Windows 95 & 3.1

[Guest 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?

[Guest DL]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

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

 

"Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca> wrote in message

news:emoVamhiIHA.2396@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>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?

>

[Guest Angie Jones]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

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

 

"Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca> wrote in message

news:emoVamhiIHA.2396@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>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?

>

[Guest Malke]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

Gail Rossum wrote:

> 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

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com

Don't Panic!

[Guest R. McCarty]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

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.

 

"Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca> wrote in message

news:emoVamhiIHA.2396@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>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?

>

[Guest philo]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

 

"Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca> wrote in message

news:emoVamhiIHA.2396@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> 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.

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:33:10 -0600, "Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca>

wrote:

> 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.

 

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

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.

 

"Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca> wrote in message

news:emoVamhiIHA.2396@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>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?

>

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

(Hint: newsgroup at microsoft.public.virtualpc)

 

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message

news:OYVG7thiIHA.3740@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> 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

> --

> MS-MVP

> Elephant Boy Computers

> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com

> Don't Panic!

[Guest Tony Meloche]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

> On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:33:10 -0600, "Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca>

> wrote:

>

>> 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.

>

 

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

 

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[Guest M.I.5¾]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

 

"Angie Jones" <angie@astromagpies.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message

news:eAwMNthiIHA.968@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> 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.

[Guest User]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

 

"Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message

news:B28EC04E-FC95-455D-8F83-4501EDE41651@microsoft.com...

> 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.

>

> "Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca> wrote in message

> news:emoVamhiIHA.2396@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> >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?

> >

>

 

What games do you plan on running?

 

You could try using DosBox (http://www.dosbox.com)

[Guest Phisherman]

Re: Windows 95 & 3.1

 

On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:33:10 -0600, "Gail Rossum" <mom_bear@shaw.ca>

wrote:

>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.