Windows 95 & 3.1

[Gail Rossum]

I am going through a bunch of old games & such from the grandkids & I want
to know if these would download on my computer with Windows XP? Not to savvy
on these things guys!! Thanks all for your replies in advance. I think I
know the answer but I just want to be sure. Oh and what do I do with them,
toss them?

 

[DL]

You can try, some may not install at all, some may run in compatibility mode

 

[Angie Jones]

Hi Gail

There is a feature in Windows XP that allows you to run programs written for
older Windows operating systems in compatibility mode.
Although, there is no compatibility mode for Windows 3.1.
For the Windows 95 games, try installing them in XP and running them as
normal. If you can successfully install the programs but are unable to open
them in XP, right click on the executable file (not a shortcut icon) and
select 'properties' from the menu. In the properties dialog box, click on
the 'Compatibility' tab and select 'Windows 95' from the list.

Be aware however, that compatibility mode should not be used for any disk
utility or antivirus software.

Regards
Angie
MCP, MCDST

 

[Malke]

I am going through a bunch of old games & such from the grandkids & I want
to know if these would download on my computer with Windows XP? Not to
savvy on these things guys!! Thanks all for your replies in advance. I
think I know the answer but I just want to be sure. Oh and what do I do
with them, toss them?

Try them and find out. First try them as usual and if they don't work, try
in Compatibility Mode. Look in XP's Help & Support for "Compatibility Mode"
for details.

You can always use virtualization (Virtual PC is free) and install the older
operating system in a virtual machine. You might need some help from
someone who is more computer-savvy on doing this last thing, though.

Malke

 

[R. McCarty]

Windows XP has a Compatibility Mode parameter you can select
for older programs. It forces the operating system to run the app in
a earlier OS environment. After installing you right click the program
shortcut and modify the properties. Compatibility mode extends back
to include Windows 95, but not Windows 3(.1).

The biggest problem may be just getting the games to load.

Tossing them is an option, but there is a market for old software.
This is especially true if you have the original box for the games. But
the hassles involved in selling them may make the waste bin the best
destination.

 

[philo]

I am going through a bunch of old games & such from the grandkids & I want
to know if these would download on my computer with Windows XP? Not to savvy
on these things guys!! Thanks all for your replies in advance. I think I
know the answer but I just want to be sure. Oh and what do I do with them,
toss them?

I found that most of those old win95 and win3.1 games will work just fine on
XP.

My favorite is Tetris.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I am going through a bunch of old games & such from the grandkids & I want
to know if these would download on my computer with Windows XP?

First, you mean presumably "install," not "download."

Many "old games and such" will install on Windows XP, others will not.
It depends entirely on which they are. There's no way to give you a
definitive answer unless you tell us what they are, and even if you
told us, none of us might know for sure.

The best thing to do is simply to try them. If they won't install, try
again in compatibility mode.

There's at least a fair chance that some of them will install,
although compatibility mode might be required.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The simplest way to run really old software on XP is with Virtual PC. You
must have a copy of Win95 to do so, however. One of the things you may run
into with Win3.1 compatible games is that MSDOS is not in XP. Any games
running on top of MSDOS will likely fail.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

(Hint: newsgroup at microsoft.public.virtualpc)

 

[Tony Meloche]

First, you mean presumably "install," not "download."

Many "old games and such" will install on Windows XP, others will not.
It depends entirely on which they are. There's no way to give you a
definitive answer unless you tell us what they are, and even if you
told us, none of us might know for sure.

The best thing to do is simply to try them. If they won't install, try
again in compatibility mode.

There's at least a fair chance that some of them will install,
although compatibility mode might be required.

You can see you are getting pretty uniform advice here, Gail. I am not
a gamer at all, but I do run on my computer (XP Home, SP2) a half-dozen
different programs I like that were written specifically for Win 95.
All run flawlessly, and without need of compatibility mode - though
compatibility mode is, indeed, a requisite for some old programs to run.

Bottom line: The odds are good, unless they absolutely require MS-DOS,
and it's simply a matter of trying them to see.

Tony

 

[M.I.5¾]

Hi Gail

There is a feature in Windows XP that allows you to run programs written
for older Windows operating systems in compatibility mode.
Although, there is no compatibility mode for Windows 3.1.
For the Windows 95 games, try installing them in XP and running them as
normal. If you can successfully install the programs but are unable to
open them in XP, right click on the executable file (not a shortcut icon)
and select 'properties' from the menu. In the properties dialog box, click
on the 'Compatibility' tab and select 'Windows 95' from the list.

Don't get your hopes up though. I have not encountered a single application
or game that will run under compatibility mode that will not run under
native XP.

 

[Phisherman]

I am going through a bunch of old games & such from the grandkids & I want
to know if these would download on my computer with Windows XP? Not to savvy
on these things guys!! Thanks all for your replies in advance. I think I
know the answer but I just want to be sure. Oh and what do I do with them,
toss them?

Chances are good that some or most will run. It won't hurt your
computer to try. Old games might be fun, especially on older
computers. For modern PCs (less than 5 years old) there are much more
sophisticated games to play. Better not to to toss them but give them
away, donate them, ebay, or sell them for 25 cents each in a garage
sale. I still, on occasion, play IBM Adventure which is a text-based
game, a marvel for its time.