Running a game for win95 in win7

RolandIRL · 11-06-2011 12:20pm #1

was taking a flick through my old game collection and fancied installing Motorhead on win7, but unfortunately it won't even install. i get the following message:

"Motorhead is designed for Windows 95 and cannot be run on Windows NT"

tried the compatibility options in the setup.exe Properties but still doesn't work. anyone have any suggestions for getting it to work?

Bevvie · 11-06-2011 12:28pm

I think a patch is required.
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=26814&sid=2c4e116be310823700c30fcc26578610
there is a discussion here with a guy having the same problem.
Links to patches are there.

RolandIRL · 11-06-2011 12:32pm

that guy's problem is after the game is installed. Motorhead won't even install for me...setup doesn't run

Auvers · 11-06-2011 12:35pm

did you try virtual XP mode?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

RolandIRL · 11-06-2011 12:38pm

XP is also NT btw. besides the virtual pc doesn't have access to the GPU which makes it useless for gaming. it's not designed for that. tried that before with a game.

Overflow · 11-06-2011 12:39pm

Download Virtualbox and install Windows 95 on it. You'll have to <snip> get a copy of Windows 95, unless you still have that CD as well.

Auvers · 11-06-2011 12:42pm

Oh I only use Virtual XP for incompatible apps so didnt know about the GPU issue

your only other way I can think of is to grab a copy of tiny XP and dual boot

Capt'n Midnight · 11-06-2011 7:27pm

to get it running in XP

Right-click on motor.exe in the game's folder (or whatever is the name of the game's executive is for you) ->> motor Properties >> Compatability tab >> check "Run this program in compatability mode for:" >> Windows 95.

Not sure if you can do in the install this way too

RolandIRL · 11-06-2011 10:55pm

might try it on XP tomorrow with the compatibility settings, and see if a copy & paste of the prog file into windows 7 will do the job.

@Capt'n, tried compatibility settings on the setup.exe file on the CD already, but no luck. just get the error message in the OP.

Re virtualbox, it seems like too much hassle just to go that route for one game, probably have a win95/98 cd in the attic somewhere, but can't be arsed to search.

Capt'n Midnight · 12-06-2011 11:40am

weren't there some apps that log what happens during an install so you can replay it later on ?

because an install in most cases don't just copy files

Groinshot · 12-06-2011 11:53am

Try DOSBOX!

spannerotoole · 14-06-2011 5:18pm

Yeah, Dosbox is really good at getting old software to work. (It runs win3.1 so it really is backwards compatible.)

kvklay · 14-06-2011 10:56pm

I am using microsoft virtual PC 2007 for installing my old OS.
THe graphics is really good, so compatible with windows XP/Vista/7

Dartz · 15-06-2011 9:12pm

Outside option incase these don't work.

If you've got a Linux Box and WINE installed on it. Can often get older games working better on that, than on Windows 7

RolandIRL · 15-06-2011 9:28pm

Dosbox doesn't work. illegal command "win" comes up when i try it. Motorhead isn't meant for Dos then

installed it okay on the XP desktop at home, ran it grand (though the HUD was missing for League races), copied it over to win7 laptop...intro cutscene ran then crashed. have v3.0 patch downloaded but haven't got a chance to install it yet. will see if that works.

on choppy internet atm, so can't download a Linux iso for a few months til i'm back in college in September (i knew there was a reason for college broadband :pac:). was thinking of doing that if i found a few more win95 games that wouldn't run on win7

LoGiE · 16-06-2011 11:00pm

In fairness DOSBOX is the way to go. If it's crashing you may not have it configured correctly or you can try a different version or frontend. All this virtualbox and full Win95 install talk is way over the top! If you are having difficulty start a thread on the Arcade & Retro forum were there are plenty of people who use it.

LoGiE

Naikon · 17-06-2011 5:20am

Didn't the 64 bit Windows 7 drop support for running legacy code?

spannerotoole · 17-06-2011 5:29am

That's why you use DOSbox.

RolandIRL · 17-06-2011 8:59pm

installed the patch on the XP machine, figured out what the HUD problem was (display driver was on the wrong setting), worked even smoother than before. copied over the program file to the laptop, but now an error message comes up after the intro movie is finished/skipped

The instruction at 00434362 referenced memory at 00000000
The memory could not be read from

Click on OK to terminate the application

works grand on XP, but i rarely go on the desktop anymore.

LoGiE wrote: »

In fairness DOSBOX is the way to go. If it's crashing you may not have it configured correctly or you can try a different version or frontend. All this virtualbox and full Win95 install talk is way over the top! If you are having difficulty start a thread on the Arcade & Retro forum were there are plenty of people who use it.

LoGiE

the same command comes up before the exe "win" (when i try to install it)...or under the input line, it says "this is a Windows NT windowed executable" (when i try and run the installed exe)
i'll pop over to A&R and see if they can help

EDIT:

Bevvie wrote: »

I think a patch is required.
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=26814&sid=2c4e116be310823700c30fcc26578610
there is a discussion here with a guy having the same problem.
Links to patches are there.

seems like i have this guys problem now, but they don't seem to offer a complete fix to the problem

Running a game for win95 in win7

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