Do any games work on XP

[MadGamer]

although i do use my laptop for work, i play games on it
more. what annoys me so much is that most games don't work
on winXP

examples:
worms2
One must fall
total annihilation
red alert 1
red alert 2

there are others, too many to list. but WHY doesnt
microsoft realise XP is not the platform for gamers, or do
something to fix this

(i have tried using the compatibility settings, they do not
work) i have also got the application compatilbility
updates from windows update, they don't work either

the problem also extends to various old applications i like
using, and i've had to invest in office XP (as im a
student, i get it cheap, but I don't like it, i preferred
office 95, many of whose features don't work on the XP
platform.

does anyone know any ways to fix it so these games will work?

 

[Chris H.]

Could it be a problem with your graphics setup on the laptop, rather than
the operating system? Not all laptops are created to be gaming platforms,
and are severely crippled in the graphics setup. I know I can't play a
whole lot of games on mine that I can on the desktop.

BTW - If you have a chance, take a look at Office 2003:
www.office.microsoft.com and even take advantage of the trial offer. It is
very much improved over Office 97.

 

[John L]

I have XP Home and with my son often play Red Alert 1 and
2 and Worms2 without any difficulty. We installed the
games using the compatibiity settings. No Problem! You
need to tweak your laptop graphic and audio settings.

 

[Jim]

im not trying to be funny, but the whole office XP and
above style just doesnt work for me. The best version is
2000, which we have at work, we did get XP, but so many of
us complained, (mostly about performance), that they had to
change it back.

N.B. do you know where i can pick up a good desktop, with a
decent, heat-conductive, good-looking case, with win2k pro?

if it works out quite a bit cheaper, i can build it myself,
but if you know anywhere?

thanks, Jim

 

[Guest]

Have you thought about partioning the hard drive and
installing a second operating system ie windows98 then
just select if you want to run xp or 98 at start up
problem solved.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

I'm able to run Red Alert 2 without the compatibility mode.

Y.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

One major problem with most older games is that the game need to have
complete access to the Windows system. Therefore, most older games need to
be installed, and ran from, with an administrator type enable user. The
limited accounts just don't seem to allow the older games to work, with out
setting up a special access to the game with "Run as".

Y.

 

[Jimmy S.]

Red Alert 1 needs to be installed using Compatibility mode.
For some reason, the game checks for the Windows version
and if it doesn't find 95/98/Me it refuses to install giving an
error message indicating that the Windows version is wrong.

Setting it to W98 in the Compatibility tab fixed that right up.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________

| I'm able to run Red Alert 2 without the compatibility mode.
|
| Y.
|
|
| | > I have XP Home and with my son often play Red Alert 1 and
| > 2 and Worms2 without any difficulty. We installed the
| > games using the compatibiity settings. No Problem! You
| > need to tweak your laptop graphic and audio settings.
| >
| > >-----Original Message-----
| > >although i do use my laptop for work, i play games on it
| > >more. what annoys me so much is that most games don't work
| > >on winXP
| > >
| > >examples:
| > >worms2
| > >One must fall
| > >total annihilation
| > >red alert 1
| > >red alert 2
| > >
| > >there are others, too many to list. but WHY doesnt
| > >microsoft realise XP is not the platform for gamers, or do
| > >something to fix this
| > >
| > >(i have tried using the compatibility settings, they do
| > not
| > >work) i have also got the application compatilbility
| > >updates from windows update, they don't work either
| > >
| > >the problem also extends to various old applications i
| > like
| > >using, and i've had to invest in office XP (as im a
| > >student, i get it cheap, but I don't like it, i preferred
| > >office 95, many of whose features don't work on the XP
| > >platform.
| > >
| > >does anyone know any ways to fix it so these games will
| > work?
| > >.
| > >
|
|

 

[Arnfiin Haraldsen]

No its a workaround to close all programs and reboot, and to install win98,
it overwrites the boot sector and files of windowsXP so then I'll have to
reinstall XP too.

I have problems with One must fall, i set it to SB16 Port 200 IRQ 5 DMA 1
(as i hear is XPs dos emulation) but i get heavy echo effects and it drops
to desktop if i choose 1 player game.

I'd hope to have some fun with my friend who also loved that game, but i
guess i ended up spending lots of time not getting it to work.


I bet Amiga users still can run the oldest games just fine, whats so hard to
emulate DOS??? MS have the source for DOS and SDK etc etc.

 

[Arnfiin Haraldsen]

no, no programs get access directly to hardware even as administrator. They
get it thorugh api calls and DX.

With complete access to system, just emulate DOS, let the prgoram think it
have complete access to a plain old pentium 90 with DOS and a SB16, how hard
can it be? look at VMWare, it can fool a complete OS.

Seems to me MS doesnt bother enough, theres legacy sound emulators out there
that do a better job it seem.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

I did not say "complete access to the hardware" but "complete access to
Windows system" . Limited user accounts do not have the complete access to
Windows.

MS has dropped support for DOS.

Also VMWare is now owned Microsoft??

Y.

 

[Chris H.]

Virtual PC is now owned by Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/virtualpc/ Microsoft acquired this
technology from Connectix Corporation and released Microsoft Virtual PC
2004, the next generation of the Connectix Virtual PC for Windows product,
was released on December 2, 2003.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[Bill]

Build another computer. Keep your current one, all "high
spec, looking good and doing nothing", and use your second
one for DOS. Mine has sat there from the days of running
Win3.1 from DOS, and when you wanted to do something
useful, go back into DOS. I still swear by the Word
Document Editors of DOS, not to mention the way lemmings
runs!
As you can see, my priorities do not lie in doing work!

 

[Jimmy S.]

You have a very good sense of priorities Bill. <g>

Cheers!
Jimmy.

| Build another computer. Keep your current one, all "high
| spec, looking good and doing nothing", and use your second
| one for DOS. Mine has sat there from the days of running
| Win3.1 from DOS, and when you wanted to do something
| useful, go back into DOS. I still swear by the Word
| Document Editors of DOS, not to mention the way lemmings
| runs!
| As you can see, my priorities do not lie in doing work!
|
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >although i do use my laptop for work, i play games on it
| >more. what annoys me so much is that most games don't work
| >on winXP
| >
| >examples:
| >worms2
| >One must fall
| >total annihilation
| >red alert 1
| >red alert 2
| >
| >there are others, too many to list. but WHY doesnt
| >microsoft realise XP is not the platform for gamers, or do
| >something to fix this
| >
| >(i have tried using the compatibility settings, they do
| not
| >work) i have also got the application compatilbility
| >updates from windows update, they don't work either
| >
| >the problem also extends to various old applications i
| like
| >using, and i've had to invest in office XP (as im a
| >student, i get it cheap, but I don't like it, i preferred
| >office 95, many of whose features don't work on the XP
| >platform.
| >
| >does anyone know any ways to fix it so these games will
| work?
| >.
| >

 

[Guest]

I guess Bill's way of doing it with running DOS for his DOS software is the only way to go, then!

It probably is so with Win9x applications as well then...