Microsoft's strength and 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 in 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Outdated programming language.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. That is why old programs and games can run without problems on Windows XP, and on more new version The OS will simply throw an error. 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 on previous versions BY. Most often, due to the programming language, programs use libraries such as NET Framework. And if the program was created at a time when the latest version of this library was 3.5, then most likely it will not run on Windows 10, since the fourth version is installed 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 operating Microsoft systems 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 NET was considered top Framework versions 3.0, and you have version 4.5 installed. To solve this problem, simply install 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 a button “Run the compatibility troubleshooter.” Click on it, after a while the problem will be analyzed, and the OS will solve it on its own this problem. 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 on Windows 10. Thus, 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 environment itself is emulated operating system.
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.
Good afternoon.
Time moves inexorably forward and, sooner or later, certain programs and games become obsolete. The operating systems in which they worked are also beginning to be replaced en masse with newer ones.
But what about those who want to remember their youth, or who simply need this or that program or game for work that refuses to work in the newfangled Windows 8?
In this article I would like to look at running old programs and games on new computers. Let's look at several methods, including virtual machines, which allow you to run almost any application!
And so, let's begin...
1. Game console emulators
Perhaps the first word in this article should go to game console emulators (Sega, Dendy, Sony PS). These consoles appeared in the 90s and immediately gained wild popularity. They were played by young and old at any time of the year and day!
By the 2000s, the excitement subsided, computers began to appear and somehow everyone forgot about them. But these console games can also be played on a computer by downloading a special program - emulator. Then download the game and open it in this emulator. Everything is quite simple.
By the way! The network is full of emulators for other game consoles. The purpose of this small preview for this article was to show that you can play console games on your computer!
Now let's move from console games to computer games and programs...
2. Launch using Windows OS Compatibility Tools
If a program or game refuses to start or behaves unstable, you can try running it in compatibility mode for a specific OS. Fortunately, the developers themselves built this feature into Windows.
Is it true, over the entire period of use, this method probably helped me out a couple of times out of several hundred launches of problematic applications! Therefore, it’s worth trying, but you can’t believe in 100% success.
1) Right-click on the desired executable program file and select properties. By the way, you can also click on the desktop icon (i.e., shortcut). The effect is the same.
2) Now check the box next to “compatibility mode” and select the OS you want to emulate.
Then save the settings and try to start the program. There is a chance that it will work.
3. Running games and programs in the DOS environment
Even the oldest programs can be run on a modern OS, however, this will require special programs, emulating the DOS environment.
O days of the best DOS emulators in the Windows environment are DOSBox. You can download from of. site
programs.
Installing DOSBox
Installing the program is not difficult. Only I would recommend that when installing, be sure to create an icon (shortcut) of the executable file on the desktop. Check the box next to “Desktop Shortcut”.
Running games in DOSBox
Let's take some old game that needs to be run on Windows8. let it be Sid Meier's turn-based strategy Civilization 1.
If your program requires Windows 98, for example, then you will no longer be able to do without a virtual machine. Next we will talk about them!
4. Running old operating systems in new versions of Windows
It is possible to run any old program on a new OS only using virtual machines. They are ordinary programs that emulate, as it were, the operation of a real computer. Those. It turns out that you can run an OS in Windows 8, for example, Windows 2000. And already in these running old OSs you can run any executable files (programs, games, etc.).
We’ll talk about how to do all this in this section of this article.
4.1. Virtual machine. Installation
This is a free virtual machine that will allow you to run dozens of operating systems on your new computer, from Windows 95 to Windows 7.
The only thing is that this type of program is quite demanding on system resources, so if you want to run Windows 8 on Windows 8, you need to have at least 4 GB.
Works in both 32 and 64 bit systems. The installation takes place in a standard way, personally, I don’t touch any checkboxes, everything is by default.
The only thing I leave a checkbox for is for the installer to create a shortcut on the desktop to launch the program (Create a shortcut on the desktop).
In general, after installing VirtualBox, you can begin installing the OS into it. But more on that below.
4.2. Setting up a virtual machine
Before you begin installing the OS, you need to configure virtual machine.
1) After the first launch in VirtualBox, you can click only one button - “create”. Actually, we press.
5) Virtual hard drive, which you create in this program is a regular image file. It will be located in the folder that you specify during setup.
There are two types of virtual hard disk:
Dynamic: means that the file will grow in size as the disk fills up;
Fixed: The size will be set immediately.
6) This, as a rule, ends the setup of the virtual machine. By the way, you should have a button to start the created machine. It will behave as if you turned on the computer without the OS installed.
4.3. Installing Windows 2000 on a virtual machine
In this post, we will use Windows 2000 as an example. Its installation will not differ much from the installation of Windows Xp, NT, ME.
To start you need to create or download installation disk with this OS. By the way, the image is needed in ISO format(in principle, anyone will do, but with ISO the entire installation procedure will be faster).
1) Start the virtual machine. Everything is simple here and there should be no problems.
2) The second step is to connect our image in ISO format to the virtual machine. To do this, select the item devices/select image optical disk . If the image is joined, then you should see a picture like the one in the screenshot below.
3) Now you need to reboot the virtual machine. This can be done using the command of the same name. See screenshot below.
4) If the image is working and you did everything correctly in the previous 3 steps, you will see a welcome screen and the installation of Windows 2000 will begin.
5) After 2-5 min. (on average) copying installation files, you will be asked to read license agreement, select the disk to install, whether to format it, etc. - in general, everything is the same as during a regular Windows installation.
The only thing. You don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes, because anyway, everything that happens will happen on a virtual machine, which means it won’t harm your main operating system in any way!
4.3. Sharing files with a virtual machine (hard drive connection)
Many users do not experience big problems with installing and specifying basic settings for a virtual machine. But difficulties may begin when you decide to add a file (or, conversely, copy it from the virtual machine disk). Directly, through “edit-copy-paste” the trick will not work...
In the previous section of this article, I personally recommended that you make disk images in VHD format. Why? They can simply be easily connected to Windows 7.8 and work like a regular hard drive!
To do this, we will take several steps...
1) First go to the control panel. Next, go to administration. You can find it, by the way, through a search.
5. Conclusion
In this article, we looked at all the main ways to launch old games and programs: starting with emulators and ending with virtual machines. Of course, it’s a pity that once-favorite applications stop running on new operating systems, and for one favorite game to keep at home old computer- is it justified? Still, it is better to solve this issue programmatically - by setting up the virtual machine once.
Personally, I would not have bothered to figure it out if I had not encountered the fact that the program needed for the calculations was not so ancient and would not refuse to work in Windows XP. I had to install and configure a virtual machine, then install Windows 2000 into it, and then carry out calculations in it...
By the way, how do you launch old programs? Or don't use them at all?
Sometimes old games don't run on modern computers, so they need to be launched via DOSBox emulator, here's a little instruction.
DOSBox: how to use?
To run the game using DOSBox for Windows 7, 8, 10 or XP:
- Download DOSBox for free for your operating system on the official website;
- Install DOSBox. A shortcut will appear on the desktop;
- Download the game if you have not already done so;
- Unpack the downloaded archive, you will get a lot of files. Important: games under DOS are launched by files with the extension *.bat, *.exe, or *.com, each game is different, launch one at a time, I advise you to start with a file whose name contains the name of the game, for example doom.exe;
- Go to the game folder and drag the game launch file directly to the DOSBox shortcut on the Windows desktop. As shown in the picture.
All!!! The game launched and works without problems.
If suddenly the game does not start: check the setup.exe or install.com files - in DOS games the sound was adjusted manually, at that time sound cards were not compatible, you need to run one of these files, select sound card, for example "sound blaster", and save the settings.
List of DOSBox system buttons:
ALT-ENTER - Switch dosbox to full screen
CTRL-F1 - Reassigning buttons
CTRL-F5 - Take a screenshot
CTRL-F6 - Start/stop recording sound to a wave file
CTRL-ALT-F5 - Start/Stop creating a video from the screen (capture video and record in avi)
CTRL-F9 - Close DosBox
CTRL-F10 - Grab/Release mouse
CTRL-F11 - Slow down game speed
CTRL-F12 - Increase game speed
Pressing ALT-F12 (Remove speed limit (turbo button)) speeds up the game to its maximum speed. Acceleration continues as long as the combination is pressed. It can be very useful for skipping through screensavers and speeding up the wait, even if the game does not provide this. Unfortunately the combination is not very stable. The most common symptom with such acceleration is the subsequent disappearance of sound.
On modern versions of operating systems, it is not always possible to run old programs and games. This is a big problem - after all, quality software, which is already outdated, there are a lot of .
At the same time, a large number of users simply do not want to switch to updated versions, explaining this by their habit of the old interface, functions and design. What to do in this case?
You need to learn how to run old programs and games on Windows 8. This guide will help you with that.
Firstly, old programs and games were created for versions of operating systems that were popular at that time, and were not designed for use at a later time. The code was written using technologies that were current at the time. Now it is outdated or has undergone major changes.
Another reason is that Windows 8 doesn't include many of the features that were used to make older programs work. For example, early versions of Framework libraries.
But there are several ways to run an old application on the latest ones Windows versions
Using virtual machines
Virtualization allows us to solve this problem. Let's look at it with an example.
Let's say we need to run a program that only worked on Windows XP.
First, let's prepare the virtual machine.
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
You must have Windows image XP - find and download a suitable ISO file online.
Install VurtualBox and create a virtual machine for Windows XP using the prepared system image.
Now all you have to do is install the old game or application on a virtual machine running Windows XP, and you can use it.
Windows 8 update
Problems with launching some programs and games can be resolved by updating the Windows operating system. A striking example is the installation of older versions of Framework libraries.
Activating Framework Libraries
Go to " Control Panel"Windows 8, find and go to menu" Programs and components". A window will open with a list installed programs. In the left navigation menu, click on the " Enable or disable Windows components ". In the window that appears, check the box next to ".NET Framework 3.5", then "OK".
Windows Update
Software manufacturers that update their products release patches for Windows 8 that make it possible to run older versions of programs. You just need to find the appropriate update and install it on your computer.
A striking example is the update, without which games from Market Place will not launch.
Using DOSBox
If you need to run an application or game that was designed for use on the DOS operating system, you should use the DOSBox program. This full emulator, which is similar in principle to virtual VirtualBox machines, but is only used for DOS emulation.
In earlier versions of Windows, security features and file access levels were not as well thought out. Most often, any user had all the necessary set of privileges and rights. In Windows 8, this issue has been well addressed, and now most important system and user files require an extended set of rights for correct operation.
This also applies to old programs that you are trying to run on Windows 8. If you do not have this level of privileges, you will not succeed.
The run as administrator function will help fix the problem - it allows you to launch the desired program or file with all the required level of rights in one click.
Find a file or shortcut to run the desired program. Right-click on it and click "" in the context menu.
The operating system may ask an additional question whether you really want to run the file in this mode - agree.
This method often works and allows you to run problematic old applications.
Compatibility Mode
This is the last method that we will consider in this material.
The Windows 8 operating system has a special mode for launching programs and games, which activates the basic settings and parameters necessary for the correct operation of outdated versions of software. Using this mode allows you to fix startup problems.
How to activate it? Find a shortcut or file to launch the program. Call context menu, then "Properties", and the "Compatibility" tab.
In the "Compatibility" block, check the box " Run the program in compatibility mode", and select the desired operating system version from the list.
Then "Apply" and "OK". After that, try to run the program.
Conclusion
The methods discussed above allow you to fix most of the problems that arise when you try to run old programs and games on Windows 8. If more than one method does not help you, try contacting the developer. You can also ask your questions in our VKontakte group.
Why look for information on other sites if everything is collected here?
Games and programs for Windows XP run without problems in the new version of the 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 launch, 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 more than early version 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 set special program launch settings. 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:
- 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.
- Reorder the game from a digital distribution service.
- An official patch that removes DRM protection may be available for download on the game manufacturer's website.
Good to know! Difficult launch option similar applications– install an older version of the operating system in parallel with Windows 10 and run such games on it, or open the application on a virtual machine.
DOS Applications
Old DOS applications can be launched in the desktop window Windows environment. DOSBox is used for this (you can find out how to run Android applications on Windows in the article “”). Compared to this application, it 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 “”) or launch 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 a browser Internet 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 is to find a similar application that works with modern OS.
