How to start safe mode on a computer running Windows XP? How to run old games on Windows XP and Windows Vista How to run programs from xp on windows 7

Many of us remember the good old games that we played at the dawn of computer technology, and which we often think about today.

Technologies are growing and developing, graphics are becoming more realistic, and gameplay is becoming more sophisticated, but sometimes you want to play something old and painfully familiar, from those times when the gaming industry had not yet entered the assembly line and began churning out dozens of games and hundreds of thousands. When every toy was an event, and each had its own “zest”. Many of these games have become true masterpieces, the popularity of which cannot be matched by modern projects, even sometimes very, very good ones, well-made and of high quality.

And it doesn’t matter what the reason was - either simple nostalgia, or you yourself are still quite young and just want to try what your parents were into during their computer youth. Or maybe you are a fan of some game series, for example, a space simulator X 3, and were surprised to discover that the universe " X", it turns out, did not begin with the advent of the very first X, and much earlier - with the appearance of the legendary ELITE, which was born back in the 80s of the last century and since then has undergone several dozen reincarnations in various continuations and clones for a variety of operating systems, and is relatively new X 3 only continues the traditions of the gaming legend. There are quite a lot of such series in the world of games - this is SETTLERS, And C&C with his first Red Alert"oh, and the series is about Combat Robots, famous Civilization Sid Meier, and the legendary one DOOM, which is almost the progenitor of all modern shooters. A true fan will definitely decide to go all the way, starting from the very first, still DOS game, that’s why he’s a fan.

However, it doesn’t matter what was the initial impetus, but you took it out and downloaded it from the Internet (fortunately, there are plenty of such resources now) or brought an old toy on disk, looking forward to a pleasant evening. And this is where the disappointment begins. The game either does not want to be installed at all, or is installed but does not start or works incorrectly, or works so quickly that it is not possible to somehow curb this process. The process of incomplete compatibility of old programs with Windows XP and Vista appears before us “in all its glory.” But you shouldn’t despair - all these problems have long been solved by other users, and all we can do is tell you about the methods for solving them, and you can read carefully and try.

So let's start by dividing old games into two categories: games for the DOS platform and slightly more modern ones for the Windows 95/98 platform. The first type, games for DOS, were created for a completely different type operating system, therefore, under Windows XP and, even more so, under Windows Vista they will flatly refuse to start. However, there is a way out here too.

Running old DOS games on Windows XP and Windows Vista

Among the abundance of necessary functions and a whole bunch of useless features of modern operating systems, the function we need to launch DOS applications in Windows XP and Windows Vista is completely missing. But here third-party developers come to our aid, who have created many DOS emulators specifically for these purposes - programs that imitate the functions of the DOS operating system and allow you to run old DOS applications in modern OSes. One of the most popular and widespread emulators has become DOSbox(dosbox.sourceforge.net). The program is quite simple and does not require much effort to master, but the main problem for beginners may be the lack of DOS skills and unfamiliarity with its text interface. Several graphical shells have been developed especially for such users, offering convenient, intuitive controls. One of these shells - DOG- we invite you to use it.

Download as the emulator itself DOSbox, and the graphical shell for it -DOG- you can from our website. Download links are located at the bottom of the article in the attached files.

After downloading both programs, first install Dosbox (the installation is standard and does not contain any difficulties). Then we launch the DOG shell installer, during installation we indicate to the installer the path to our DOSbox emulator. That's it, now we can easily run old DOS games in Windows XP and Windows Vista using an emulator equipped with a convenient graphical interface.

Copy the desired game to your hard drive and launch the emulator. Find the control panel and the button in it Profiles -> New Profile. Click, enter the name of the game in the field Profile Name. Next click Select after the EXE file name. Click OK and launch the game by double clicking on it.

Sometimes, thanks to fans, old, beloved DOS games are reborn. Try searching on the Internet for a "ported" version of the old game, perhaps someone has already created a version for Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Running old Windows 95/98 games on Windows XP and Windows Vista

With games created for slightly newer Windows 95/98 operating systems, everything is a little simpler. Developers from Microsoft have provided a special utility for this purpose - Compatibility Mode, and if the old toy completely refuses to start under Windows Xp or Vista, you should enable this mode. For this purpose, find the executable file of the game and go to its properties (right-click on the file and select the option Properties). Go to the tab Compatibility. The rest is only in the field Run the program in compatibility mode... check the box next to the required operating system (Windows 95 or another, depending on what operating system the game was developed for). All you have to do is click Apply, close the properties window, and you can launch the toy and enjoy!

A small digression. Sometimes developers of old games create special patches so that their programs can work on new operating systems. This is, for example, what the creators of the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R did, which was originally born under Windows XP and does not want to function normally in Windows Vista. After the patch was released, all problems were resolved. If you managed to find a similar patch for your toy, install the game first, then the patch and play. If the developers have tried, you will be able to enjoy the process.

Reducing speed in older games

Another problem for old games on new computers can be too high a gameplay speed, because the power of modern computer hardware is many times higher than what old games were designed for. You'll understand what we mean once you experience it yourself. If the game is playing too fast, as if in accelerated mode, you will have to forcefully reduce the power of your computer using special applications. One of the most popular programs for these purposes is CPUKiller, which forcibly reduces the processor frequency. You can also download it from our website (see links to attached files at the bottom of the article).

A short guide to working with CPUKiller

Download CPUKiller and install it. Installation is simple and no different from other programs, just follow the wizard's prompts, install and run.

Beginner users are not recommended to change the program settings; just start using it right away. In the CPUKiller working window you will see a graph of the processor and a scale with a slider just below. In order to reduce the frequency, you need to move the slider to the desired percentage and press Start. A forced reduction in processor frequency will occur immediately. Minimize the CPUKiller window and play. To turn off just press Stop.

The program can be used without any fear, turned on or off at any convenient time and for any period.

We hope that you will no longer have problems running old games under Windows XP or Windows Vista, and you will have a great time enjoying these rare toys!

Both confident PC users and those who are just beginning to learn the basics of computer science are equally not immune to problems with their favorite device. However, you can solve many of the problems that arise by booting the operating system in safe mode. In this case, it is enough to undo the last actions performed on the computer - and it will work as it should. However, if for some it is a simple way out of a difficult situation, for others it is a new serious problem. What about on a PC running Windows XP? Let's figure it out.

Method number 1: Start Windows XP in safe mode using the “Run” command

What should I do if a computer problem was identified before it was turned off? For example, after checking with an anti-virus program, mountains of viruses “came from nowhere” were discovered, which simply interfere with work. Is it possible in this case to start the PC in safe mode without leaving Windows systems XP? Still would! To do this, just use the “Run” utility installed on your computer.

To begin, look for the “Start” button on the taskbar and click on it with the left mouse button, or find the icon on the keyboard and click on it. Now in the “Start” menu we look for the “Run” tab and similarly click on it to open it:

In the system window that appears, enter the value in the empty field msconfig and confirm your choice either by pressing Enter on the keyboard or by clicking the mouse on the OK option proposed by the system:

As a result, the “System Settings” window will appear:

At the top of the open system window, find the BOOT.INI tab and left-click on it. In this section, in the boot options, check the box next to SAFEBOOT and, depending on the desired option next to Minimal, Network or Minimal (AlternateShell).

What is the difference? In the first case, Windows XP with basic settings; in the second - with access to network drivers; in the third - with the ability to use command line. However, regardless of which option you like, to confirm the settings made in Windows XP at the bottom of the tab, you need to click OK or “Apply”:

In the next window, select the “Reboot” option:

After this, the “Safe Mode” option will be set on the computer and Windows XP will automatically reboot in the selected safe mode, notifying you about this immediately after full load the appearance of the corresponding system window:

After loading safe mode, the following warning will appear; here you should click “Yes” to continue working in this mode

In order to save the “Safe Mode” option in response to a system message, left-click on the “Yes” option or press Enter on the keyboard. A few minutes and the computer is ready to use. As you can see, nothing complicated!

Method number 2: Launch safe mode while booting Windows XP

Perhaps this is the most famous and widely used method by users that will help you quickly launch Windows computer XP in safe mode. How to use it? Just!

To do this, turn on the computer as usual by pressing the power button, and immediately until the window appears Windows boot XP, continuously press the F8 or F4 button on the keyboard for 3–5 seconds. As a result, the Windows menu should appear:

  • basic mode: the main components of Windows XP will be loaded;
  • with support for network drivers;
  • with command line access.

After selecting a mode, press Enter to confirm it. As a result, the system will log in in safe mode.

What to do if Windows XP does not start Safe Mode?

Sometimes it happens that no matter how hard you try, the computer will not want to start in safe mode using any known method. The reason for this problem is naively simple - viruses have damaged Windows registry. In this case, there are two options:

  • restore the computer (system rollback);
  • install special programs on your PC.

If you took care of an archival copy, that's great. However, if there is nothing to restore the system from, then the best option in this case is to download and install it on your PC free program SafeMode Repair or SafeBootKeyRepair. With their help, you can “reanimate” damaged registry key values ​​and, accordingly, start safe mode on the computer after rebooting. The main thing is not to forget to promptly check your favorite device for viruses after solving the problem!

As you can see, there are various ways to start Windows XP on a PC in safe mode. Choose the option that suits you best and troubleshoot problems quickly and efficiently!


Old games on Windows 7. When switching to Windows 7, there are many new features, but also quite a few problems. The first problem a novice user faces is setting up the program.

Those who have previously worked with Windows XP find it much more difficult to adapt to the new interface and settings than those who immediately start working on a new system. But some time passes and those who previously worked in the old system realize that everything is not as bad as it seemed at first. Even many old games run perfectly on Windows 7. For example, my favorite toy Lara Croft (Tomb Raider 1), which was installed in DOS, is doing well. You just need to know how to do it. There is nothing complicated about this. Just enable compatibility mode.

How to run old games onWindows 7

I am sure that many people still have old games that evoke nostalgia for those times when there was no such opportunity as playing online. But what times those were...

I myself used to play all night long, despite the fact that I had to go to work in the morning.

My favorite games were and are: Immortality, Tomb Raider (from the first to the fifth versions), Alice through the looking glass, The Seventh Guest, Podarochek, and many others no less interesting.

I still treasure over two hundred game discs. Even now I sometimes indulge in the pleasure of playing. But if I sit down, it’s better not to touch me.

After such retreats from everyday life, I feel much better both mentally and physically.

In vain, many parents think that games are just games. Thanks to games, my daughter learned almost everything on the computer and became a programmer.

Previously, just installing a toy sometimes required skills at the programmer level. This was especially true for games written under DOS. Now I clicked on the installation file or button and everything was installed and started automatically.

And I remember how we installed the game Seventh guest in Windows 98. That's where the puzzle was. Everything is in English, a bunch of files and nothing is clear what is happening. Then Windows XP appeared, and some games simply could not be installed. Then we learned to install two systems in parallel. One for the old games - Millennium, and one for the new Piggy.

For a long time we did not want to switch to the new Vista and Windows 7 systems, but now we are new computer You can’t install XP because it was discontinued and there are no drivers for it on new equipment, but you want to play old games.

Now the seven has improved, and it is now possible to run old games and programs. We'll talk about how to do this now.

How to run old games onWindows 7?

To do this, we need to enable Windows 7 compatibility mode.

Right-click on the program or game shortcut and select the entry from the drop-down list - Properties .

  • In the window that opens, go to the tab Compatibility .

  • Check the box next to the entry Run the program in compatibility mode for:
  • In the drop-down list below, select Windows version, with which your program or game worked normally before;
  • Below in Parameters you can configure:
  1. Use 256 colors . This mode is suitable for very old programs or games that ran under DOS or Windows 98.
  2. Use screen resolution 640 x 480 . Also used for very early versions of operating systems.
  3. Disable visuals . Use this mode if you experience problems with menus or icons in windows.
  4. Disable desktop composition . This is the mode to turn off transparency and row visual effects. Turn it on only if you have problems displaying the interface of games or programs.
  5. Disable image scaling on high screen resolutions . This mode is used when there are problems with disproportionate window sizes or incorrect display of fonts in the program.

Permission level used only if it is necessary for the program to be run only under administrator rights. For the settings to take effect for all users of this computer, click the button Change settings for all users .

After all changes, click the button Apply And OK .

This enables compatibility mode in Windows 7 , and old games and programs are launched.

Do you want everything Windows settings 7 were at your fingertips, then read:

Video How to run old games on Windows 7.

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:

  1. Download DOSBox for free for your operating system on the official website;
  2. Install DOSBox. A shortcut will appear on the desktop;
  3. Download the game if you have not already done so;
  4. 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 by one, I advise you to start with a file whose name contains the name of the game, for example doom.exe;
  5. Go to the game folder and drag the game launch file directly to the DOSBox shortcut on your desktop 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 a 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.

We all remember the good old games that we played at the dawn of the development of high computer technologies and which are sometimes so lacking today. The graphics, gameplay, and software capabilities of the gaming industry have been expanded and developed, but sometimes you want to take a break from all this abundance and play something old and familiar. This is where a catch awaits us - old games do not run on new operating systems, run too quickly, or do not want to be installed at all. What to do if you want to play, but the game does not start. This article will help you solve this problem and tell you how to run old games or slow down their speed.

How to install and download old games

So, let's look at acceptable options for “revitalizing” old games that, due to invincible nastiness, we wanted to play. Old games can be roughly divided into two categories: games for the DOS platform and more modern games for the Windows 95/98 platform. The first type, games for DOS, were created for a completely different type of operating system, so they will flatly refuse to run under Windows XP and, even more so, under Windows Vista. However, there is always a way out and we will tell you how to run an old DOS game on the Windows XP/Vista platform.

How to run old DOS games on Windows XP/Vista

Download DOSbox emulator - DOS emulator for XP, DOS emulator for Vista
Download GUI for DOSbox - DOG

To ensure that lovers of the good old toys do not get bored in the latest operating systems amid the abundance of functions and useless features, many DOS emulators have been developed. A DOS emulator is a program that simulates the functions of the DOS operating system, allowing you to run old games in Windows XP and Windows Vista. Learning how to use the program does not require any special skills or knowledge, so you can install, configure and launch your favorite rare game as quickly as possible. One of the most common DOS emulators is DOSbox (dosbox.sourcefprge.net). The main problem for novice users may be unfamiliarity with the DOS operating system, namely its text interface, however, in this case there is a ready-made solution. To simplify the process of working in the emulator, a special graphical shell was developed, that is, an intuitive interface - DOG. For installation DOG, need to install Dosbox, then run the installation file and point the installer to the path to your DOSbox emulator. Now you can easily run old DOS games in Windows XP and Windows Vista using the Dosbox emulator, equipped with a convenient DOG graphical interface. Copy the desired game to HDD and launch the emulator. Find the control panel and the button on it Profiles - New Profile and enter the name of the game in the field Profile Name. Next click Select after the file name with EXE. Click OK and launch the game by double clicking on it.

Download the DOSbox emulator and GUI DOG you can from our website using the appropriate links.

Some old DOS games that were beloved by the public back in the day have been reincarnated for new operating systems thanks to enthusiasts and fans. Try searching on the Internet for a “ported” version of the old game, perhaps someone has already created a version for Windows XP or Windows Vista.

How to run old Windows 95/98 games on Windows XP/Vista

With games created for newer Windows 95/98 operating systems, but those. who still do not want to run under Windows control Xp or Vista, Microsoft developers have provided a very useful feature. In the Windows XP/Vista operating systems, there is a special utility that allows you to run old programs and games in compatibility mode with the new OS. In order to enable compatibility mode, you need to find the downloadable game file and go to its properties (right-click on the file - properties). Go to the tab Compatibility and check the box next to Run the program in compatibility mode for... Select operating system Windows 95(or another, depending on what OS the application was developed for) and the apply button. Now launch the old game and enjoy!

Developers of older games often resort to developing patches for new types of operating systems. Patch(in this case) is an add-on program that allows you to run an old game in Windows Xp or Vista. Install the game, download its patch and install it in the desired directory. If the developers have done their best, you will be able to fully enjoy the game.

This is what the developers of the domestic game did, for example. S.T.A.L.K.E.R, developed for the Windows XP operating system. The game refused to launch or worked incorrectly in the newer Windows Vista OS, after which the developer company released a patch for the game in the newer operating system.

Reducing speed in older games

Download CPUkiller

Another problem with older games on new PCs can be the speed of gameplay. After all, the gigahertz of modern processors is growing every day, thereby forcing some old games to run much faster than expected. You will understand what we mean when you encounter this. If your game is running too fast, like it's in overdrive, you'll need a program that will force your CPU to slow down. One of the most popular programs of this kind is CPUKiller. It is very easy to use and compact. Download CPUKiller- a program that reduces the processor frequency, you can from our website.

Instructions for using CPUKiller

First of all, you need to download CPUKiller and install it. Installing CPU Killer is quite simple and is no different from installing regular programs - the installation wizard will greet you and ask you to specify the installation folder. Follow the wizard's prompts and run the program.

Beginner PC users are not recommended to change the program settings, so let's move straight to using it. On the program screen you see a graph of the processor's operation, as well as a scale with a slider below. To reduce the processor frequency, you should move the slider the desired amount of percent to the right and click Start. After this, the program will immediately force the processor frequency to decrease CPUKiller. Roll up the window and play! To turn off just press Stop.

As you can see, the program can be used safely and without fear, and can also be turned on or off at any convenient time and for the desired period.

We hope you don't have any problems running old games on Windows XP or Windows Vista and have a great time playing the old one Commandos or UFO.


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