To play older games, do I partition a Vista machine or just get it reformatted with XP?

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HarryInk	To play older games, do I partition a Vista machine or just get it reformatted with XP?	Lead	[-]
Colonel Posts: 2003 (25-11-09 14:28:16) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None My problem is that I want to run some pre-Vista games on my computer (specifically Matrix's 'Campaigns on the Danube' which was originally something like Win95, I believe, but worked on XP).. Is a solution to partition the drive and have XP or an older OS there so I can use CotD? If so, can you point me toward reading about partitions or is the the sort of job I ask someone more ITish to do? (Meanwhile I'll keep trawling the tech posts to see what I can find out myself). Alternatively, is there any point keeping the machine Vista (as it arrived) rather than getting it reformatted in XP. It's just a home and gaming computer. Ta. This is my computer: OS Name Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium Version 6.0.6002 Service Pack 2 Build 6002 System Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard System Model HP Pavilion dv5 Notebook PC System Type X86-based PC Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9400 @ 2.53GHz, 2534 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s) Video Card NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT BIOS Version/Date Hewlett-Packard F.21, 20/08/2009 SMBIOS Version 2.4 Windows Directory C:\Windows System Directory C:\Windows\system32 Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1 Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB Total Physical Memory 2.97 GB Available Physical Memory 1.29 GB Total Virtual Memory 6.13 GB Available Virtual Memory 4.19 GB Page File Space 3.26 GB
Erwin		#1	[-]
Lieutenant General Posts: 7555 (25-11-09 16:14:49) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm a total techie moron, but you may to check on the threads re my new computer as partitioning is discussed. For what it's worth, I am going to have the new win7 OS installed and download the XP OS for free from MS, so I can partition my primary HD and have both OS's available if older games require XP. (I hear that Vista was compete dud?)
HarryInk		#2	[-]
Colonel Posts: 2004 (25-11-09 18:41:34) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Indeed I have started reading your thread, Erwin. Ta. I pinch myself when you write 'download XP OS' for free. Service packs and wotnot but surely they don't give away XP? As for me, I'll have to wait 'til I'm home in January to get my XP discs back in hand, methinks. I'll have to look for the Win7 references. What is the advantage of going forward rather than backward, I wonder? So many seem to have been shaken by Vista.
RockDawg 1965		#3	[-]
Colonel Posts: 2571 (25-11-09 21:49:52) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	have you tried running in XP Compatability mode? Here are some tips from the monster itself: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Make-older-programs-run-in-this-version-of-Windows
HarryInk		#4	[-]
Colonel Posts: 2005 (26-11-09 11:22:19) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks RD. Yes I have. I've worked through the various compatibilities and trawled the matrix support forums. All to no avail. Vista guts it every old way! So that's why I've come to the question of partitioning. My impression from the VISTA help files is that I can partition my HD without needing to DL Partion Magic or the like, then load up XP or other OS into that partition. It's just that I've never had to partition a disk before and need a little pat on the head and "it'll be alright lil' Harry" and/or "Nope, bad idea! A better idea is..." and/or "Go ahead but don't ...x y z..." Thanks for the help you all gave Erwin. It's an interesting thread to read through.
DrVonCool		#5	[-]
General of the Army Posts: 11110 (26-11-09 19:52:06) Club Vice President Tournament Director Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've done the partitioning and added an XP partition to my Vista box. You should create the new partition right after installing Vista, since the tools coming with Vista cannot downsize the Vista partition once it got bits of files here and there. For that you'd need a 3rd party tool. You'd need to make sure you do it in the right sequence and install XP in a way that still leaves access to Vista - you may need a 3rd party bootloader (I'm using a free one which does all I need). There are very good web pages giving you step-by-step advice what to do. To put it differently: it'll be alright lil' Harry
HarryInk		#6	[-]
Colonel Posts: 2006 (27-11-09 10:48:56) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	snuggles up to DVC in a thankful intellectual way Thanks DVC. If you have a mo' to point me to one of them web pages, I'd be much obliged.
DrVonCool		#7	[-]
General of the Army Posts: 11111 (27-11-09 15:04:52) Club Vice President Tournament Director Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	These three look good (each of them will guide you through the whole process, but it may be worth to check them all out to get a better understanding of what is required): Two pages using VistaBootPro With pictures: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/install-windows-xp-on-your-pre-installed-windows-vista-computer/ Just text: http://vistasupport.mvps.org/install_windows_xp_on_machine_running_vista.htm One page using EasyBCD (this is the boot manager I use, though I'm not sure this is the web page I read when doing it ): http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_vista_and_xp_with_vista_installed_first__the_stepbystep_guide.htm?page=1 If you're a total PC illiterate, you might consider getting someone to support you in case something goes wrong. Last Edited By: DrVonCool 27-11-09 15:07:13. Edited 1 times.
Erwin		#8	[-]
Lieutenant General Posts: 7562 (27-11-09 16:03:34) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Depends how valuable your time is... Take a few quid/bucks/shekels etc and hire someone who knows what they're doing and have em do it and optimize your computer at the same time.
DrVonCool		#9	[-]
General of the Army Posts: 11114 (28-11-09 23:17:39) Club Vice President Tournament Director Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Erwin wrote: Depends how valuable your time is... ...and/or how interested you are in learning a bit more about PCs and how OS make them work.
Erwin		#10	[-]
Lieutenant General Posts: 7566 (29-11-09 00:41:59) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It's like car mechanics or construction. Does one want to spend weeks beating ones brains out trying to fix something and then get a pro to fix the problems one has caused? Or, should one just hire someone who will know way more that you will unless you study the subject for a year or more. If I really wanted to do it all myself, I suppose I could learn how to grow food on my property, generate power from the wind and sun or get gas from rotting compost etc. Of course if we ALL did that then our society, capitalism etc would collapse, since it's based on us selling our skills to others. So, I am being patriotic and mindful of helping create a healthy cooperative society... While you sir, are clearly an anarchist bent on the destruction of all that most of us hold dear. Shame on you... One second thoughts, maybe revolution is not such bad thing. Hmmm...
DrVonCool		#11	[-]
General of the Army Posts: 11119 (29-11-09 15:34:49) Club Vice President Tournament Director Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Another reason for me to do things like this myself is to prove to myself that several years at the university studying Computer Science also resulted in some practical abilities.
Erwin		#12	[-]
Lieutenant General Posts: 7568 (29-11-09 16:06:11) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ah, well... That makes sense then... I don't hire writers or photographers as I spent a couple of decades in those fields and can perform those functions better than almost anyone. Hey... Maybe BoB members should hire me to write their posts for them!
turretlord		#13	[-]
Major Posts: 1346 (29-11-09 16:50:29) Invasion Italy Campaign XO Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I hav ni idea y u kan du this beter thin me.
Erwin		#14	[-]
Lieutenant General Posts: 7570 (29-11-09 19:14:45) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ignorance is bliss.
DrVonCool		#15	[-]
General of the Army Posts: 11122 (29-11-09 21:19:34) Club Vice President Tournament Director Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The photo Erwin is using as his avatar looks very pixalated to me.
HarryInk		#16	[-]
Colonel Posts: 2016 (06-12-09 02:38:55) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Dives for Gen Hawks before the thread is closed! Eek!!