# Win7 + Civ III = ? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 16, 2011, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077 "2011-05-16T09:44:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/1 "2011-05-16T09:44:36Z")
Will Win7 run Civ III? My normal impulse is to try it and find out, but all the Civs I’ve ever installed and tried to play have always had me in tears of frustration before I finally manage to convince whatever computer it is that yes, this IS really a program that it can run. The old Win XP box could run Civ III, but I had to fiddle with it and finally break down and ask for tech support. And that computer is DEAD. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/2 "2011-05-16T10:21:02Z")
People apparently have [different](http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1024945) [experiences](http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=330948%22). This seems really odd. If you have any version other than Starter, I’d go ahead and get [Windows XP Mode](http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx). That may increase your chances for success. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/3 "2011-05-16T20:31:33Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Will Win7 run Civ III? My normal impulse is to try it and find out, but all the Civs I’ve ever installed and tried to play have always had me in tears of frustration before I finally manage to convince whatever computer it is that yes, this IS really a program that it can run. The old Win XP box could run Civ III, but I had to fiddle with it and finally break down and ask for tech support. And that computer is DEAD. It runs on my Vista machine without any fiddling at all. I’d. . . umm. . . try it and find out. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/4 "2011-05-16T23:41:11Z")
Try it and find out, hmmmm? And just WHO is volunteering to bring me hot tea and/or cold beer while I’m trying to puzzle this shit out? And WHO is volunteering to be target practice. It’s not pretty when I attempt to install a Firaxis game. Not pretty at all. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/5 "2011-05-16T23:45:55Z")
It runs perfectly on my Windows 7 machine. Installation was a breeze, too. However, I’m running it through Steam, not from discs. It’s only $5, which may be worth avoiding the headache to you. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/6 "2011-05-17T00:05:27Z")
Profit. (Runs fine on my 64-bit Win 7 machine.) ---
**Author:** ![tingbudong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tingbudong/32/520_2.png) [@tingbudong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tingbudong)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/7 "2011-05-17T05:43:21Z")
I’m also running it on a 64-bit Windows 7 machine with no problems. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/8 "2011-05-17T05:54:30Z")
All right, tomorrow I’ll try to remember where I put the discs and brew up a nice big pot of tea and try to get through this. I don’t want to go through Steam, though. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/9 "2011-05-17T07:04:58Z")
I have not been able to install it on my Win7 64 bit machine. It just stops mid-install. I may resort to steam. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/10 "2011-05-18T03:35:29Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > All right, tomorrow I’ll try to remember where I put the discs and brew up a nice big pot of tea and try to get through this. _pokes head above transom_ How’s it going? _ducks_ ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/11 "2011-05-18T04:38:14Z")
I completely failed at Step 1: Find the damned discs. I did fall back to Step 2: Brew a big pot of tea, though. And at least I got some things unpacked and put away. It would have been nice to have a nice little civ going today, though. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/12 "2011-05-20T16:26:34Z")
Civ 3 isn’t very well regarded, Civ 4 is considered much better and you’ll probably find it and the expansions under $10 in the summer steam sale in a bit over a month. Civ 5 will also probably be cheap, not as cheap and it’s not conclusively better than Civ 4, but both are much better than Civ 3. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/13 "2011-05-21T17:18:51Z")
I have Civ IV, in fact. However, I vastly prefer Civ III, because I don’t like the religions/companies in IV. I also have V, it was a gift, but I’m not interested in getting into Steam. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/14 "2011-05-23T15:30:38Z")
Is your objection to Steam alone or online downloads in general? I also found it [here](http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-CIV3/civilization-iii-complete). Also here’s a [free demo](http://download.cnet.com/Civilization-III/3000-7489_4-10335753.html). ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/15 "2011-05-23T16:01:21Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Civ 3 isn’t very well regarded, Civ 4 is considered much better and you’ll probably find it and the expansions under $10 in the summer steam sale in a bit over a month. Civ 5 will also probably be cheap, not as cheap and it’s not conclusively better than Civ 4, but both are much better than Civ 3. Nothing is conclusively better than anything. I much prefer 3 over 4. Never played 5, but will eventually. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/16 "2011-05-23T19:41:12Z")
[“I wonder if it’s compatible with Windows 7.”](http://abstrusegoose.com/366) ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/17 "2011-05-23T20:37:39Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Is your objection to Steam alone or online downloads in general? I also found it [here](http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-CIV3/civilization-iii-complete). > > Also here’s a [free demo](http://download.cnet.com/Civilization-III/3000-7489_4-10335753.html). Well, my objection is to the fact that I KNOW I have the disks SOMEWHERE. And I also object to Steam. But that download is cheap enough that I’ll try it tonight, thanks! > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > [“I wonder if it’s compatible with Windows 7.”](http://abstrusegoose.com/366) This is…much truer than I’d like to admit. “Just one more turn” is what I keep telling myself when I play Civ. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/18 "2011-06-08T05:30:50Z")
Any luck? ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win7-civ-iii/582077/19 "2011-06-08T06:32:34Z")
I had trouble getting Civ 3 to run on Win7 64. The solution I found was to buy it on Steam, I dont know what they’ve done, but it works fine for me through that. Cost $5 for Civ 3 complete. Otara