So I mentioned in Casual Games that I have a new computer running Windows 11. (The old one, showing signs of disc failure was running Windows 10.) I was accustomed to it being unable to play most of my older adventures. Now, the new machine has way more capacity and way more speed, and I decided to experiment with installing a virtual machine. Went with Oracle VM Virtual Box, which installed easily and has only a modest learning curve to get into it. I created a new VM, and put Linux Ubuntu on it, and Boom! everything went smoothly and Linux runs just fine. As suspected, it also is too sophisticated to run old adventures.

So I decided to create another VM, and install Windows XP. VB doesn't load from a CD, only an .iso file. So I downloaded an XP .iso file from [redacted] and it installed, but needed a product key which didn't come with it. So - found another .iso file from [that source] which was supposed to automatically possess and install the product key. That got halfway through the installation and froze up.

Now, I do own two legitimate copies of XP including the product keys, and discovered that I could create my own .iso files from the CDs. Tried to install the home version, but it balked because it is an upgrade and couldn't find a pre-existing version. It's always something, right? So tried to install the XP pro which went fine until it also froze midway.

I have reached my frustration level. Removed both the Linux and non-functioning XP, and looking for ideas. Is there some other way to get this new fancy machine to run older stuff?

Sorry Tally Ho. I can't help but maybe you can answer a question for me. I am still using windows 10 and I am reluctant to switching to windows 11. Is it very much different? When I was forced tp change to windows 10 there were several older games that I couldn't play. That is really my only concern right now. Also getting used to some of the changes was frustrating. Windows 10 is just fine for me now! I hate change!

First, Penny Lane, if you want to continue to use your computer on-line after October 2025, you will have to upgrade to Windows 11. That is when Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 and it will no longer get security updates. There are some rumors that Microsoft will offer extended support to individual computer owners, but that it was be astronomically expensive. There are some things that are different, but nothing that is insurmountable. I haven't done the upgrade myself on my desktop because I have to enable something in my BIOS and just haven't done it yet.

Tally Ho, while I have no experience installing Virtual Machines, I have to wonder if there were residual files left from the first attempt at installing the upgrade that caused to XP Pro to freeze?

So far, playing older games on Windows 11 is sort of like Windows 10 - some will work and some won't. I really don't like all the twiddling around when all I want to do is play a game, so I usually just get the older ones from GOG. I was even able to play Shivers 1 which was a real treat - I think I got it for $.99. Recently played Vampire Redemption which is from 1999 - also a download from GOG - and it played perfectly.

Penny Lane - don't be afraid of Windows 11. I didn't want to change either, but had to because of the new computer. You will be comfortable with 11.

Draclvr - your theory about stray files is a good one; but one of the options when you remove a vm is to also delete all the files. I chose that, so it's probably not the answer. Thanks for the input.

I also get games old and new from GOG and Steam, but they don't carry the ones I really want to replay. Obsidian for example. And RAMA and Drowned God and several others. I do have all the original disks to no avail. But hey - I have already played and replayed them in years past, so I will survive. And perhaps grumble a bit.

Finally do you know anything about DosBox? I don't, have only heard of it. Maybe someone will offer an opinion.

Marian will possibly be able to help you Tally Ho as she uses some kind of system to play her old games. Meanwhile, Obsidian is available on Steam as well as on ZOOM (which Marian brought to our attention in a different thread not too long ago). And there is always Allvideo who has Rama and Drowned God if you want to re-purchase. They're expensive but he used to include some freebies with purchase.

https://www.zoom-platform.com/search/any/any/any/any/any/any/any/any

https://www.allvideoclassicgames.com/collections/windows-adventure-games?page=4

Good luck!

Tested to run on Windows 10, so maybe 11 as well...

Obsidian is available to buy on Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2471130/Obsidian/

Drowned God and RAMA free to download and play here -

https://archive.org/details/DrownedGod-ZombsLair

https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2016/05/rama.html

Draclvr and Tally Ho. Thanks for the info about windows 11. I think I will stick with 10 for a while.

Thank you so much oldbroad and Pugwash! The more places to get these older games, the better. And Tally Ho, I think we have a right to grumble about our old games not playing! I remember when Windows 10 first came out and there were so many complaints about old games, some youngster made a statement to the effect of, "You people should just move on! How many times do you REALLY need to replay Day of the Tentacle?" Um... as many times as I want to, young sir!!

As oldbroad said, Marian has more experience with these virtual machines than I do. Perhaps she will have something to add for you.

I too would recommend buying Obsidian from here. Newly released digital deluxe version with some added features. This is also a DRM-free site. I have purchased games from them with no issues.

We have Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers in our home. I have not tried to run any virtual machines on the Windows 11 as yet so don't really know anything about that which is specific to that OS.

DosBox is great for DOS games. I use it quite a lot. Easy to install. The trick is learning the DosBox commands. There are some good tutorials online out there, though.

Let's see if you can't get one or two of these older games running with the suggestions above and we can take it from there. Fortunately there are a lot of savvy people out there who have figured out a way to run pretty much every older game out there.

And you know what? Some of these games are *wonderful.* So, to say to someone why do you need to play Day of the Tentacle again or any other golden oldie, to me that is like saying why would you want to read Jane Eyre again. Imagine if you suddenly found yourself unable to open a book that you loved and could not read it again - but somehow with great computer games, that isn't supposed to matter that you can't access them anymore.

*Sounds of loud clapping* Marian! Couldn't have said it any better.

Wow! Y'all are great! Thanks for all the responses. We haven't solved the Virtual Machine problem, but with the sources for old games, I might not need to do that.

Marian - now you have made me want to read Outlander again LOL. And I don't think I would be a-feard of dos commands; I had a DOS computer before there was such a thing as Windows 3.1

I will look at Steam again - when I first found Obsidian there, I think you had to own the original disk. Which I do, but it got damaged in the vertical CD drive. Now it's for sale at $9.99. Kinda galls me that I already paid for the game; and twenty bucks was bigger then than it is now.

Correction - I first found Obsidian on GOG not Steam; along with Drowned God - where you had to use the original executable in the CD drive. I resisted doing that again because it was that drive that destroyed my Obsidian disc.

Edit: Thank you Pugwash. I was able to get Drowned God from the site you recommended. Whooee it actually runs. I will need to adjust the screen resolution, since it's fairly pixellated on my 40 inch monitor.

Draclvr - I searched for Shivers on GOG; no results found. Just sayin'

Here you go, Tally Ho! It's $5.99 now.

Shivers 1 at GOG

I'm a bit late to the party but I can mention Microsoft's excellent virtual machine. The Hyper-V. Available for proud users of Win 10/11 Pro. Don't know if the learning curve is modest or steep but it takes some tinkering to get it up and running. Can run Ubuntu, evaluation versions of win 10/11 and to some extent other Linux distros. I use the Hyper-V a lot with Debian Linux. Was even worth to upgrade to Win Pro just for the Hyper-V.

However there is a huge performance penalty. Modern games tend to be horribly slow, or unplayable.

Still it's a good way to get familiar with Linux or try out new software without risking to affect your main system.

As for windows XP I managed to install and run a virtual XP. However there was the problem that I never managed to authenticate my copy at Microsoft's servers. So after 30 days trial period the XP stopped running.

As others have mentioned there's always the excellent DosBox for really old software. And the GOG store has some good stuff. I recently bought the darkside game Diablo there. And Riven. A great thing they both run without the pesky CD-Rom.

I've heard that HyperV does not work that great with games, but it is excellent if you want to mess around with Ubuntu distros.

I also have Diablo and Diablo 2 with The Lord of Destruction expansion from GOG. And, yes, I have both games on disc. But to be able to just PLAY them whenever I want to without spending a lot of time tweaking this and that is well worth it to me.

But Shivers 1 from GOG is by far my greatest triumph to play on Windows 10 and 11! Now, if they would just add Amber: Journeys Beyond...

Thanks for the nudge. I waited a few days, and Shivers had been 5.99 now listed at 4.19. Picked it up.

Amber oh my. I do have the original disk, for what that's worth 😢

Yes, I have the Amber disk too. We had a small group of about 5 people we formed in response to some bullying many years ago on a very old now-defunct forum. One of us had the Amber disk and we were sending it to each other after we had signed the front of the CD case. It went from Hawaii to Pennsylvania to Canada to Florida and somehow I ended up with it. One of our group has passed, so I will keep that disk and case forever!

Have fun with Shivers, Tally Ho!

Tested to run on Windows 10:

Interesting, Marian. It uses something called PCem and you are cautioned to turn off PCem before exiting the game. Makes me a tad uneasy... Have you tried this one?

Yes, I have. PCem is an emulator, so no worries there. Turning it off before exiting is probably a technical consideration, to avoid a crash or the game not saving or some such.

The PCem website can be found here.

AllVideo also sells the game here.

Thank you so much, Marian!

Amber: Journey's Beyond is one of the *freebies* I received from Allvideo years ago but I still haven't played it, though I do have it installed on Win 7.

You have a lot of great games to look forward to playing, ob!

Amber is one of those old games that is well-worth re-playing and keeping around!