Windows secrets for beginners. How to run old games on Windows XP and Windows Vista. How to start safe mode on a computer running Windows XP? Running under windows xp

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, many of the problems that arise can be solved by downloading 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 the 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 work. 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!

One of the most popular operating systems, despite the release of Windows 10, is Windows 7. It is what users prefer. However, some programs, mainly office ones, and games work correctly on Windows XP. You have to install a second operating system. However, if the PC is weak or has a limited amount of hard drive memory, this option is not the best. Therefore, you can try to emulate this operating system with using Windows XP Mode.

What is Windows XP Mode?

Windows mode XP Mode runs on the Windows 7 operating system as a virtual machine and as a means of opening some programs. Windows XP Mode starts in a separate working window and when you turn on the PC, it is displayed in the list of “Seven” programs. It can be compared to a program, but this will not be correct, since this is a full-featured version of Windows XP. In it you can create and save documents, surf the Internet, access services and programs, and use a CD-DVD drive.

What do you need to know before installing XP Mode?

Before installing Windows XP Mode on your PC, it is worth double-checking whether your computer meets the following requirements:

• Operating system Windows 7 Ultimat, Professional or Enterprise build;
• Support for hardware virtualization. You can check your PC for this parameter using the Microsoft utility.

Virtual machine with XP mode does not work in Windows versions 7 Home builds. However, this does not mean that you cannot install it.

Installing XP Mode on Windows 7

Go to the Microsoft website using the link and select Windows 7 Professional as your operating system. You should not set Home, as the site will not allow you to download the installation file for Windows XP Mode. Next, select the language and click “Download”.

After downloading, you should download Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode update. They need to be installed in this order:

• Windows XP Mode;
• Virtual PC;
• Windows XP Mode update.

There is no need to change the installation order to avoid causing errors. If during installation an error appears: “This update is not applicable to your computer,” it means that you have selected the operating system incorrectly.

The error “Unable to start Windows Virtual PC because hardware-assisted virtualization is disabled” can be ignored. This can be solved by installing Windows XP Mode.

After installing all three packages, you need to restart your PC. The mode will be set. However, it will not be possible to launch it from the Start menu. To fix this “problem”, you should go to the “C” drive, then to the “Program Files”, “Windows XP Mode” folder.

Find the file “Windows XP Mode base.vhd” in the folder and right-click on it. Select “Properties”. Go to the “Security” tab and click “Advanced”.

In the additional settings window, you need to open the “Owner” tab. The default will be “System”. Click “Change”.

In the next window, select your current Windows account.

A notification will appear informing you that you have been granted rights to the file.

We return to “Advanced options”. Go to the “Permissions” tab. Select “All” and click “Change”.

In the next window we perform the same actions.

We set the checkboxes for full access.

In the new window, click “Create” virtual machine" Set its name and click “Next”. Then set the volume random access memory and click “Next”. In the next window, select “Use an existing hard drive” and indicate the path to Windows XP Mode base.vhd, which is located in the “C” drive, the “Program Files” folder. Then click “Create”.

Now reboot the PC. Windows Emulator XP will work for a while because it is not activated.

One of Microsoft's greatest strengths—and its weakness—is its focus on backwards compatibility. Most Windows applications will run fine on Windows 8. This is especially true if they ran on Windows 7, since Windows 8 is very similar to its predecessor.

Solution to the problem:

Older games and software, particularly those designed for older operating systems, including XP and Win 98 or DOS, may not function properly. Regardless of the software you're dealing with, whether it's a PC game or business software, searching Google for the name of the game followed by "Windows 8" or the exact error message you're receiving will likely help resolve it. problem. The tips below apply to different types of software, but searching additional information, regarding your specific program, is always a good alternative.

Why may games and programs be incompatible?

There are many reasons why an application may not work properly on Windows 8.

Bad programming: Some programs may be dependent on administrator rights, work fine on XP, but have problems when launched as a regular user on newer versions. Some, for example, depend on requests from earlier versions of Windows, which have since been removed in new versions of the OS because they were associated with cases of application hacking.

Dependency on older software versions: The software may use older libraries, such as NET Framework version 3.5, which is not installed by default on Windows 8.

16-bit software: 64-bit versions of Windows no longer have compatibility for 16-bit Windows applications. If you have a 16-bit application written for 3.1, you need to use the 32-bit version of Windows 8 to run it.

DOS: Windows 8, like all versions after XP, no longer runs on top of DOS. While some DOS programs still work, advanced software written for DOS—such as DOS computer games—does not work in the Windows Command Prompt environment.

Before updating

Microsoft offers some information you may want to review before upgrading. You can download and run Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, which will scan your computer and tell you whether games, software, and hardware will run properly on Windows 8. Of course, the app is not 100% guaranteed, but it does provide some useful information.

Software update

If the game does not work on Windows 8, you must update it to the latest version and install all available patches. For example, an old game installed from a disk may not work on Windows 8, but the game developer may well have released a patch that allows the game to run on new versions of the OS. For example, many Windows Live games do not work properly until an update is installed.

You may also need older libraries needed to run the software. For example, Windows 8 includes the .NET Framework version 4.5. If you see an error related to the .NET Framework, you should go to Control Panel and install the .NET Framework 3.5 package, which will ensure that software that is dependent on NET 3.5, 3.0, or 2.0 will run.

Run as administrator

Launching a problematic application can be quite simple; sometimes running as an administrator is enough to do this. Windows, as a rule, independently determines if an application requires additional rights and runs it as an administrator, but this function may not always work. To run a program as an administrator, right-click on its shortcut and select “Run as administrator.”

You can also solve this problem by completely disabling User Account Control. However, we do not recommend disabling User Account Control because it is an important security issue and errors associated with it have become rare as the system has become much better after Windows Vista. Almost all Windows programs work normally with User Account Control enabled.

Compatibility Mode

Windows 8 includes a compatibility feature for troubleshooting. Simply right-click on the shortcut for the program that won't start, select Properties, and go to the Compatibility tab. From here you can run the compatibility troubleshooter. Alternatively, you can trick the program into appearing to work on previous versions of Windows, including XP or Win 98. This will help solve problems with software that worked well on previous versions of the OS. The Compatibility tab also allows you to always run the program in administrator mode - useful if the program is only run as an administrator.

Use DOSBox

If you have an old DOS application that doesn't run on Windows - probably an old game like the original DOOM - you can run it from DOSBox. DOSBox is free application, which emulates a full DOS environment in a window, allowing you to run DOS applications on Windows. DOSBox has better compatibility than command line. It works so well that some developers optimize their games for DOSBox - if you buy the original DOOM or Quake on the Steam store, they come bundled with DOSBox.

Use a virtual machine

Virtual machines allow you to run programs that ran on previous versions of Windows. With a virtual machine, you can install XP, for example, and run it in windowed mode. After this, you can run the legacy software from a virtual machine. Windows 8 does not support XP OS compatibility from Win 7, but you can get this feature by installing XP in VirtualBox or VMware Player.

It is worth noting that virtual machines are not an ideal solution for gaming, since they are much slower and the 3D graphics work very mediocre. However, virtual machines have limited support for 3D graphics, so if we are talking about a very ancient game, it should run well on a virtual machine. You may also run into problems when software requires direct access to certain hardware - you can plug a USB device into a virtual machine, but software that depends on direct access to the computer's hardware will not work.

Tips for troubleshooting problems with specific games

8 users more often experience problems with games than with software, which is promptly replaced by new versions or updated. If you're having problems with a specific game, try searching for the game on the PC Gaming Wiki. This site provides detailed information for troubleshooting problems with most games - not only for Win 8, but also for other versions of Microsoft operating systems, as well as other operating systems.

Many of us find it difficult to give up familiar programs and even just the features of the operating system on which we have worked for several years. The new system is not similar to the old one, and not all software runs even in compatibility mode. Especially for such conformists, they came up with Microsoft XP mode, which can be launched using a virtual machine.

Step 1: Check your Windows 7 version

XP Mode for Windows 7

Microsoft offers Windows XP free mode for Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise editions. While working in it you can continue to use previous versions applications that no longer work on Windows 7.

First, check what version of Windows 7 you have. To do this, press the key combination + [Pause] or right-click on the Computer main menu tab and select Properties.
If you have Home Basic or Home Premium installed, you'll have to do a little work.

Step 2: Download files for XP mode

To begin, you will need the Windows Virtual PC program to configure the virtual machine.

Then boot into XP mode itself. If you are using Windows 7 64-bit, you will need to download XP-mode from the appropriate download source from Microsoft.

The output will have two downloads available: WindowsXPMode_en-en.exe - this is the full version of Windows XP, including a media player and media center. The second file is WindowsXPMode_N_en-en.exe, which does not contain Windows Media Center.

Step 3. Install and configure XP mode

First install "Windows Virtual PC", it will show as "Windows Update (KB958559)". After reboot Windows application Virtual PC will be available for work and you can configure virtual systems.

Then install Windows XP mode and run it. Follow the appropriate steps and follow the installation wizard prompts. After this you can use virtual Windows XP. To do this, open “Windows XP Mode” in the Start menu.

XP mode in "home" versions of Windows 7

If you don't have one of the above-mentioned Windows 7 variants installed, you will still be able to install XP-mode. The main condition is that you have a legal installation CD or downloaded Windows XP ISO file.

Open Windows Virtual PC from the Start menu and click Create a virtual PC at the top of the menu bar. Then follow the installation wizard instructions.

Once you've set up your virtual machine, insert the Windows XP CD into your drive and launch Virtual PC by double-clicking the "XP Mode.vmcx" file.

The virtual machine should now start Windows installation XP, which you will need to follow step by step. 512 MB of memory should be sufficient for Windows XP.

Installing Integration Components

Installed integration components improve interaction between the virtual machine and the physical computer, as well as between both operating systems. Integration components also display the programs you install on the virtual machine on the physical operating system in the Start menu.

Create a user with the same username and password as on your "real" system.
If you are not integrated into the XP version, install SP3 using the Center Windows updates.

Then, in Windows Virtual PC, select Tools and install Integration Components.
Subsequently, Windows should automatically install the KB961742 update.

Restart Windows Virtual PC, click Tools and Activate Integration Features.

If you don't like Windows Virtual Machine, try the free VMware Workstation Player or another virtual machine.

Photo: pxhere.com, manufacturing companies

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 start old game for DOS 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.