Ben, Actually, there is a much more fundamental problem which exists, and it has to do with the whole issue of real versus virtual mode of the CPU, and having access to the kernal with VXD and similar operations.
When you look at the operation of the 9x series of Windows (forget earlier than 95), as well as DOS itself, they all basicly could have direct access to the kernel which relates to the issue of true DOS and similar issues. Unfortunately, it is one of THE key reasons that they had inherent unstability problems which could never be fully gotten around. However, when MS came up with the NT concept, which was the base operation for the OS/2 operating system that MS developed originally for IBM (back in the days when they were partners), this problem was not to be allowed, since NT, and the later versions of 2K and now XP, would NOT allow real access / access through the kernel to the CPU. This would allow real stability since programs would not be able to (technically) cause stability issues and lock up things. However, as time showed, other issues still would plague the OS itself, why things progressed to the current XP, especially Professional. However, this compatibility mode of, originally, 2K, and now much better inplimentation in XP, has the inherant problem of older programs that need to get real access to the CPU / the kernel / running VXD / etc - since these true 32-bit OSs will not allow such, these programs will not run, or not properly. For example, if you go to Lucas Arts web site, the ONLY games that they can guarentee will run under XP are the most current one they have releases - almost all of their earlier games will either not run at all under XP or have various problems trying to run. When I called then about some games, what they find interesting is that this is not completely true across the board they are finding. Some customers ARE able to run some of the more current older games under XP while other customers are not able to. And it can be totally reversed from one game to another from one set of customers versus another set. There just is not any consistancy with this. The ONLY thing they will say is that generally the older games will not run, even with compatibility mode, in XP, and let that be the company position. And the further back the game was release, the worse the problem becomes. The same can be seen pretty much across the board with almost older games, no matter what or which company - unless it is a currently release game, made to work with XP, there just can not be any real guarentee the game will work in XP, even with using the compatilitity capabilities of XP. The same issues can also be seen with regard to utilities - and this issue can be *** MUCH WORSE *** of a problem since utilities that involve the hard drive can actually end of destroying your system with trying to use utiliities that work are low level operations. The compatibilitiy mode was introduced in one of early service packs of 2K, but it never was very well implimented in 2K - not until XP was it really seen in a better implimentation. As many people (especially kids / gamers) have found, the simpliest solution in many cases is just to configure the system to do dual-boot, where you can setup one partition for Win98SE and another for WinXP. This way the whole problem of compatablity ends up not existing at all, since you can do most of your work in XP, while the 98SE partition and boot takes care of the issue of older 9x related programs, such as games, utilities, and so forth. In fact, I have a 3rd partition myself - this one is setup as a FAT partion for still older DOS programs. Some of my older DOS programs do NOT like dealing with a FAT32 partition for operations, so I have them operating on this partition. However, my days with computers go all the way back to the times when personal computers did not exist, so I still use a lot of programs that run the gamet from DOS, Win98SE (my Win98 bootup is configured to boot into either Win98 or DOS), as well as the newer family of stuff for Win2K and WinXP. I may be a dying breed but I still like to use whatever will work and get the job done. Considering I have a book written in recent times which is 8.5" x 11" by 900 pages long, with a title of "WINDOWS XP COMMAND LINE", which shows you how to do any number of ways of doing DOS command line programs within DOS windows in XP, DOS is NOT dead in XP. No matter what Bill Gates did when XP was introduced, the whole concept of DOS is STILL useful and active in WinXP. WinXP is great and wonderful, but you STILL need to know how to tweak it to correct various features of it to fit the way you work as an individual. One reason I have so many programs and books showing just how to do that (just need time to get to read them to learn all the wonderful info contained in them.) So you are right Ben with the issue you have brought up, that of display issues - but there are other more fundamental issues relating just to the whole concepts of how programs work, all the way back to the start of the current computer industry days on through now, and on into the future. I just can not even start to really think of what anyone will really find they are dealing with Longhorn Windows, or even other things going on with Linux and other OSs that are around these days and tomorrow. Ralph Ben Moore wrote: > > Have you tried running programs in compatibility mode in WinXP? I know > there are some games that will just not run on XP but I've found most > programs will run once you get it set up correctly. The biggest problem for > older programs under WinXP is the visual themes feature that changes the way > windows looks. Once you turn that off under compatibility mode many > programs work fine. > You can change compatibility settings by right clicking on the exe file and > going to the compatibility tab. This even helps some games. > > Ben Moore > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of rb47 > Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 1:53 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: PCWorks: New install of Win98SE - Will I have any > problemsgetting existing updates at MS Site??? > > Clint, > > Well, this system is going to be dual boot, with both 98SE as well as XP > Pro. > > I have too many programs, such as games, utilities, and other programs, > that will not run under XP. So need to be able to have a working version > of 98SE available for those programs, and then XP for everything more > current. > > It is interesting how many people, both in the corporate world as well > as on a more private basis, still have to use 98SE for too many legacy > programs, which is the big reason I personally think for MS still going > to support 98SE. Time will tell on too many things. > > Ralph ============= PCWorks Mailing List ================= Don't see your post? Check our posting guidelines & make sure you've followed proper posting procedures, http://pcworkers.com/rules.htm Contact list owner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Unsubscribing and other changes: http://pcworkers.com =====================================================
