Help PLEASE Running Software.

[lame]

I have a simulator game, nothing to do with aviation that I love to run, called Railroad Tycoon.

It used to work great on my old desk top computer running with windows98SE, and still works perfectly on my lap top computer with windows98SE.

However I have just bought a new desk top computer running windowsXP, and I cannot get it to run. :(

Any help appreciated. :ok:

[Rollingthunder]

Have you tried contacting the manufacturer's help facility?

I've got MS Train Simulator. I get to derail the Flying Scot.

[Ausatco]

Try setting the compatibility mode to Windows 98.

Right click on the shortcut to your program, then the Compatibility tab and take it from there - it's self evident.

I found that some shortcuts in the Start menu have the tab when you right click them and some don't, but all shortcuts on the desktop do, so try making a shortcut to your prog on the desktop and take it from there.

AA

[lame]

I have tried that, using the built in features of windowsxp, however it will not work. :(

It loads, but will not run.

It says that there is no installation programme on the CD, yet it works/worked on the other computers? :confused:

I "think" it may be because it runs in ms-dos not windows?

[shack]

I run both Railroad Tycoon Platinum and Century editions on XP without any problems so it is not a question of compatability. Try a re-install.

I hate to ask but is it a pirate copy looking for a crack?

[Ausatco]

I "think" it may be because it runs in ms-dos not windows?

You may be out of luck.

I had some beaut graphics-intensive games that ran in DOS under Win 95 and, I think 98, but not 98SE (it's been sooo long ago:O ) but won't run under XP.

I think that MS has abandoned DOS backward compatibility in XP, except for basic stuff - most of my arcade games work ok, but none of the older fancy graphics stuff.

Shack may have a point, too. :(

AA

[lame]

No, it is a genuine copy. :ok:

I have those newer ones, but don't like them anywhere near as much as the original, Railroad Tycoon Deluxe. :ok:

I cannot instal the game at all now, unless you mean to reinstal XP, I am not going to do that, everything else is perfect.

Sadly, I think it is just that it is never going to run under XP. :(

Unless anyone else has an idea?

[Saab Dastard]

lame,

I cam across this via Google (bless it - just type in "Railroad Tycoon Deluxe" "Windows XP", the quotes are important)

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:3qYebsl4aBYJ:www.jerrypournelle.com/view/currentview.html+%22Railroad+Tycoon+Deluxe%22+%22Windows+XP% 22&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8

"You might want to try http://dosbox.sf.net/
DosBox is "a PC emulator with builtin DOS for running DOS Games primarily". I've recently used it to replay Gateway, Gateway II, and Alone in the Dark on Linux, and a friend of mine has run the Windows XP port successfully. It sucks CPU cycles, but odds are if you've got a DOS-only game it didn't need many CPU cycles anyway. --- Roy Stogner
And in fact that works. It is harder to set up than you might expect in that the instructions aren't entirely clear, but RR Tycoon is now running on a Pentium 4 machine at reasonable speed, complete with sound!"

HTH

SD

[lame]

Thanks for that. :ok:

I will try that, later on when I have more time, and report back. ;)

[lame]

Still no luck. :{

Thanks anyway for the help. :ok:

[lame]

By chance I happened to meet this real computer expert yesterday, he builds computers etc and is a lecturer on them at University. :ok:

He told me that XP will not allow the use of DOS, and that it (XP) is very particular which programmes IT allows you to run. :{

The only way around it he said, was to completely wipe my new hard drive, then electronically divide it in two, and instal XP on one half and 98 on the other half, which I am definitely not going to do. :uhoh:

[The Nr Fairy]

lame:

No disrespect, but a real computer expert would know about tools which allow what you'd need to do without wiping everything.

Essentially, if I read what he's said correctly, you need to repartition your hard disk then install W98 or the like to run RailRoad Tycoon.

PartitionMagic is worth a look, then an investigation into dual-booting would help.

[goates]

I've had this problem with a few games under WinXP. The problem is that WinXP is a completely different system underneath the fancy interface. Win ME and below were based on DOS, which many older games used and, in many cases, relied on this fact to run. Some will run under XP, but many need a patch for the game to run properly.

Another side to the problem are the video and sound card drivers, as these work differently as well. This was the biggest problem I was having with old games under XP. Win 98/ME would allow programs direct access to the hardware, which many developers took full advantage of. XP doesn't in order to help make the OS more secure and stable. For me, using the newest ATI drivers fixed the problem, so you might want to have a look at that too.

As a last resort, and one that requires quite a bit of work if you only have one or two games, is to partition your hard drive as mentioned. If you don't have a large drive, this can also waste a fair bit of space.

Good luck and let us know how it goes

goates

[lame]

Well, as I said, I am certainly NOT going to that amount of trouble, especially with a new computer. :{

I will just have to continue to power up my old laptop, running 98SE, just to use Railroad Tycoon. :ooh:

Thank you all for your input. :ok:

[Saab Dastard]

Sort of thinking aloud here:

Long shot I know - but if you could find the DOS CD, video and sound drivers for your system you might be able to create a boot floppy and run actual DOS on your PC.

Of course you would only be able to access the game on the disk if you had a FAT partition...unless of course you put it on CD.

Actually you could create a RAM disk for the DOS session (how much RAM do you have over the 640K that DOS needs ;) ) and copy the game from CD onto the RAM disk - now that would be quick! You could deal with drivers the same way.

SD