Compatibility Mode

• The first and simplest way of attempting to get an older computer game up and running is to set a compatibility mode for it. To do this, you simply find your game's start-up file (the file you run to get the game to start), right-click it and select the "Properties" option. This will bring up a new window, and you should select the Compatibility tab at the top right. Click the "Run this program in compatibility mode for" box, and select the appropriate version of Windows that the game would have originally run under. If you are unsure, Windows 98 is a good default. This may be all you need to do to get your older game up and running. If the game still does not run, try mixing and matching the other options on the compatibility-mode tab. Forcing it to run in 256 colors or in 640x480 resolution could also make the game playable.
  
  

DOSbox

• If setting compatibility modes for your program doesn't work, don't panic; there are other methods. Sometimes a game is so old that it would have had trouble running even in Windows 95/98, in which case, the program DOSbox may solve your problems for you. DOSbox is a program that emulates the action of the old x86 computers from over a decade ago and will provide a stable environment for most old games to run in. However, it is a more complicated method, because unless you download a front end (another program that simplifies the use of DOSbox), you will need to set it up manually each time you start. Because of its complexity, you should read the DOSbox tutorial linked to at the end of this article. Once you've gotten the hang of it, you'll find that most older games run excellently with the aid of this program.
  
  

The Internet

• If neither of these methods works for you, it is likely that the game you are trying to play has a specific fix or patch needed to make it compatible with newer Windows systems. To that end, searching popular search engines for such patches or fixes will likely lead you to forums where other fans of the game have not only encountered the same problem as you but have found a way to fix it as well.