playing old software

[tigerthecat]

I've got lots of kids games that run on win 98 but i cant install/run on xp - do i hve to bin them all?

[snook]

Not sure if there's a way you can update them, but you could try this: right-click on the file, then click on Properties, go to the Compatibility tab and select the platform the game was made to run on. Haven't tried it but it should work.

Also, you could try freeware games sites (of which there are plenty) and get some more. I think the games companies like to make older games available to the public, since it's good advertising for any new ones they have out. I just Googled and the first one I came up with looked like it had loads of categories, of God knows how many games in each, all freeware. Find it here: http://www.freewaregamer.com/

[halfadaily]

I copied this off the help section in "my computer". This is only part of the section. Most of the software I've got is pre XP and works ok.

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Getting older programs to run on Windows XPMost programs run properly on Windows XP. The exceptions are some older games and other programs that were written specifically for an earlier version of Windows. To run your program on Windows XP, try the following:

Run the Program Compatibility Wizard. As an alternative, you can set the compatibility properties manually.
Update your program, drivers, or hardware.
These options are covered in detail below.

The Program Compatibility Wizard
This wizard prompts you to test your program in different modes (environments) and with various settings. For example, if the program was originally designed to run on Windows 95, set the compatibility mode to Windows 95 and try running your program again. If successful, the program will start in that mode each time. The wizard also allows you to try different settings, such as switching the display to 256 colors and the screen resolution to 640 x 480 pixels.

If compatibility problems prevent you from installing a program on Windows XP, run the Program Compatibility Wizard on the setup file for the program. The file might be called Setup.exe or something similar, and is probably located on the Installation disc for the program.

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[tigerthecat]

thank-you both for your help and advice much appreciated -tiger :-)