Problems with old games on Win 7

[mastertech01]

Hello, old dog here looking to learn new tricks D:

I havent built a system for a long time but I used to keep up with you all pretty well back in the day. Recently I felt the desire to finally upgrade to Windows 7. I found I couldnt use my old software without VirtualXP so I went ahead and purchased a used gaming machine. This is an AMD 6 core FX processor at 3.3 GHZ on an MSI 990FXA-GD65 motherboard and 8GB of ram running 32bit Win 7 so only half the ram is being used.
It is running a Geforce 240 512MB video card and in 2D works great and this system does the Virtual XP just fine and the office programs in it.
But of course virtual XP wont run games so I have to run them in Win 7

I am an old dog that just wants to run some old cheezy games that shouldnt challenge that setup. Like Tiger Woods golf, old Ghost Recon. Not much you see just some older games like that.
However I find my video locks up. I can do control alt delete and it will allow me to exit the game through task manager so its not locking up the computer.
I also noticed that at times in 2d the monitor driver will fail and windows has to rescue.
I hate to say it but upgrading from my old trusty WinXp on a dual processor P4Xeon machine has been a real challenge. Ive had to upgrade my SCSI controllers, buy a PCIe sound card because I cant get onboard audio working, and now Im wondering if this Geforce 240 is defective or am I just simply expecting too much to have my older games work.
I have tried compatibility mode but its just not working either. I can play sometimes 20 minutes without a problem and then it fritzes out or it may do it in the first minute.
Ive tried updating drivers and motherboard bios is latest, chipset drivers are the latest.
I am one of the original haters of AMD and this board sure doesnt change my love for it too awful much.D:

I am at work and will have to see your suggestings as I get a chance but I would like to know if I should get a different video card to work better or am I just screwed using Win 7? I know you guys are used to dual video cards and 4 video cards by now so this is probably getting loads of laughs here on AT.. LOL

 

[KingFatty]

Have you tried the different compatibility modes? I think you right click on the game's icon, then do properties, and look for the compatibility tab, then there is a checkbox for compatibility mode and you can choose what earlier versions of windows to run that game under windows 7.

Also, try running the game under "Administrator" mode. right click on the icon, and look for the entry to "Run as Administrator". Sometimes that's all it takes, running as administrator and not needing to worry about any of the compatibility modes.

So try administrator mode first, and if that doesn't work, then try the various compatibility modes. Note that this is different than merely logging in as administrator, because you have to go the extra step of right clicking on the program and selecting the specific menu entry "run as administrator"

 

[Magic Carpet]

I also noticed that at times in 2d the monitor driver will fail and windows has to rescue.

I had a very similar issue with GTS 250. I ended up buying a new card as I had quickly ran out of feasible options (I had tried like several different drivers). Perhaps, I could have fixed that, but didn't have the time to fiddle with it. And that was on i3 by the way.

Also, when you run older games, I advise you to kill your Win7 desktop (explorer.exe). Just make a simple batch file. "Compatibility options" offer very imaginary compatibility. If it doesn't run well out of the box, kill that desktop and if that doesn't help, just set up a Dosbox profile or dual-boot with XP.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I had a very similar issue with GTS 250. I ended up buying a new card as I had quickly ran out of feasible options (I had tried like several different drivers). Perhaps, I could have fixed that, but didn't have the time to fiddle with it. And that was on i3 by the way.

Also, when you run older games, I advise you to kill your Win7 desktop (explorer.exe). Just make a simple batch file. "Compatibility options" offer very imaginary compatibility. If it doesn't run well out of the box, kill that desktop and if that doesn't help, just set up a Dosbox profile or dual-boot with XP.

Yea, I find "compatibility mode" seldom works. I havent tried what you are talking about "killing the desktop". I dont know how old the games the OP wants to play are, but some games I have from the 2005 time frame have modified .exe files on the internet that sometimes make them usable. (Kotor or Kotor 2, I dont remember which come to mind.)

 

[Magic Carpet]

Yea, I find "compatibility mode" seldom works. I havent tried what you are talking about "killing the desktop".

If you get messed-up colors than killing explorer does help, I had this issue in a number of older games. Like Age of Empires 1, 1997

I dont know how old the games the OP wants to play are, but some games I have from the 2005 time frame have modified .exe files on the internet that sometimes make them usable. (Kotor or Kotor 2, I dont remember which come to mind.)

The older Lucas Arts games like "The Dig", "Full Throttle", "Monkey Island" have seen updates and are fully compatible with Windows 7. Depends what you have. I managed to run a Prince of Persia game on Windows 7, even the sound worked. Well, the beeper you know.

 

[FalseChristian]

Usually patches make the older game work with Windows 7 like Quake 4.

 

[rickon66]

I have had good luck with the compatibility modes in win7, I even got some 90's games to run, like Task Force 1942, some of the Close Combat series and Chuck Yeagers Air Combat. On Chuck Yeagers I had to obtain a 5.25" floppy drive to copy the files for it, now that is old!

 

[mastertech01]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Ill have to study up on some of this stuff, like how to kill explorer. Ive used my computers mainly for digital camera work for the past 4 or 5 years. Ive become pretty backward with computers these days. Im an auto tech, not computer software tech. Sigh... thanks again!

 

[ViRGE]

I also noticed that at times in 2d the monitor driver will fail and windows has to rescue.

Just so we're clear, that's not when you're gaming, right? That's just when you're on the desktop or doing some other menial task?

 

[mastertech01]

Hi Virge, long time no see,
Correct, Ill be surfing the net and it will do that, did it a couple times while scrolling pages last night.
I have tried admin and XP serv Pack 3 modes last night.
In Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003, I can play for maybe 5 minutes and then the screen will go blank, or lock with the picture torn and garbled. Even with the screen black my cursor still shows and I can move it around and it responds to normal actions.
I found that I can control, alt, delete and screen comes back in 2D windows and gives a menu of options. All I have to do is click cancel and it will return me back to the game with video restored. It will do this repeatedly through out the game every few minutes. I can play the whole game through completion by doing this.

Oh and when it returns it will be at the normal point of progress in the game.

Thanks!

 

[ViRGE]

Hi Virge, long time no see,
Correct, Ill be surfing the net and it will do that, did it a couple times while scrolling pages last night.

Then regardless of your compatibility problems, you also have some kind of hardware problem. It shouldn't be doing that.

 

[NTMBK]

If you're interested in old adventure games, check out ScummVM- it's a virtual machine that will run pretty much any 90s point and click game on modern Windows.

 

[mastertech01]

Thanks NTMBK, Ill have to check that out.
Well I have just played out 18 holes without a glitch. How? By switching over to a VGA cable. Go figure. Must be a DVI issue with this card?
Thanks!