Why Can't I Play old dos games in vista?

[Andrew McLaren]

<ronald.phillips@gmail.com> wrote
> I've experienced issues with 16bit Windows games in Vista. Usually
> graphics issues are runtime issues (probably cpu speed). Easiest "fix"
> is to just run them in Windows 3.1 in DosBox since almost all of these
> games do not come with their source code...and yes this is with the
> 32bit ver of Windows.

Yes, particular applications may have compatibility problems. Particularly
games, which are so dependent on hardware access.

But it is wrong, totally wrong, to say that 16-bit apps do not run on Vista.
There are thousands of business, scientific and general applications written
for DOS and Windows 3.1, which run just fine on Vista.

DosBox is an excellent workaround for compatibility problems. Between NTVDM,
Virtual PC, and DosBox, nearly every app can be made to run on a Vista
workstation.

Cheers,
--
Andrew McLaren
amclar (at) optusnet dot com dot au

[ronald.phillips@gmail.com]

On Oct 11, 8:17 am, "Andrew McLaren" <and...@fakeaddress.com> wrote:
> <ronald.phill...@gmail.com> wrote
>
> > I've experienced issues with 16bit Windows games in Vista. Usually
> > graphics issues are runtime issues (probably cpu speed). Easiest "fix"
> > is to just run them in Windows 3.1 inDosBoxsince almost all of these
> > games do not come with their source code...and yes this is with the
> > 32bit ver of Windows.
>
> Yes, particular applications may have compatibility problems. Particularly
> games, which are so dependent on hardware access.
>
> But it is wrong, totally wrong, to say that 16-bit apps do not run on Vista.
> There are thousands of business, scientific and general applications written
> for DOS and Windows 3.1, which run just fine on Vista.
>
> DosBoxis an excellent workaround for compatibility problems. Between NTVDM,
> Virtual PC, andDosBox, nearly every app can be made to run on a Vista
> workstation.
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Andrew McLaren
> amclar (at) optusnet dot com dot au

Thousands of 16bit apps that run just fine on 32bit Vista.

Even with VPC/DosBox/NTVDM there are still some programs/games which
do not run on Vista as compared to XP. I've not finished full testing
though but my 32bit XDMM Vista testing is pretty close to being
finished (Just need to go back through the broken games).

[ronald.phillips@gmail.com]

On Oct 11, 6:44 am, ronald.phill...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Oct 10, 6:49 pm, "Andrew McLaren" <and...@fakeaddress.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]" <andre...@hotmail.com> wrote...
>
> > >I tried to install Hallmark Card Studio 1.0 on Vista x86 Ultimate and it
> > >did not if go beyond the install button. Please contact hallmark for
> > >support.
>
> > Right, one specific application did not want to install. Some applications
> > (whether 16-bit or 32-bit) will have compatibility problems on Vista.
>
> > However, many many 16-bit DOS and Windows 3.x applications run on Vista with
> > no problems at all. The vast majority, in fact, of 16-bit apps can run okay
> > on Vista.
>
> > It is wrong to say the DOS 16 bit subsystem is not supported in Vista. It is
> > misleading advice.
>
> > --
> > Andrew McLaren
> > amclar (at) optusnet dot com dot au
>
> I've experienced issues with 16bit Windows games in Vista. Usually
> graphics issues are runtime issues (probably cpu speed). Easiest "fix"
> is to just run them in Windows 3.1 inDosBoxsince almost all of these
> games do not come with their source code...and yes this is with the
> 32bit ver of Windows.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

graphics issues or runtime issues...not are.

[Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]]

Why are you so emotional about it though. I am technically correct, its not
100% supported by Microsoft anyway. Try contacting them about support and
getting that old game from DOS/Win 3x to run on Vista and get ready for a
weird response.
--
Andre
Blog: http://adacosta.spaces.live.com
My Vista Quickstart Guide:
http://adacosta.spaces.live.com/blog...3DB!9709.entry
"Andrew McLaren" <andrew@fakeaddress.com> wrote in message
news:757E7399-EAA8-42E1-AEB5-D64D0C60D98C@microsoft.com...
> <ronald.phillips@gmail.com> wrote
>> I've experienced issues with 16bit Windows games in Vista. Usually
>> graphics issues are runtime issues (probably cpu speed). Easiest "fix"
>> is to just run them in Windows 3.1 in DosBox since almost all of these
>> games do not come with their source code...and yes this is with the
>> 32bit ver of Windows.
>
> Yes, particular applications may have compatibility problems. Particularly
> games, which are so dependent on hardware access.
>
> But it is wrong, totally wrong, to say that 16-bit apps do not run on
> Vista. There are thousands of business, scientific and general
> applications written for DOS and Windows 3.1, which run just fine on
> Vista.
>
> DosBox is an excellent workaround for compatibility problems. Between
> NTVDM, Virtual PC, and DosBox, nearly every app can be made to run on a
> Vista workstation.
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Andrew McLaren
> amclar (at) optusnet dot com dot au
>

[Andrew McLaren]

"Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ubJKOhCDIHA.4308@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Why are you so emotional about it though. I am technically correct, its
> not 100% supported by Microsoft anyway. Try contacting them about support
> and getting that old game from DOS/Win 3x to run on Vista and get ready
> for a weird response.

Oh, I'm not really *that* emotional :-) You only have to look around this
newsgroup, to see truly incontinent emotion :-))

It's more accuracy than emotion. A lot of wrong information is being spread:
many folk saying that you cannot run 16-bit apps at all on Vista, or that
the NTVDM is not supported. These incorrect statements can mislead people
into thinking they can't run 16-bit apps on Vista. This is wrong. They can
run 16-bit apps on Vista.

Not all 16 bit apps run on Vista. Not all 32-bit apps run on Vista either;
but we're not saying that 32-bit is "not supported".

Regarding "support" - well, this is a word with many meanings.

NTVDM and WoW are supported by Microsoft, in the sense that they continue to
ship in the Windows Vista product, as an advertised and documentented
feature; same as Explorer, Notepad, NTFS or Windows Media Player.

They are supported by Microsoft, in the sense that they are under ongoing
maintenance - Microsoft will issue hotfixes for defects and security holes
in the 16-bit subsystem.

NTVDM and WoW are supported by Microsoft, in the sense that you can report
an issue to PSS and they will accept the Service Request. If you try to open
a Service Request for a problem in NT 4.0 (for example), PSS will tell you
"That product is not supported" and they won't even accept the SR, you don't
get a case number. Now, that is "unsupported"! If you contact PSS with a
problem running a 16-bit app on Vista, they will accept the Service Request.
They might not solve the problem. But, they will accept the SR.

As to the response you get, that would depend on your class of support
agreement. If an end-user opens an SR because they can't play Myst (for
example) on Vista then, yes: they are likely to be told "That's a shame,
don't play Myst on Vista". If you have a Premier Support contract (ie you
are a company with 2,000+ PCs) and you can't run your DOS-based Bank Teller
application on Vista, then there's a very good chance it will get escalated
all the way, and Sustained Engineering will issue a hotfix. This isn't
capriciously deferential treatment for big customers; it just depends on the
business case: is the cost of the hotfix, cost-justified? However, this same
principle applies to all SRs and hotfixes. A PSS escalation engineer (as
opposed to PRG front-line support guys) is a scarce resource; it just isn't
worth getting an EE to spend a few days debugging the NTVDM because some old
16 bit game won't run.

So, NTVDM and WoW are "unsupported" in the sense that if you are an consumer
end-customer, and you ring PSS and say "I can't play Myst on Vista, and I
can't run my Hallmark Greeting Card program either" then, they will probably
say to you "that's bad luck, try using Virtual PC.

As we move steadily towards 64-bit Windows, probably the NTVDM will
gradually wither and die. But we are certainly not there, yet (probably not
in the next version, either).

16-bit applications are supported on Vista.

Regards,
--
Andrew McLaren
amclar (at) optusnet dot com dot au