# Help in running an old game on Win XP

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-in-running-an-old-game-on-win-xp/198789>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 31, 2003, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-in-running-an-old-game-on-win-xp/198789 "2003-08-31T09:45:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stigoftdump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@stigoftdump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stigoftdump)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-in-running-an-old-game-on-win-xp/198789/1 "2003-08-31T09:45:03Z")

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Inspired by a recent thread on X-Com: Ufo Enemy Unknown, I dug up my old copy and installed it on my Win XP machine. It’s a P4 2gh, so I expected it to be a little quick. The quickness I could handle - but it doesn’t work full stop! It lets me start a game, and then boots me out when I try to build a base!

I’ve turned off all the sound (I remembered from my distant DOS days that the sound cards caused a headache all the time) but no luck. I’ve also tried creating a DOS boot disk - but to no avail. It still chucks me out at the same point.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

John

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**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-in-running-an-old-game-on-win-xp/198789/2 "2003-08-31T09:54:49Z")

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Right click on the program that opens the game and select compatability. Select an older version of Windows that the game did work with and select the check box. I had the same problem with a couple older games myself.

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**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-in-running-an-old-game-on-win-xp/198789/3 "2003-08-31T09:56:13Z")

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[http://www.cs.ucsc.edu/~hayati/games.html](http://www.cs.ucsc.edu/~hayati/games.html)  
[http://www.the-underdogs.org/guidewin.php](http://www.the-underdogs.org/guidewin.php)

Disclaimer: I haven’t tried any of these instructions myself, since I don’t run Windows. I just found them by searching for {WinXP old program compatibility}.