Need help getting old software to run on XP

[acetjf]

I have some old software at the plant where I work that has to be run on windows 3.1 or 95 but for some reasaon it won't run on XP. I have a USB floppy for my laptop but it will not read or install to XP. Does anyone know why? Is it a 720k problem or usb or OEM, When I try to load it,The PC wants to Format. Does anyone know a work around this problem? I know that there is somewhere. thanks for the help.

[rmay635703]

I have that same issue, unless you enjoy running a crappy emulator there isn't a good fix for many programs. Luckily one of my programs was an old Foxpro varient and I just needed to patch one runtime file.

Any ideas what brand/maker/type of software title you are trying to run exactly? Sometimes you can find patches if you google a little

Good Luck

[atari2600a]

USB floppies most likely can only read 1.2MB disks.

I suggest finding images of the disk online, & then using PC emulation software, such as Microsoft Virtual Machine, or Bochs to get it up & running.

Although DOSbox is the easiest to configure, I wouldn't suggest it. You can only get Win3.1 on it (after ALOT of tweaking), & it's developed soley for the purpose of running DOS games. (believe me, I've spoken w/ the developers (some time ago) about getting Win1.01 running within it, & that was their awnser.)

[atari2600a]

Oh, & almost forgot, if you want to TRY to get them working in XP (sometimes you'll be lucky, sometimes not), right clicking on the executable & tinkering around in the compatibility usually works, but the results aren't always as pretty as using Virtual PC or DOSbox.

[Vlad]

Moved to a better spot.

-VK

[Micom 2000]

There seems to be an everending chorus of people on this VINTAGE computer site who have problems running early programs on an XP or Vista OS. C'mon the newer MS$ machines were not meant to use programs designed for older OS"s. Nor was OSx designed to run programs for older Mac OS machines. Nor will MSDOS work on a CPM, Atari, C64 nor other platforms.
Bill Gates likely owns your mind if you think otherwise.

If you are inspired to run any particular program, understand, it's functioning is determined by it's Operating System and you should be ignored if you don't even know what that system is.

There used to be a response in most forums or newsgroups to those who inadvertently stumbled in, and stupidly commented without first guaging the forum. It was slash and burn for most of these interlopers. With emulators entrance requirements have become slack. But enough of this newby BS.

This is a Vintage Computer forum, not an AOL intro to modern computers.

Lawrence

[Vlad]

Excellent point Lawrence. I'm sure there are other resources out there that can help.

Thread locked.

-Vlad