Choking a 64 bit OS

[Madman Stephan]

I've recently rediscovered a box of old computer games and, feeling nostalgic, decided to try installing them on my current pc. So of course, it's not letting me and is blaming my 64 bit OS, and telling me that it'll only run on 32 bits. Am I out of luck?

[John Kunkel]

What OS? Windows 7 is supposed to allow that.

[Madman Stephan]

No, Vista.... :-(

[LD]

I am guessing the programs you want to run are 16 bit. 64 bit windows cannot run them. The comment by Randy Knowles on 3 April 2011 at the below link explains how to get around the issue.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/cont...ista-and-7.htm

[Skwerly]

Or install a 32-bit Linux.

[440roadrunner]

Linux is not going to solve the problem. The other thing is, we don't know what/ how old these games are. They may be something that is "left over" from the DOS days.

Having said that, I run Linux on a daily basis.

[quietdad]

Google the term DosBox. Neat little program that wmulates a dos computer under windows giving you sound and a mouse. Can also add delays so the old computer written to run on an old XT run at speed on today's computers.
And its free...

[440roadrunner]

Another thing we used to use with two-way radio programming was "mo-slow" and it's been LONG time, but had something to do with curing timing errors, running older, slower programs on newer faster machines.

(Some of these programs are DOS, and require a "real" serial port, slow processor, etc)

I have a uh, ! heh 1..."selection" of IBM Thinkpads, all the way from 386/ 486 to Pent x and dual core. So I just use one that "fits."

[Madman Stephan]

Thanks for all the responses. Everything considered, it probably makes sense to hold off and get an old laptop. Actually, my parents might have an old PII in a closet somewhere....