Computer program question

To start, I must confess that I am computer challenged…But I would like to ask a question. I have several old programs that I would like to keep for my grandson to play…They are the Carmen Sandiego series…BUT…They are on 5 1/4 inch discs…Of course I have a newer CPU that only has CD slot and 3 1/2 in slot…Is there anyway that I can convert those old programs so that I can run them now? Or are they only good for target practice? Thanks a bunch for your answers.

You have a couple options here:
-there’s professional services that will do it for a fee. -And,
-there’s anal computer geeks like myself who keep ancient computers around in case we ever need to read a 5.25 floppy.
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I’d do it for free, if you’re near me. If you’re not near me, then ask around in your locale about computer clubs, where you’ll probably find like-minded people.
What’s your location?

If (after you get it put on a 3.5 floppy) it doesn’t run properly as is, then ask/look around on old-gaming boards: there’s lots of utilities just for running these ancient programs. There’s even utilities to slow your modern hyper-speed PC down for the games that depended on 33 Mhz processors to run at the right speed.

I am very near St Louis, by the by…

Well, if you poke around used computer stores, you should be able to find a 5.25" drive. Installing it is a fairly straightforward process. You can set it up as your “B:” drive, copy all your files onto 3.5" disks or your hard drive and then retire the obsolete monster to the oblivion it deserves.

Modern computers can still use the 5.25 drives; all the necessary circuitry is in place. You just need the correct cable and to change a setting in your BIOS (i.e. specify that the B: floppy is in fact a 5.25 model. If the drive is about the same size as a CD-ROM dsrive and has a grey plastic face, it’s almost certainly a 1.2MB drive, otherwise it may be a 360KB drive. You’ll have to make the appropriate choice in your BIOS.

If you only have the one 5.25" slot, you could always temporarily remove your CD-ROM drive.

As for making the game playable, you might have to delve into minutiae like clock-speed changers and expanded-memory emulators and whatnot.

I’m in Montreal, incidentally. And I remember playing Carmen Sandiego, too.

With all due respect to Bryan’s post, which is technically correct and certainly plausible, since you already admit to being computer challenged, and you only have “several” of these games, it would seem to make more sense to try and find a computer with both a 5.25" and a 3.5" drive.

Do you still have your old computer? Perhaps you can just give that computer to your son. If by chance it had any networking capability, even just a modem, you could email the files on the 5.25" disk to an account accessible on your new computer.

If neither of those would work, ask folks you know that might have an old computer (doesn’t almost everybody?), and see if they could convert them to 3.5" for you.

And finally, there are many sites on the net that allow you download abandon-ware games (not sure if these fit that description, however). Since you (presumably) purchased this software, you own the license for its use, and could also download it from otherwise less than legal site that make these old games available. I won’t bother to post a link (since I don’t know its legality for others), but I had no trouble finding the executable through a google search.

      • I don’t think there’s too many used computer stores that still keep piles of 3-4-586’s around anymore. I posted the epic tale here of my search for a [cheap!] functioning 5.25 drive, and the ending wasn’t entirely happy. -When I looked, the only places online that sell guaranteed (repaired+tested) 5.25 drives want $100+ for them…
        ~

You could just buy a new one from here for $11…http://www.compuplus.com/insidepage.php3?sid=9f4d21b9puy99i6&id=137

If that’s too much, try a refurb with a 30 warranty for $4.00 from here…http://www.aemart.com/

Quar

Or you may be able to find the games on abandonware sites.

Another vote for finding it on the internet. It is NOT illegal to dl old games providing you have the original media. It would also be a lot easier too.

There’s also the possibility that these games have been reissued in combo packs, five CD’s for a low, low price! Check the nearly-shareware section of Target and Best Buy.

      • Well God d*mn quar, where were you when I was looking for mine? The only two places that I could find that sold them were outfits that did repairs and resales of legacy equipment…
        ~
        Also…-technically, there is no such thing as abandonware. A piece of software is either in the public domain/GPL or it isn’t. The company may be long gone, but somebody somewhere still owns the rights to the software.