. But not all old programs can work the first time. In this case, the recommendations described below will help you understand how to run old games on Windows 10 or other builds.

Running as administrator

Most games and programs for Windows XP were developed taking into account the fact that the user works with the computer under the Administrator account. Therefore, if the application does not start, right-click on. exe file and select "Run as administrator".

Debugging Compatibility Mode

Windows has a built-in utility that performs compatibility debugging for legacy programs.

RMB on .exe file→ Properties → Compatibility tab → Click the “Run Compatibility Troubleshooter” button.

If the application ran without problems in an earlier version of the OS, but does not work in Windows 10, in the “Compatibility Mode” block, check the box “Run the program in compatibility mode for:” and select one of the operating systems that are in the list.

Another option is to install special settings launch the program. This can be done in the “Parameters” block by checking the box on one of the items:

• low color mode;
• use screen resolution 640 x 480;
• disable image scaling at high screen resolutions;
• run this program as an administrator.

Games with DRM protection installed

Games that have SafeDisc and SecuROM DRM protection do not run on Windows 10. In this case, the user has several options to solve the problem:

1. Use the “no CD” patch, which allows you to run the game without a disc. But this method is the most unsafe. Such patches are developed by third parties, so they often contain a virus that harms the OS.
2. Reorder the game from a digital distribution service.
3. An official patch that removes DRM protection may be available for download on the game manufacturer's website.

Good to know! A difficult option for running such applications is to install an older version in parallel with Windows 10 operating system and run such games on it, or open the application on a virtual machine.

DOS Applications

Old DOS applications can be run in a Windows desktop window. DOSBox is used for this (you can find out how to run Android applications on Windows in the article “8 best Android emulators for running games and applications on Windows 10”). Compared to the command line, this application handles older DOS applications much more efficiently.

16-bit applications

Windows 10 64-bit does not support running 16-bit programs because it does not have the WOW16 compatibility layer. If the user launches such an application on a new OS, a warning appears indicating that it cannot work.

To open such applications, install 32-bit Windows 10 on your computer (read how to do this in the article “How to upgrade to Windows 10?”) or run a virtual machine with this version of the OS. Another option is to install Windows 3.1 in DOSBOX.

Sites requesting Java, Silverlight, ActiveX

Microsoft's new built-in browser, Edge, does not support Java, Silverlight, ActiveX and other technologies. To run applications that require the use of such technologies, you will need Internet browser Explorer. Also use the Mozilla Firefox Internet browser.

Internet Explorer can be found using the search bar by entering the name of the browser in it, or in the Edge menu, where there is an option “Open in Internet Explorer”.

Conclusion

There are several ways to open old applications or games in Windows 10. But the best option– find a similar application that works with modern OS.

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, graphics are becoming more realistic, and gameplay is becoming more sophisticated, but sometimes you want to play something old and painfully familiar, from those times when the gaming industry had not yet entered the assembly line and began churning out dozens of games and hundreds of thousands. When every toy was an event, and each had its own “zest”. Many of these games have become true masterpieces, the popularity of which cannot be matched by modern projects, even sometimes very, very good ones, well-made and of high quality.

And it doesn’t matter what the reason was - either simple nostalgia, or you yourself are still quite young and just want to try what your parents were into during their computer youth. Or maybe you are some kind of fan game series, for example, a space simulator X 3, and were surprised to discover 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 continuations and clones for a variety of operating systems, and is relatively new X 3 only continues the traditions of the gaming legend. There are quite a lot of such series in the world of games - this is SETTLERS, And C&C with his first Red Alert"oh, and the series is about Combat Robots, famous Civilization Sid Meier, and the legendary one DOOM, which is almost the progenitor of all modern shooters. A true fan will definitely decide to go all the way, starting from the very first, still DOS game, that’s why he’s a fan.

However, it doesn’t matter what was the initial impetus, but you got it and downloaded it from the Internet (fortunately, there are plenty of such resources now) or brought an old toy on disk, looking forward to a pleasant evening. And this is where the disappointment begins. The game either does not want to be installed at all, or is installed but does not start or works incorrectly, or works so quickly 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 shouldn’t despair - all these problems have long been solved by other users, and all we can do is tell you about the methods for solving them, and you can read carefully and try.

So let's start by dividing old games 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, therefore for Windows XP and, even more so, for Windows Vista they will flatly refuse to start. However, there is a way out here too.

Running old DOS games on Windows XP and Windows Vista

Among the abundance required 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 missing. But here third-party developers come to our aid; they have created many DOS emulators specifically for these purposes - programs that imitate the functions of the operating system. DOS systems and allowing you to run old DOS applications on 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 main problem For beginners, it may be a lack of skills in working in DOS and unfamiliarity with its text interface. Several graphical shells have been developed especially for such users, offering convenient, intuitive controls. One of these shells - DOG- we invite you to use it.

Download as the emulator itself DOSbox, and the graphical shell for it -DOG- you can from our website. Download links are located at the bottom of the article in the attached files.

After downloading both programs, first install Dosbox (the installation is standard and does not contain any difficulties). Then we launch the DOG shell installer, during installation we indicate to the installer the path to our DOSbox emulator. 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 HDD and launch the emulator. 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. Click OK and start the game double click mice on it.

Sometimes, thanks to fans, old, beloved DOS games are reborn. Try searching on the Internet for a "ported" version of the old game, perhaps someone has already created a version for Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Running old Windows 95/98 games on Windows XP and Windows Vista

With games created for slightly newer Windows 95/98 operating systems, everything is a little simpler. Developers from Microsoft have provided a special utility for this purpose - Compatibility Mode, and if the old toy completely refuses to start under Windows Xp or Vista, you should enable this mode. For this purpose we find executable file game and go to its properties (click right click mouse on the file to select an option Properties). Go to the tab Compatibility. The rest is only in the field Run the program in compatibility mode... check the box next to the required operating system (Windows 95 or another, depending on what operating system the game was developed for). All you have to do is click Apply, close the properties window, and you can launch the toy and enjoy!

A small digression. Sometimes developers of old games create special patches so that their programs can work on new operating systems. This is, for example, what the creators of the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R did, which was originally born under Windows XP and does not want to function normally in Windows Vista. After the patch was released, 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.

Reducing speed in older games

Another problem for old games on new computers can be too high a gameplay speed, because the power of modern computer hardware is many times higher than what old games were designed for. You'll understand what we mean once you experience it yourself. If the game is playing too fast, as if in accelerated mode, you will have to forcefully reduce the power of your computer using special applications. One of the most popular programs for these purposes is CPUKiller, which forcibly reduces the processor frequency. You can also download it from our website (see links to attached files at the bottom of the article).

A short guide to working with CPUKiller

Download CPUKiller and install it. Installation is simple and no different from other programs, just follow the wizard's prompts, install and run.

Beginner users are not recommended to change the program settings; just start using it right away. In the CPUKiller working window 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. A forced reduction in processor frequency will occur 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 these rare toys!

Instructions

Try running the game in compatibility mode. To do this, right-click on the executable game, select "properties", go to the " " tab and check the box next to "run in compatibility mode", not forgetting to indicate below in compatibility mode what exactly you want to run it with.

What to do if the good old games that previously worked on Windows 98, 95 operating systems no longer run on new Windows creations? There are several ways to overcome this problem.

You will need

• - a computer connected to the Internet.

Instructions

Launch the game in compatibility mode for the version of the OS for which it was originally intended. Compatibility Mode is an emulation of earlier versions of Windows operating systems, allowing you to run older games on Vista.

First, determine the operating system required for the game - to do this, look at its system requirements or compare the game's release date with the years of popularity of a particular version of Windows. If the game was released in 1995-1997, then it is Windows 95, if 1998-1999 - Windows 98, if 2000 - perhaps Windows 2000/Me. Well, from 2001 to the present day, this is Windows XP.

Go to the folder where the game was installed to run it in compatibility mode. Typically this is the folder C:/Program Files/Game_or_Program Name. In the game folder, select the executable file to launch the game, its extension should be .exe. Right-click on it and select “Properties” from the context menu.

Next in the window, go to the “Compatibility” tab to install games. Check the box next to the appropriate item to be able to select the operating system for emulation when starting the game. Select the desired version using the drop-down list. Set the items “Use screen resolution 640x480” and “Disable when screen resolution is high.” This will prevent images from stretching on large monitors. Click the "Apply" button.

Go to the game's website if running your old game in Vista compatibility mode is unsuccessful. Perhaps there you will find recommendations or patches and modifications for older games. Another problem that may arise when running old games in Vista is the speed of the gameplay. To run the game, you may need a program that will forcibly reduce the frequency of your processor, for example, CPUKiller.

Video on the topic

Tip 3: What to do if old programs do not work in Windows 7

When does the next generational change in the operating room occur? Windows systems, many users are faced with the fact that familiar programs refuse to run in the new environment. This was the case when switching from XP to Windows 7. However, there are ways to run old programs on the new operating system.

Who needs old programs on Windows 7

The easiest way to get it running necessary programs in a new OS version - update the program version to the latest state. Software developers usually quickly respond to the emergence of the next generation of Windows and release new versions of products.

However, this method does not always work. Some programs are no longer supported by their creators, and new versions are simply not released. This often happens with products from small companies and single programmers. Often the rights to software products are bought by large companies, after which they disappear from the market.

Sometimes programs become worse after the next update and lose useful functionality. This may force users to stay on outdated versions Software and solve compatibility problems with updated hardware and new OS versions.

Compatibility Mode

The easiest way to make old programs work on Windows 7 is to use compatibility mode. To use it, just make a few clicks of the mouse.

Select the program shortcut on your desktop or the exe file in the program folder. Hover your cursor over it and press the right mouse button. In the appeared context menu Click Properties and go to the Compatibility tab. Check the box next to “Run this program in compatibility mode for.” A drop-down menu will become active, in which you can select the version of the OS with which the program you need can work.

Unfortunately, this method does not always work. If selecting compatibility with previous versions of Windows does not help, you can try using other settings in the compatibility tab. For example, run the application in windowed mode, force a low resolution, or limit the color gamut. This may help some very old programs get started.

Compatibility mode can also work in automatic mode. To do this, right-click on the program shortcut and select “Fix compatibility problems” from the menu. A window will appear in which you need to select the “Program Diagnostics” item. Check the required boxes and click “Next”. Select the OS version in which the program was launched. After this, you need to click “Run program”. If it works, save the settings by selecting the appropriate item. Otherwise, refuse to save and try changing the settings.

Running in Windows XP Mode

There is also a more serious tool offered by Microsoft. This is Windows XP Mode, or XP mode. It is a virtual environment in which a full-fledged version of this operating system launches and runs. It can be run as a virtual OS, which allows you to carry out full-fledged work: install and run programs, open files, work with text. If you don't need it, you can use XP Mode as a means to open older programs in Windows 7. To get started in this mode, you just need to select the appropriate shortcut from the Start menu.

This opportunity is not available to all owners of the Microsoft OS, but only to users of the “Professional”, “Corporate” or “Maximum” versions of the “seven”. You need to download from the company website Windows Virtual PC is a free virtual machine that can be used to run XP inside Windows 7. Your computer must comply system requirements, which you can find on the Microsoft website.

In any case, if they were run on Windows 7, there should be no difficulties. Some particularly old programs may not start the first time, but there are several ways to solve this problem.

The tips below apply to a wide variety of applications, from programs for Windows XP and older computer games with DRM protection for applications under DOS and Windows 3.1.

Run as administrator

Many applications written for Windows XP work without problems in modern versions of Windows, but there is one caveat. In Windows times In XP, the average user typically had administrator rights, and applications were designed with this in mind. If you do not have administrator rights, they may not run. The advent of User Account Control put an end to the constant use of programs with administrator rights, and at first this led to certain problems.

If an outdated application does not work correctly, try right-clicking on its shortcut or .exe file and selecting the “Run as Administrator” option. If the program really needs administrator rights, you can configure it so that it always runs as administrator, which is discussed below.

Compatibility Settings

Windows has compatibility settings that allow you to configure normal work legacy applications. To access them, right-click on the application's shortcut or .exe file and select Properties. To get to the shortcut in Windows 10, right-click on the application icon in the Start menu and select the "Open file location" option, and then in the folder that opens, right-click on the application shortcut and select "Properties". Open the Compatibility tab. Here you can use the “Run the compatibility troubleshooter” button or do it yourself.

For example, if an app doesn't run on Windows 10 but worked fine on Windows XP, check the "Run this program in compatibility mode" checkbox and select the "Windows XP Service Pack 3" option. (Service Pack 3)).

You can try other settings. For example, very old games can work if you enable the “Reduced color mode”. And on high-resolution monitors, you can select the option “Disable display scaling on high DPI settings” so that the program looks normal.

32-bit and unsigned drivers

The 64-bit version of Windows 10 uses forced driver signature verification, so you simply cannot install an unsigned driver. In the 32-bit version of Windows 10, this is easier, but new computers with UEFI also require signed drivers. This improves system security and stability by protecting it from untrusted and malicious drivers. Unsigned drivers can only be installed if it is really necessary and their safety is guaranteed.

If old software needs unsigned drivers, you will have to use a special system boot option to install them. If the drivers you need are 32-bit, you will have to, since only 64-bit drivers will work in 64-bit.

Games with DRM protection SafeDisc and SecuROM

Games with SafeDisc and SecuROM DRM protection do not work on Windows 10. These digital rights management technologies are more trouble than they're worth, so it's good that Windows 10 no longer allows them to litter your system. However, for this reason, some old games on CDs and DVDs with such protection, unfortunately, will not launch and work normally.

There may be several ways out: find a “no CD” patch for a specific game (which, however, is potentially very unsafe, since such patches are found on dubious pirate sites); buy the game in the GOG or Steam digital store; or look for the official patch that removes DRM protection on the publisher or developer’s website.

A more advanced option is to install a second, older version on your computer. Windows version in parallel with Windows 10 or try running the game in a virtual machine running more than old version Windows. It is quite possible that the power of the virtual machine will be enough - games with such DRM protection are usually very old and undemanding of modern resources.

Virtual machines for legacy software

Windows 7 had a special " Windows mode XP" is essentially a built-in virtual machine with free Windows license XP. This mode has been removed from Windows 10, but you can implement it yourself.

All you need is a program for creating virtual machines, for example, and a valid Windows XP license. You can install Windows XP in a virtual machine and use it in a separate window inside Windows 10.

The solution is quite resource-intensive and complex, but in most cases it is effective - unless the software that is supposed to be used in this way does not need access directly to equipment and devices. Virtual machines only support a limited number of peripheral devices.

Applications for DOS and Windows 3.1

Materials

Microsoft's strength and, at the same time, curse is its position in terms of its programming. It is aimed at But the fact is that this position only works on some operating systems (OS). So, games that worked properly and without any problems on Windows 7 will also work on Windows 10, but if you take older software or games, then the “top ten” may no longer run them.

This article will talk about how to run an old game on Windows 10 different ways. Everything will be discussed in detail possible options launching software and games, identifying the causes and solutions to the problem.

The game does not start: why?

There are countless reasons for applications not working properly on Windows 10. Of course, they won’t all be sorted out now, but we’ll talk about the most popular ones and find out why the old ones are on

Outdated programming language. The fact is that programs are often completely dependent on administrator rights. This is why old programs and games can run without problems on Windows XP, but simply give an error on a newer version of the OS. But the fact is that since those long ago these rights requests have been changed. This happened for many reasons, one of which was the ease of hacking the software.

Dependence previous versions BY. Most often, due to the programming language, programs use libraries such as NET Framework. And if the program was created in those days when latest version If this library was 3.5, then most likely it will not run on Windows 10, since version 4 is installed on it by default.

16-bit software. Nowadays PC hardware has become much better and almost everyone can afford to install a 64-bit version of Windows. But on this version, 16-bit old games for Windows will not run, since there is no compatibility between them. Although the solution to this problem is not so complicated - you just need to install the 32-bit version.

DOS. In the old days, even before Windows 7, all Microsoft operating systems were installed on top of DOS. Similarly, applications were released under these OSs. But now they will no longer start.

Windows 10 update

Microsoft knows how afraid people are that with subsequent Windows update 10 some of their favorite programs and games may not start. That is why a program was created, the name of which is Upgrade Assistant Windows. This program scans your computer and ultimately makes a verdict on which software will continue to work properly and which will not. Of course, no one gives a 100% guarantee, but it’s still better than updating blindly.

This often happens: the game has stopped working, although your friend is doing well. There may very well be a problem with updating the game itself. For example, when installing a game from a disk and trying to launch it, the OS will throw an error. The solution to this problem is to download patches. Most likely, the developer adapted the game for it with the release of the new OS.

The topic of libraries has already been raised above, but now let’s look at everything in more detail. We will talk about the same NET Framework. If a game or program does not launch on Windows 10, do not rush to delete it. It is quite possible that it was created at a time when the NET Framework version 3.0 was considered top, and you have version 4.5 installed. To solve this problem, simply install the old version.

Administrator rights

We talked about how to run an old game on Windows 10 (if the fault lies with updates), but now let’s move on to the simplest problem. Namely, to the problem of administration.

Often, Windows 10 itself understands when to run a game or program as an administrator, and when it is not required. But in life anything happens, and sometimes the system does not work correctly. To solve this problem, just always try. This is very simple to do; on the program you are launching, you need to right-click (RMB) and select the action of the same name in the context menu.

This problem can also be solved if control is completely removed. However, it is not advisable to perform this action, otherwise problems with the OS itself may occur.

Compatibility issue

How to run an old game on Windows 10 if it is incompatible with it? But you know very well that this game works fine, for example, on Windows XP (Service Pack 3). Don’t rush to change your operating system, the Tens developers have thought of everything.

Typically, such games do not launch due to the fact that they are compatible only with XP, and the programming languages ​​and libraries are also suitable for Windows 10. To troubleshoot problems, simply right-click on the shortcut of the program or game being launched and select “Properties” in the menu. In the window that opens, select the “Compatibility” tab. There, at the top of the window, you can find the “Run the Compatibility Troubleshooter” button. Click on it, after a while the problem will be analyzed, and the OS will solve the problem on its own. From this tab you can also make sure that the game is always launched as an administrator.

DOSBox

Since we are looking at the question of how to run an old game on Windows 10, we cannot ignore such a thing as DOSBox. For those who don’t know, this is a program that emulates the full DOS environment. It is also noteworthy that the emulation takes place in a window.

Therefore, if you have a desire to play, for example, the original DOOM, you do not need to despair and go looking for old PCs. All you need to do is download the program presented above, in addition to it - the game image, and then run it using the program.

This method is not considered out of the ordinary; even the developers themselves use it, as they understand that old games simply will not run in Windows environment 10. So, many old games from Steam are downloaded immediately from DOSBox.

VirtualBox

How to launch an old game on Windows 10 if none of the above methods helped you? The last option is What is this? Something like an emulator, but only the operating system environment itself is emulated.

So, if compatibility is not on your side and the game flatly refuses to start, then by downloading VirtualBox and the image of the OS for which the game is designed, you can install it not on your hardware, but on the program itself. The result will be something like an operating system inside an already installed OS. However, your game will launch this way with ease.

So, in the article we looked at how to run old games on Windows 10 if they flatly refuse to work. All methods have been tested and will not cause any harm to your computer, so if you want to remember your youth and play long-forgotten games, now you know how to do it.