Windows 10: Old game compatibility

My dad has a lot of old game from the early 2000s. Rome: Total war and its Barbarian Invasion and a couple of other games he loved to play don’t work on his computer any more. He’s running latest version of Windows 10 and is even part of the Beta testing group. He loved to play these old games and with all this spare time on our hands he wanted to play it again. So when I went to fix it I looked it up. While it seems many other had this problem, switching to compatibility mode usually solves it. So I did that and it still wont run. What should I do now to fix it? I do want to figure it out quickly so he has something to do while he’s stuck inside all the time.

:)

 

Wanting to run old games

Hi Jameson,

Welcome to Microsoft Community. Your interest in Windows 10 is much appreciated.

I would suggest you to refer the below link and check the compatibility of the game with Windows 10.

Explore Windows 10 OS, Computers, Apps, & More | Microsoft

You may also try installing the game in compatibility mode.
Follow these steps to install the game software in compatibility mode and check if that helps.

• • • • 
        Right-click on the game setup file and click on
        ‘properties’.
        
      • 
        Click on the ‘compatibility’ tab and check the box
        ‘Run this program in compatibility mode for’ and select Windows 8 operating system from the drop down menu and proceed with the installation. Once this is done, restart the computer and check if the issue persists.
        

If the issue still persists, I would suggest you to get in touch with the game manufacturer if it’s specific to that particular game.

Keep us posted if you face any issues on windows in future. We will be glad to help you.

 

Trying to play a VERY old game in "Compatibility Mode": Wrath of the Gods

Hello Bowyer,



Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community Forums. We are glad to help you.



Install app in Compatibility mode

I would suggest you to install the game in compatibility mode and check: Follow these steps:

• 
  Download the game from the manufacturer’s website.
  
• 
  Right-click on the game setup file and click on
  ‘properties’.
  
• 
  Click on the ‘compatibility’ tab and check the box
  ‘Run this program in compatibility mode for’ and select Windows 10 from the drop down menu and proceed with the installation. Once this is done, restart the computer and check if the issue persists
  

Hope it helps. Do contact us for further queries. We will be happy to assist.



Thanks and regards,

Jenith

 

Windows 10 Game Compatibility

Hello Debie,

Thank you for your interest in Windows 10!

There are some programs that need new definitions compatible with Windows 10. Till the time they are unavailable you can install the programs compatible with previous versions of operating system in compatibility mode. If you can access the executable (.exe)
file for the game, I would suggest you to follow the below provided steps:

Step 1: Download and save the game on the desktop.

Step 2: Install the game in compatibility mode.

• Right click on the .exe file, and click on Properties.
• Go to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the box for Run this program in compatibility mode for:
• Select Windows 8 (or any other compatible OS) in the list of Operating systems.
• Click OK.
• Double-click the executable file to install the game and follow the onscreen instructions.
• Reboot your computer.

Additional information:

Make older programs compatible with this version of Windows

Hope this information is helpful. Do let us know if you need any further assistance, we'll be glad to assist you.