# Anybody good at tweaking old software to run under XP? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-good-at-tweaking-old-software-to-run-under-xp/251672 "2004-06-22T17:34:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-good-at-tweaking-old-software-to-run-under-xp/251672/1 "2004-06-22T17:34:15Z")
I have the old Schwa Corporation (remember them and their sinister plans?) screensaver aka “Cleanser”. Certainly, my all time favorite screensaver. IIRC, the last version of Windows under which it would run correctly was 98. Under XP, nada. Hints? Ideas? If anybody is good at this kind of thing, I’ll send you the screensaver to try your luck. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-good-at-tweaking-old-software-to-run-under-xp/251672/2 "2004-06-22T18:34:58Z")
Is the saver and EXE or a SCR file? (note: many screen savers that appear to by SCR files are just “pointers” to EXE files). What - if anything - happens when you try to preview the saver? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-good-at-tweaking-old-software-to-run-under-xp/251672/3 "2004-06-22T20:34:28Z")
There may be nothing you can do. 98 allowed programs to directly access hardware, which is forbidden under XP. If your screensaver is trying to do something like that, it’s just not going to run. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-good-at-tweaking-old-software-to-run-under-xp/251672/4 "2004-06-23T00:28:46Z")
Try right clicking on the program icon, then click on Properties and the Compatibility tab. Select the program that you want it to be compatible with. Perhaps that will work. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-good-at-tweaking-old-software-to-run-under-xp/251672/5 "2004-06-24T14:37:07Z")
> [@Rex Fenestrarum](#): > > Is the saver and EXE or a SCR file? (note: many screen savers that appear to by SCR files are just “pointers” to EXE files). > > What - if anything - happens when you try to preview the saver? Nothing. The screensaver doesn’t even show up in the list of screensavers under desktop properties, so I can’t set it as the chosen screensaver or preview it. If I go into the system folder and click on it there, the image part comes up (running very fast) but no sound and no access to the controls. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-good-at-tweaking-old-software-to-run-under-xp/251672/6 "2004-06-24T14:39:26Z")
Forgot to add that it shows up in Windows Explorer as a SCR file.