Both confident PC users and those who are just beginning to comprehend the basics of computer science are equally not immune from malfunctions in the work of their favorite device. Nevertheless, many of the problems that arise can be solved by booting the operating system in safe mode. In this case, it is enough to undo the last actions performed on the computer - and it will work as it should. However, if for some it is a simple way out of a difficult situation, then for others it is a new serious problem. What about a PC running Windows XP? Let's figure it out.
Method number 1: Run Windows XP in safe mode using the "Run" command
What should I do if a problem occurs with my computer before I shut it down? For example, after checking with an antivirus program, mountains of viruses that have come from nowhere were found, which simply interfere with work. Is it possible, in this case, to start the PC in safe mode without exiting the Windows XP system? Still would! To do this, just use the Run utility installed on your computer.
To begin with, look for the "Start" button on the taskbar and click on it with the left mouse button, or find an icon on the keyboard and click on it. Now in the "Start" menu we find the "Run" tab and, similarly, by clicking the mouse, open it: 
In the appeared system window, enter the value in the empty field msconfig and confirm our choice either by pressing Enter on the keyboard, or by clicking on the OK option offered by the system: 
As a result, the "System settings" window will appear:
In the upper part of the open system window, we find the BOOT.INI tab and click on it with the left mouse button. In this section, in the boot parameters, put a checkmark in front of SAFEBOOT and, depending on the option you need, next to Minimal, Network or Minimal (AlternateShell).
What is the difference? In the first case, Windows XP with basic settings; in the second - with access to network drivers; in the third - with the ability to use command line... However, no matter which option you like, to confirm the settings made in Windows XP at the bottom of the tab, you need to click the OK or Apply button: 
In the next window, select the "Restart" parameter:
After that, the "Safe Mode" parameter will be set on the computer and Windows XP will automatically reboot in the selected safe mode, notifying of this immediately after full boot by the appearance of the corresponding system window:
After loading the safe mode, such a warning will appear, here you should click "Yes" to continue working in this mode
In order to save the "Safe Mode" parameter in response to the system message, left-click on the "Yes" option or press Enter on the keyboard. A few minutes and the computer is ready to work. As you can see, nothing complicated!
Method number 2: Run Safe Mode at boot time Windows XP
Perhaps this is the most famous and widely used method by users that will help you quickly launch on windows computer XP in safe mode. How do you use it? Just!
To do this, turn on the computer, as usual by pressing the power button, and immediately before the window appears windows boot XP for 3-5 seconds continuously press the F8 or F4 button on the keyboard. As a result, the Windows menu should appear:
- basic mode: the main components of Windows XP will be loaded;
- with support for network drivers;
- with command line access.
After the choice of the mode will be made to confirm it, press Enter. As a result, the system will log in in safe mode.
What to do if Windows XP won't start Safe Mode?
Sometimes it happens that no matter how hard you try, the computer does not want to start in safe mode in any of the known ways. The reason for this problem is naively simple - viruses have damaged windows registry... In this case, there are two options:
- restore the computer (system rollback);
- install special programs on the PC.
If you've taken care of an archive copy, that's great. However, if there is nothing to restore the system from, then the best option in this case is to download and install on a PC free program SafeMode Repair or SafeBootKeyRepair... With their help, you can "reanimate" the damaged values \u200b\u200bof the registry keys and, accordingly, run the safe mode on the computer after restarting. The main thing is that after solving the problem, do not forget to check your favorite device for viruses in a timely manner!
As you can see, you can run Windows XP on a PC in Safe Mode in different ways. Choose the option that suits you best and troubleshoot quickly and efficiently!
Overwhelmed with questions - "What? Why? How?" in the new Windows 7 megapixel called Windows XP Mode. I will try to answer briefly, and for those who are especially curious - as in the case of the post about windows installation 7 on a netbook - I also recorded a video review ... I understand that it looks like an obsession, but what can I do - I, like my wife, suddenly became quite interested in writing a video for a blog (a bad example is contagious, probably). And judging by the statistics, the video turned out to be a very popular thing, I plan to further supplement my separate selection of videos on local UA-IX resources for more convenient viewing by users in Ukraine.
What is Windows XP Mode in Windows 7?
This small piece of technology with the general name Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization, MEDV, or "bear" in common people (not to be confused with well-known characters around Internet folklore :)) is supplied as part of the MDOP 2009 package. A small part, but the most important one - Windows XP Mode allows you to run a virtual OS process (Windows XP or Windows Vista) in a specially developed edition Virtual PC (currently supplied separately in beta status), and the user will not be shown the virtual machine desktop, but only the window of the application that is installed in the virtual OS, but published as a "normal" link in the "Start" menu parent system. Thus, for the user, working with applications both installed in "native" Windows 7 and in virtual Windows XP is absolutely "transparent" - he will be able to distinguish them only by the design of the windows. And no confusion with desktops, switchovers and the like. For admins, no problem with the compatibility of applications written for Windows XP when they run in Windows 7 - since they run in their native, albeit virtual, XP environment. And it's rather difficult to call it especially "virtual", especially when compared with "pure" virtualization Hyper-V - in the Windows XP Mode version, not only USB-sticks are supported, but also various "natural" USB, and not only devices - so , I "found" and earned a fingerprint reader on a laptop in virtual Windows XP.
In fact, this is all close (or rather, it is built on the same principle) to the work of Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008, where the user sees windows of individual applications running on the server instead of the remote desktop. Only in the case of MEDV / Windows XP Mode, such a server is a virtual OS, in which special "a la terminal" services are installed, and the "terminal client" is located on the parent OS and its tasks include also "raising" the virtual OS upon request, if it doesn't work yet. This is how everything is really simple, no fraud, just "software magic". :)
Yes, and one more thing - MDOP offers this mode of operation not only for Windows 7, but also for Windows Vista, and in addition - utilities for centralized management of images, virtual OS settings and application publishing, which is very useful for networks where even 50 PCs will use a single image and settings.
How to enable / run Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 RC?
Both in RC and in the release (most likely) there is no ready-made "superbutton" with the proud name "enable Windows XP Mode". The technology is external (again - for now) in relation to Windows 7 itself (only professional editions, editions like Home / Starter are not supported). But it doesn't matter - on a special site you can download a new version of Virtual PC to support Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 and a "ready" image (about 450MB) of "clean" Windows XP with the necessary services and drivers installed. For those who want to create their own virtual image, there are beta versions of updates for Vista / XP on the site, the installation of which into the virtual OS adds support for Windows XP Mode. Download, install - first the Virtual PC for Windows 7, then the image itself
In the "Start" menu in the "Programs" section appears Windows Virtual PC, and in it is the actual point Virtual Windows XP... This is the link to the very image, which is installed second in 450MB :) At the first start, the image is configured in a very trivial way - only the password of the future user is requested and that's it. All settings of this virtual OS correspond to the typical settings of Virtual PC virtual machines, except for the Auto Publish item that appears. This item is responsible for how applications from virtual Windows XP will be published in the Windows 7 start menu. By default, the automatic publishing mode is set, which means that - attention!!! - all newly installed applications in the virtual machine will be automatically " emerge" on the menu parent Windows 7
We install what we need - in the start menu, in the same section Windows Virtual PC section appears Virtual Windows XP Application with links to these virtual applications. We close the virtual machine, launch the required application from the Windows 7 start menu - and after a short wait (the video shows the start time of the virtual machine "in the background" followed by the launch of the required OS on an HP 8510w laptop) we get the application in "real" XP mode.
What are the limitations of Windows XP Mode?
Most importantly, this is the requirement for hardware support for virtualization in processors. Instructions for configuring hardware virtualization are on the same page (above) as you boot the Virtual PC itself. I want to draw special attention to the fact that often to enable hardware virtualization after the actual settings of the BIOS parameters, you also need to physically turn off the computer's power.
Many of us remember the good old games that we played in the early days of computer technology, and which we often think of today.
Technologies are growing and developing, the graphics are becoming more realistic, and the gameplay is all "fancy", but sometimes you want to play something old and painfully dear, from those times when the gaming industry had not yet embarked on the conveyor and began to churn out dozens of games and hundreds of thousands. When each toy was an event, and each had its own "zest". Many of these games have become true masterpieces, the popularity of which cannot be reached by modern projects, even sometimes very, very good, soundly and efficiently made.
And it doesn't matter what was the reason - either the usual nostalgia, or you yourself are still quite young and just want to try what your parents were "cut into" at during their computer youth. Or maybe you are a fan of some game series, for example, a space simulator X 3, and were surprised to find that the universe " X", it turns out, did not begin with the appearance of the very first X, and much earlier - with the advent of the legendary ELITE, which was born back in the 80s of the last century and since then has undergone several dozen reincarnations in various sequels and clones for a variety of operating systems, and the relatively new X 3 only continues the tradition of the gaming legend. There are quite a lot of such series in the world of games - this is SETTLERS, and C&C with his first Red Alert"ohm, and the series about Battle Robots, famous Civilization Sid Meier, and the legendary DOOM, which is almost the progenitor of all modern shooters. A true fan will definitely decide to go all the way, starting with the very first, still DOS-ovskoy game, for that he is a fan.
However, it doesn't matter what was the initial impetus, but you got and downloaded it from the Internet (fortunately, there are enough such resources now) or brought an old toy on the disk, looking forward to a pleasant evening. And here solid disappointments begin. The game either does not want to install at all, or installs, but does not start or does not work correctly, or it works so quickly that it is not possible to somehow curb this process. The process of incomplete compatibility of old programs with Windows XP and Vista appears before us "in all its glory." But there is no need to despair - all these problems have long been solved by other users, and we just have to tell you about the methods of solving them, and you should carefully read and try.
So let's start by dividing the old games conditionally into two categories: games for the DOS platform and slightly more modern ones for the Windows 95/98 platform. The first type, games for DOS, were created for a completely different type of operating system, so they will flatly refuse to run under Windows XP and, even more so, under Windows Vista. However, there is also a way out.
Running old games for the DOS platform in Windows XP and Windows Vista
Among the abundance of necessary functions and a whole heap of useless capabilities of modern operating systems, the function we need to run DOS applications in Windows XP and Windows Vista is completely absent. But then third-party developers come to the rescue, who specifically for these purposes have created a lot of DOS emulators - programs that imitate the functions of the DOS operating system and allow you to run old DOS applications in modern OSes. One of the most popular and widespread emulators is DOSbox (dosbox.sourceforge.net). The program is quite simple and does not require much effort to master, but here the main problem for beginners may be the lack of DOS skills and ignorance of its text interface. Especially for such users, several graphic shells have been developed that offer convenient, intuitive control. One of these shells is DOG - we also invite you to use.
Download as the emulator itself DOSbox, and a graphical shell to it -DOG - you can from our website. Download links are at the bottom of the article in the attached files.
After downloading both programs, first install Dosbox (the installation is standard and does not contain any difficulties). Then we launch the installer of the DOG shell, during installation, we indicate to the installer the path to our DOSbox emulator. That's it, now we can easily run old DOS games in Windows XP and Windows Vista, using an emulator equipped with a convenient graphical interface.
Copy the desired game to hDD and launch the emulator. We find the control panel and the button in it Profiles -\u003e New Profile... Click, enter the name of the game in the field Profile Name... Next, click Select after the filename with the EXE. We press OK and start the game by double clicking on it.
Sometimes, thanks to fans, old, beloved DOS games experience a "rebirth". Try to search the Internet for the "ported" version old game, maybe someone has already created a version for Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Running old Windows 95/98 games on Windows XP and Windows Vista
With games created for the slightly newer Windows 95/98 operating systems, things are a little easier. Microsoft developers have provided a special utility for this purpose - compatibility Mode, and if the old toy completely refuses to run under Windows Xp or Vista, you should enable this mode. For this purpose, we find executable file game and go to its properties (right-click on the file with the option Properties). Go to the tab Compatibility... Remaining only in the field Run the program in compatibility mode for ... check the box next to the required operating system (Windows 95 or another, depending on which operating system the game was developed for). It remains only to press Apply, close the properties window, and you can run the toy and enjoy!
A small digression. Sometimes developers of old games create special patches so that their programs can work in new ones. operating systems... So, for example, did the creators of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R game, originally born under Windows XP and not wanting to function normally in Windows Vista. After the patch was released, all problems were resolved. If you managed to find a similar patch for your toy, install the game first, then the patch and play. If the developers have tried, you will be able to enjoy the process.
Decrease speed in older games
Another problem for old games on new computers may be too high the speed of the gameplay, because the power of modern computer hardware is many times higher than that for which the old games were designed. You will understand what we mean as soon as you yourself face it. If the game runs too fast, as if in accelerated mode, you will have to forcibly reduce the power of your computer using special applications. One of the most popular programs for this purpose is CPUKiller, forcibly reducing the processor frequency. You can also download it from our website (see the links to the attached files at the bottom of the article).
A small guide to working with CPUKiller
Download CPUKiller and install it. Installation is simple and no different from other programs, just follow the wizard's prompts, install and run.
Novice users are not recommended to change the program settings, just go straight to using it. In the CPUKiller working window, you will see a graph of the processor's work and a scale with a slider just below. In order to reduce the frequency, you need to move the slider to the desired number of percent and press Start... A forced reduction of the processor frequency will occur immediately. Minimize the CPUKiller window and play. To turn off just press Stop.
The program can be used without any fear, turned on or off at any convenient time and for any period.
We hope that you will no longer have problems running old games under Windows XP or Windows Vista, and you will have a great time enjoying these rare toys!
Old games on Windows 7. Moving to Windows 7 introduces many new features, but not a few problems. The first problem a novice user faces is setting up the program.
Those who have previously worked with Windows XP find it much more difficult to adapt with the new interface and settings than those who immediately start working in new system... But some time passes and those who used to work in the old system realize that everything is not as bad as it seemed at first. Even many old games run fine on Windows 7. For example, my favorite toy Lara Croft (Tomb Raider 1), which was installed in DOS, goes well. You just need to know how to do it. There is nothing complicated about it. Enough to enable compatibility mode.
How to run old games onWindows 7
I am sure that many have preserved old games that evoke nostalgia for the days when there was no such opportunity as playing online. But then, what were the times ...
I myself used to play all night long, despite the fact that in the morning I had to go to work.
My most favorite games were, and are: Immortality, Tomb Raider (from the first to the fifth version), Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Seventh Guest, Gift, and many others no less interesting.
I still treasure over two hundred game discs with trepidation. Even now, sometimes I do not deny myself the pleasure of playing. But if I sit down, then it's better not to touch me.
After such deviations from everyday life, I feel much better both mentally and physically.
In vain, many parents think that games are just games. Thanks to games, my daughter learned almost everything on the computer, and became a programmer.
In the past, just installing a toy sometimes required skills at the programmer's level. This was especially true for games written for DOS. Now I clicked on the installation file, or a button, and everything was installed and started in automatic mode.
I remember how we installed the game Seventh guest in Windows 98. That's where the puzzle was. Everything is in English, a bunch of files and nothing is clear what's going on. Then Windows XP came along, and some games just didn't install. Then we learned how to put two systems in parallel. One for old games - Millennium, and one for new Piggy.
For a long time we did not want to upgrade to the new Vista and Windows 7 systems, but now we have new computer XP cannot be installed, since it was discontinued and there are no drivers for new equipment for it, but you want to play old games.
Now the seven has improved, and it is now possible to run old games and programs. We will now talk about how to do this.
How to run old games onWindows 7?
To do this, we need to enable Windows 7 compatibility mode.
Right-click on the shortcut of the program or game and select the entry from the drop-down list - Properties .
- In the window that opens, go to the tab Compatibility .
- Check the box next to the entry Run the program in compatibility mode with:
- Below in the drop-down list, select the version of Windows with which your program or game used to work normally;
- Below in Parameters you can customize:
- Use 256 colors ... This mode is suitable for very old programs or games that were run under DOS or Windows 98.
- Use a 640 x 480 screen resolution ... Also used for very early versions of operating systems.
- Disable visual design ... Use this mode if you have problems with menus or icons in windows.
- Disable desktop composition ... This is a mode for turning off transparency and a number of visual effects. Enable it only if you have problems displaying the interface of games or programs.
- Disable high resolution image scaling ... This mode is used in case of problems with disproportionate window sizes or incorrect display of fonts in the program.
Rights level is used only if it is necessary for the program to run only under administrator rights. In order for the settings to take effect for all users of this computer, click Change settings for all users .
After all the changes, click the button Apply and OK .
This enables compatibility mode in Windows 7 , and old games and programs are launched.
If you want all the Windows 7 settings at your fingertips, then read:
Video How to run old games on windows 7.
