Anonymous edits have been disabled on the wiki. If you want to contribute please login or create an account.

Difference between revisions of "Windows"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
m (→‎Install the bundled games of Windows 7 on newer versions: Added links to game-specific articles based on Series:Microsoft Windows)
(19 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 9: Line 9:
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''Microsoft Windows''' is a popular family of operating systems.
+
'''Key points'''
 +
{{++}} The most popular and widely supported family of operating system among PC gamers.
 +
{{++}} [[Wikipedia:Backward compatibility|Backward compatibility]] is high, with newer versions of the operating system capable of running decades old software with minimal issues.
 +
{{ii}} Have transitioned over to periodical major upgrades biannually since the introduction of Windows 10.
 +
 
 +
'''Resources'''
 +
{{ii}} [https://support.microsoft.com Official support]
 +
{{ii}} [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/update-history-windows-10 Windows 10 Update history]
 +
{{ii}} [https://catalog.update.microsoft.com Microsoft Update Catalog] - Allows for manual download of updates or device drivers. See [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/323166/how-to-download-updates-that-include-drivers-and-hotfixes-from-the-win related KB article].
 +
 
 +
'''Communities'''
 +
{{ii}} [https://answers.microsoft.com Microsoft Community] - Official community for everything related to Microsoft
 +
{{ii}} [https://www.reddit.com/r/windows10/ /r/windows10] - Subreddit dedicated to Windows 10
 +
{{ii}} [https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/ /r/windows] - Subreddit dedicated to Windows in general
  
 
==General==
 
==General==
Line 20: Line 33:
  
 
===Task Manager===
 
===Task Manager===
The Task Manager is an application built into Windows that allows for the managing running processes as-well as providing information about computer performance. It can be accessed by pressing {{Key|Ctrl}}+{{Key|Alt}}+{{Key|Delete}} and choosing '''Task Manager''' or you can press {{Key|Ctrl}}+{{Key|Shift}}+{{Key|Esc}} to open it directly.
+
The Task Manager is an application built into Windows that allows for the managing running processes as well as providing information about computer performance.
 +
 
 +
It can be accessed by any of the following ways:
 +
 
 +
* {{Key|Right-click}} on the taskbar of Windows and select '''Task Manager'''.
 +
* Press {{Key|Ctrl|Alt|Delete}} and select '''Task Manager'''.
 +
* Press {{Key|Ctrl|Shift|Escape}} to open it directly.
  
 
===Device Manager===
 
===Device Manager===
Line 54: Line 73:
  
 
While they can save time for developers, these files can cause problems for the end-user (commonly referred to as "[[Wikipedia:DLL hell|DLL Hell]]").
 
While they can save time for developers, these files can cause problems for the end-user (commonly referred to as "[[Wikipedia:DLL hell|DLL Hell]]").
 +
 +
==Windows 10==
 +
===Game Bar===
 +
The Game Bar ({{key|Win|G}}) allows easy capture recording of gameplay screenshots and video while playing a game and is enabled by default in Windows 10. Unfortunately, some games suffer from sporadic but severe [[Glossary:Frame rate (FPS)|FPS]] drops when the bar is enabled.<ref>[http://steamcommunity.com/app/730/discussions/0/350542145703363730/ How to fix CS 30 FPS cap after Windows 10 anniversary update! :: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive General Discussions]</ref>
 +
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Disable game bar|ref=|fix=
 +
# Open '''Settings''', click on '''Gaming''', and navigate to the '''Game bar''' page.
 +
# Uncheck '''Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar'''.
 +
}}
 +
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Disable game DVR background recording|ref=|fix=
 +
# Open '''Settings''', click on '''Gaming''', and navigate to the '''Game DVR''' page.
 +
# Uncheck '''Record in the background while I'm playing a game'''.
 +
}}
 +
 +
===Disable driver updates delivered through Windows Update===
 +
{{ii}} Driver updates can only be disabled before they are actually downloaded/installed.
 +
{{ii}} Not all driver updates will be listed at first, however they can be disabled gradually.
 +
 +
{{Fixbox|description=[https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3073930/how-to-temporarily-prevent-a-driver-update-from-reinstalling-in-window How to temporarily prevent a driver update from reinstalling in Windows 10]}}
  
 
==Issues unresolved==
 
==Issues unresolved==
 
<!-- Maybe we should have a separate page with features (relevant to gaming) added and removed across Windows versions, akin to wikipedia. Maybe a feature matrix. -->
 
<!-- Maybe we should have a separate page with features (relevant to gaming) added and removed across Windows versions, akin to wikipedia. Maybe a feature matrix. -->
===SafeDisc protection doesn't work with Windows 10===
 
Previous Windows of versions included a compatible version of {{file|secdrv.sys}} for the Macrovision safedisc [[DRM]], but Windows 10 does not, rendering games requiring SafeDisc unplayable. According to a Microsoft representative "Safedisc is not supported on Windows 10" and people will have to wait for Macrovision to come out with an updated secdrv.sys.<ref>[http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/games_windows_10/age-of-mythology-windows-10/c7142024-8298-4060-aeb8-0e77d9d83af7 Microsoft Community Forums :: Age of Mythology - Windows 10]</ref>
 
 
 
===Screen recorders, overlays, injectors won't work with Windows Apps===
 
===Screen recorders, overlays, injectors won't work with Windows Apps===
 
See [[Windows Store#Issues unresolved|Windows Store]] article for this and other Windows Apps related issues.
 
See [[Windows Store#Issues unresolved|Windows Store]] article for this and other Windows Apps related issues.
  
 
==Issues fixed==
 
==Issues fixed==
===Alt F4 doesn't terminate freezed applications===
+
===Alt F4 doesn't terminate frozen applications===
  
 
{{Fixbox|description=Use [https://stefansundin.github.io/superf4/ SuperF4]}}
 
{{Fixbox|description=Use [https://stefansundin.github.io/superf4/ SuperF4]}}
Line 78: Line 114:
 
# The game should now see the .dll and play normally.
 
# The game should now see the .dll and play normally.
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
===DirectDraw is broken===
 +
This issue actually first materialized in 8.1,<ref>https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/games_windows_10/directdraw-emulation-still-broken-in-windows-10/5a619148-cf1e-4813-b733-997b996b9567</ref> unfortunately there is little more that can be done than use a DDraw wrapper:
 +
* [https://www.dxgl.info DXGL]
 +
* [https://fdossena.com/?p=wined3d/index.frag Wine3D for Win]
 +
* [https://github.com/narzoul/DDrawCompat DDraw Compact]
 +
* [https://code.google.com/archive/p/ddhack/ DDraw Hack]
 +
* [http://bitpatch.com/ddwrapper.html DDWrapper]
 +
* [https://sourceforge.net/projects/dxwnd/ DxWnd]
 +
* [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/579-windows-881-ddraw-fps-fix/ DDRAW FPS Fix]
 +
 +
{{ii}} [http://dege.freeweb.hu DgVoodoo 2], a glide wrapper, also has a DDraw wrapper built-in.
 +
{{ii}} Direct3D 8 has a very similar issue on 8.1 and later as well<ref>https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=47772</ref>, however the ddraw wrappers (with an exception to the ones that include a d3d8.dll) do not fix the issue as D3D8 doesn't use ddraw, being the first version of DirectX to deprecate it. Instead use [https://www.vogons.org/download/file.php?id=40791&sid=194009d3f6320aa046542761a6b7e2a1 a patched d3d8.dll], the [http://enbdev.com/download_convertor_dx8todx9.htm DX8 to DX9 convertor] or the [https://github.com/crosire/d3d8to9/releases d3d8to9] wrapper.
 +
{{ii}} Users of Windows Vista and on-wards actually benefit from a DDraw wrapper due to it no longer being hardware accelerated on such systems, however the built-in DDraw wasn't completely broken until 8.1.
  
 
===Older games refuse to start on Windows 8 and later===
 
===Older games refuse to start on Windows 8 and later===
Line 89: Line 139:
  
 
===Force CPU affinity===
 
===Force CPU affinity===
 +
{{ii}} Prevents processes from using other CPU cores than the ones allowed, which can work around threading synchronization issues that might exist.
 +
 
{{Fixbox|description=Provisional solution: Task manager|fix=
 
{{Fixbox|description=Provisional solution: Task manager|fix=
# Open Windows [[#Task Manager|Task Manager]]
+
# Open Windows [[#Task Manager|Task Manager]].
# Find game's process name (right click on its task and press "Go to process")
+
# Find process for the application by {{Key|Right-click}} on its task and press '''Go to process/details'''.
# Right click on the process name
+
# {{Key|Right-click}} on the process and select '''Set affinity'''.
# From the drop down menu select "Set Affinity..."
+
# Deselect all other CPU cores than the ones the process should be allowed to run on. If you want to prevent the process from using Intel's Hyper-Threading (HT) or AMD's Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) CPU cores then deselect all odd CPU cores (so 1, 3, 5, 7, etc).
# Assign the game as many processors as you need
+
# Click '''OK''' to apply the change. It will take effect immediately.
 +
 
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} Task Manager does not store the tweak permanently. It needs to be reapplied each time the process launches.
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 171: Line 226:
 
===Codec hell===
 
===Codec hell===
 
{{Fixbox|description=Reset DirectShow filters|fix=
 
{{Fixbox|description=Reset DirectShow filters|fix=
# Download and open [http://www.softella.com/dsfm/index.en.htm DirectShow Filter Manager]
+
# Download and open [http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Codec-Packs-Video-Codecs/DirectShow-Filter-Manager.shtml DirectShow Filter Manager]
 
# Go to the Troubleshooting tab
 
# Go to the Troubleshooting tab
 
# Select ''Restore standard DirectX codecs''
 
# Select ''Restore standard DirectX codecs''
Line 196: Line 251:
 
}}
 
}}
  
===Non-unicode applications===
+
===Non-Unicode applications might not work properly===
{{ii}} This is most commonly issue with Japanese games and visual novels. Games may work directly, but usually there may be scrambled text, bugs, game won't start or refuses to even install.  
+
{{ii}} This is most commonly an issue with Japanese games and visual novels, and may prevent a game from being installed, launched, or even work properly (may have scrambled text or bugs).
{{ii}} Easiest way to fix issues is to set Windows non-unicode language to language game origins from, but in some scenarios it may introduce unwanted changes in other programs, especially if OS language is other than English. This includes some basic characters being incorrectly replaced, programs defaulting to set non-unicode language and other programs suddenly not being able to launch or crash.  
+
{{++}} Locale Emulator/Microsoft AppLocale runs the application with the correct localization without affecting the rest of the operating system.
{{++}} AppLocale runs the application with same effect without effecting system.  
+
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Use Locale Emulator|fix=
 +
{{ii}} Developed primarily for Windows 10, although it is also compatible with both 7 and 8.1.
 +
{{--}} Supports only 32-bit executables.
 +
 
 +
'''Instructions'''
 +
# Download [https://pooi.moe/Locale-Emulator/ Locale Emulator] and extract the archive to where you want the application to be installed.
 +
# Run {{file|LEInstaller.exe}} and select '''Install for current user'''.
 +
# After the installation have finished, use {{file|LEGUI.exe}} to set up desired localization profiles.
 +
# Finally, right-click on a 32-bit executable (or its shortcut) and select the desired profile under the '''Locale Emulator''' context menu.
 +
}}
 +
 
 
{{Fixbox|description=Use Microsoft AppLocale|fix=
 
{{Fixbox|description=Use Microsoft AppLocale|fix=
 +
{{ii}} Might not work on modern versions of Windows as the tool have not been updated since 2004.
 +
 +
'''Instructions'''
 
# Download Microsoft AppLocale [https://web.archive.org/web/20050115055602/http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8c4e8e0d-45d1-4d9b-b7c0-8430c1ac89ab&displaylang=en here] and install it.
 
# Download Microsoft AppLocale [https://web.archive.org/web/20050115055602/http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8c4e8e0d-45d1-4d9b-b7c0-8430c1ac89ab&displaylang=en here] and install it.
 
#* With Windows versions after XP installation will fail. Simply put installer to XP SP3 compatibility mode to continue.  
 
#* With Windows versions after XP installation will fail. Simply put installer to XP SP3 compatibility mode to continue.  
# Open AppLocale follow instructions. It should automatically detect programs language.  
+
# Open AppLocale follow instructions. It should automatically detect programs language.
 
}}
 
}}
{{Fixbox|description=Change non-unicode language|ref=<ref>[http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-system-locale Change the system locale - Windows Help]</ref>|fix=
+
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Change non-Unicode language system-wide|ref=<ref>[http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-system-locale Change the system locale - Windows Help]</ref>|fix=
 +
{{ii}} Easiest way to fix the issue, but may introduce unwanted changes to other programs; especially if the display language of Windows is non-English. This includes some basic characters being incorrectly replaced, programs defaulting to set non-Unicode language and other programs suddenly not being able to launch or crash.
 +
 
 +
'''Instructions'''
 
# Go to Control Panel, Clock, Language and Region and Regional and Language Options.
 
# Go to Control Panel, Clock, Language and Region and Regional and Language Options.
# From Administrative tab change non-unicode language.  
+
# From Administrative tab change non-unicode language to the country/localization the game originated from.
 
# Restart computer for changes to take effect.  
 
# Restart computer for changes to take effect.  
 
}}
 
}}
Line 263: Line 336:
 
}}
 
}}
  
==DOS compatibility==
+
===Microsoft removed the MIDI Mapper===
 +
Starting Windows 8.1 and later, Microsoft removed the ability to change the default MIDI device, at least officially
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Modify the registry|ref=<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfbbzN9XuPw</ref>|fix=
 +
Go to: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32"<br>
 +
Then open "midimapper" and replace "midimap.dll" with "VirtualMIDISynth\VirtualMIDISynth.dll"}}
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Use a MIDIMapper replacement|ref=<ref>http://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/blog/2013/03/what-happened-midi-mapper-windows-8</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQQDJ6tQH_o</ref>|fix=
 +
Use the [https://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/midimapper CoolSoft MIDIMapper] or KaleidonKep99's (A.K.A. Riccardo Loi) ReactOS MIDI Mapper (no longer availible).}}
 +
 
 +
===Error connected with "dxgmms2.sys" error with DirectX 8 or older games===
 +
This happened after the November 2015 update on Nvidia video cards that do not support DirectX 12 hardware features. Issue was resolved with Windows update KB3140743.
 +
 
 +
==="To use this, you need to upgrade Windows" notification on Microsoft Store pages===
 +
Ensure Windows 10 is Version 1511 or later (run <code>winver</code> from the start menu search box to verify).<ref>[https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_store/cant-buy-quantum-break-in-windows-10/f00be2f0-3fc3-4f97-a2e9-dba3e2d32737?auth=1 Can't buy Quantum Break in Windows 10 - Microsoft Community]</ref> The update can be installed through Windows Update (if listed) or manually from [https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10 Get Windows 10].
 +
 
 +
===SafeDisc protected games do not work with Windows 10===
 +
{{ii}} '''This exposes the system to known security vulnerabilities, and can make the system more susceptible to malicious attacks.'''
 +
 
 +
Previous versions of Windows included a compatible version of {{file|secdrv.sys}} for Macrovision [[DRM#SafeDisc|SafeDisc DRM]]; Windows 10 does not, rendering games protected by SafeDisc unplayable. According to a Microsoft representative "Safedisc is not supported on Windows 10" and people will have to wait for Macrovision to come out with an updated kernel driver, something they have yet to do.<ref>[http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/games_windows_10/age-of-mythology-windows-10/c7142024-8298-4060-aeb8-0e77d9d83af7 Microsoft Community Forums :: Age of Mythology - Windows 10]</ref> However a workaround is to obtain and install the kernel driver from an older version of Windows, as described below.
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Install SafeDisc drivers from a previous version of Windows|ref=<ref>{{Refcheck|user=KyoriAsh|date=2018-07-19}}</ref>|fix=
 +
# Download the [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/1154-safediscforwin10zip/ necessary files].
 +
# Extract to any path except directly to {{code|{{path|windir}}\system32\drivers}}.
 +
# Copy {{file|secdrv.sys}} to {{code|{{path|windir}}\system32\drivers}}.
 +
# Import {{file|secdrv.reg}} to Windows registry.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==Backward compatibility==
 +
===Compatibility mode===
 +
{{ii}} See [[Windows Compatibility Mode|Windows Compatibility Mode]] for information on how to use the built-in backward compatibility mode of Windows.
 +
 
 +
===DOS compatibility===
 
For modern versions of Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit), it is recommended to use [[DOSBox]].
 
For modern versions of Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit), it is recommended to use [[DOSBox]].
  
Line 270: Line 375:
  
 
==Other information==
 
==Other information==
===Game Bar===
+
===Install the bundled games of Windows 7 on newer versions===
See [[Windows 10#Game Bar|Game Bar]].
+
{{ii}} While Microsoft haven't made the games bundled with older versions of Windows easily accessible to newer versions of the operating system, it is still possible to download and install these due to efforts from the community to make them compatible with newer versions of Windows.
  
===Running previous Windows versions bundled games on newer ones===
+
{{Fixbox|description=[https://winaero.com/blog/get-windows-7-games-for-windows-10/ Download and install the desired games from  this article.]|fix=
{{ii}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20150311235209/http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/33214-How-to-use-Microsoft-Games-from-Windows-7-in-Windows-8-x Automatic patcher thing.]
+
The package includes the following games from Windows 7:
 +
* [[Chess Titans]]
 +
* [[FreeCell]]
 +
* [[Hearts]]
 +
* [[Mahjong Titans]]
 +
* [[Minesweeper (Vista)|Minesweeper]]
 +
* [[Purple Place]]
 +
* [[Solitaire]]
 +
* [[Spider Solitaire]]
 +
* [[Internet Backgammon]]
 +
* [[Internet Checkers]]
 +
* [[Internet Spades]]
 +
}}
  
 
===Speed up loading of web pages in Windows===
 
===Speed up loading of web pages in Windows===

Revision as of 23:49, 19 July 2018

Windows
Windows cover
Developers
Microsoft
Release dates
Windows November 20, 1985
Windows at Wikipedia

Key points

The most popular and widely supported family of operating system among PC gamers.
Backward compatibility is high, with newer versions of the operating system capable of running decades old software with minimal issues.
Have transitioned over to periodical major upgrades biannually since the introduction of Windows 10.

Resources

Official support
Windows 10 Update history
Microsoft Update Catalog - Allows for manual download of updates or device drivers. See related KB article.

Communities

Microsoft Community - Official community for everything related to Microsoft
/r/windows10 - Subreddit dedicated to Windows 10
/r/windows - Subreddit dedicated to Windows in general

General

Command Prompt

The Command Prompt is the command-line interpreter provided by Microsoft for Windows systems and is the not-as-powerful equivalent of the shell in Linux and Mac OS. It can be accessed by going to 'run' and typing 'cmd.exe' or by running a 'Batch file'.

Admin Command Prompt

Windows 8 and later
  • Push Win+X, then push A.

Task Manager

The Task Manager is an application built into Windows that allows for the managing running processes as well as providing information about computer performance.

It can be accessed by any of the following ways:

  • Right-click on the taskbar of Windows and select Task Manager.
  • Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select Task Manager.
  • Press Ctrl+ Shift+Esc to open it directly.

Device Manager

The Device Manager is an application built into Windows that allows for the management of device drivers. It can be accessed from the Control Panel.

Registry Editor

The Registry Editor allows users to edit the Windows registry. It can be accessed by going to 'run' and typing 'Regedit.exe'.

Basic Editing
  1. Push Win+R, type regedit, then click OK.
  2. Navigate to the desired registry key, such as HKEY_CURRENT_USER, under the Computer category.
  3. Double click on any entries on the right side, right after selecting a registry key, under the Name category, in order to edit them.
Advanced Search
  1. Download RegJump, extract it inside the root directory of the main Local Disk location.
  2. Copy any desired path into the clipboard.
  3. Open a Command prompt as an admin.
  4. Write CD YourRootFolder:\, regjump.exe and regjump -c.

Notes

The last command tells Windows to open the Registry Editor at the path which was currently stored inside the clipboard.

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

A Blue Screen of Death (a.k.a BSOD or Bluescreen) is an error screen that Windows produces when it encounters an error that it cannot recover from.

DirectX

DirectX is a collection of APIs for Windows that allows programs to interact directly with hardware.

.NET Framework

The .NET Framework is a software framework for Windows that is required for games built in .NET-aware languages (such as C# or Visual Basic), including those that use XNA. Different games may require different versions of .NET Framework. A list with download links to all versions may be found on MSDN. Windows 8 and 10 users may want to read this.

DLLs

DLL stands for "Dynamic Link Library". DLL files (.dll) are Windows exclusive library files containing code and data that can be used over several applications.

While they can save time for developers, these files can cause problems for the end-user (commonly referred to as "DLL Hell").

Windows 10

Game Bar

The Game Bar ( Win+G) allows easy capture recording of gameplay screenshots and video while playing a game and is enabled by default in Windows 10. Unfortunately, some games suffer from sporadic but severe FPS drops when the bar is enabled.[1]

Disable game bar
  1. Open Settings, click on Gaming, and navigate to the Game bar page.
  2. Uncheck Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar.
Disable game DVR background recording
  1. Open Settings, click on Gaming, and navigate to the Game DVR page.
  2. Uncheck Record in the background while I'm playing a game.

Disable driver updates delivered through Windows Update

Driver updates can only be disabled before they are actually downloaded/installed.
Not all driver updates will be listed at first, however they can be disabled gradually.
How to temporarily prevent a driver update from reinstalling in Windows 10

Issues unresolved

Screen recorders, overlays, injectors won't work with Windows Apps

See Windows Store article for this and other Windows Apps related issues.

Issues fixed

Alt F4 doesn't terminate frozen applications

Use SuperF4

Older Games Missing .dll File on Windows Vista and later

Some .dll files have different names on Windows Vista and later.
Copy DLL to folder
  1. Make a note of the name of the missing .dll.
  2. Go to %WINDIR%\SysWOW64 (or %WINDIR%\System32 if you are running a 32-bit version of Windows).
  3. Find the .dll that has the same name as the missing .dll but with an additional x in the name (e.g. if the game can't find dplay.dll, look for dplayx.dll).
  4. Copy that .dll into the game's installation folder (do not move it).
  5. Rename the copy to the name of the .dll that was missing (so dplayx.dll becomes dplay.dll, etc.)
  6. The game should now see the .dll and play normally.

DirectDraw is broken

This issue actually first materialized in 8.1,[2] unfortunately there is little more that can be done than use a DDraw wrapper:

DgVoodoo 2, a glide wrapper, also has a DDraw wrapper built-in.
Direct3D 8 has a very similar issue on 8.1 and later as well[3], however the ddraw wrappers (with an exception to the ones that include a d3d8.dll) do not fix the issue as D3D8 doesn't use ddraw, being the first version of DirectX to deprecate it. Instead use a patched d3d8.dll, the DX8 to DX9 convertor or the d3d8to9 wrapper.
Users of Windows Vista and on-wards actually benefit from a DDraw wrapper due to it no longer being hardware accelerated on such systems, however the built-in DDraw wasn't completely broken until 8.1.

Older games refuse to start on Windows 8 and later

Install DirectPlay
  1. Open the Start screen, type OptionalFeatures.exe and press Enter.
  2. Expand Legacy Components.
  3. Ensure DirectPlay is checked.
  4. Click OK to save your changes.

Note: Normally Windows 8+ automatically detects if an application needs DirectPlay or other legacy components when it launches and prompts the user to install DirectPlay, but this requires a certain combination of services to be active such as the Diagnostic Policy Service which are sometimes disabled by the user.

Force CPU affinity

Prevents processes from using other CPU cores than the ones allowed, which can work around threading synchronization issues that might exist.
Provisional solution: Task manager
  1. Open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Find process for the application by Right-click on its task and press Go to process/details.
  3. Right-click on the process and select Set affinity.
  4. Deselect all other CPU cores than the ones the process should be allowed to run on. If you want to prevent the process from using Intel's Hyper-Threading (HT) or AMD's Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) CPU cores then deselect all odd CPU cores (so 1, 3, 5, 7, etc).
  5. Click OK to apply the change. It will take effect immediately.

Notes

Task Manager does not store the tweak permanently. It needs to be reapplied each time the process launches.
Permanent solution: customized shortcut
  1. Right click on your desktop
  2. Make a new shortcut to %WINDIR%\System32\cmd.exe
  3. Open its properties and add the following to the "Target" field
/C start "" /D "<path-to-game>\" /AFFINITY 1 "<path-to-game>\game.exe"

Notes

Shortcut name and icon can be customized to match game's ones.
Additional parameters can be normally added at the end of the target field
Affinity value must be in hex. To assign more than a core check this table
Permanent solution: flag game executable
  1. Download ImageCFG
  2. Place it in the same folder of the game exe
  3. Open there a command prompt and run
imagecfg -a 0x1 game.exe

Notes

Executable won't be backed up, so if you'll have to do so yourself if you wish to revert it.
Affinity value is in hex. If you want to assign more than a core, check here
Use PsExec
  1. Download Sysinternals's PsTools
  2. Extract PsExec in the game executable folder
  3. Run the game through the following command (command line and/or a batch file can be used)
psexec -a 0 game.exe

Notes

Additional cores can be specified with a comma after the previous ones
Use RunFirst
  1. Download RunFirst
  2. Create a shortcut to RunFirst.exe with the path to game executable as a parameter

Notes

This won't work if game requires to be launched through an external client

4-Gigabyte Tuning

Windows XP and Server 2003 (x86 only): edit boot configuration file[4]
  1. Open command prompt under administrator privileges
  2. Type bootcfg /raw "/3GB /userva=2048" /A /ID 1 (where 1 is the boot entry id)
Windows Vista and later (x86 only): edit boot configuration database[5]
  1. Open an elevated command prompt
  2. Type BCDEdit /set increaseuserva 2048

Notes

Windows default setting of 2048MB of user-mode virtual address space is used in the examples. Higher values may be attempted at risk of various system instabilities[6][7]
Force IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE flag in executables
  1. Download Large Address Aware enabler
  2. Open it and select game executable
  3. Tick LAA checkbox and save changes

Notes

Should there be any issue, revert modification and try 4GB Patch

Shoddy coded applications mess system-wide registry setting

Edit key ACL
  1. Open regedit
  2. Navigate to the relevant key
  3. Right-click over it, then Permissions and Advanced
  4. Depending on your Windows version either untick Permissions inheritance from parent or press Disable Inheritance
  5. When asked, choose to add/convert/copy previous permissions to the object
  6. Click on Administrators group and edit its permissions
  7. Select changes to apply This key only
  8. Last untick Set Value advanced permission

Notes

In the event of 32-bit offending program not expected to run with administrator privileges on Vista or newer Windows reg flags "<key>" set DONT_VIRTUALIZE /reg:32 can be used instead[8]

Codec hell

Reset DirectShow filters
  1. Download and open DirectShow Filter Manager
  2. Go to the Troubleshooting tab
  3. Select Restore standard DirectX codecs

Notes

Single filters can be adjusted with Codec Tweak Tool

Missing codecs

Install ffdshow[9]
Choose the release with the number of bits your troublesome application is compiled for, regardless of the actual OS instruction set
QuickTime for Windows is no more[citation needed]
Install QT Lite for apps that use Apple's codecs.

Game files missing after upgrading or refreshing Windows

Upgrading or refreshing your Windows installation will move some files and folders to a Windows.old folder on the system drive.
Retrieve files from windows.old[10]
  1. Open the Start screen/Start menu, type Computer and press Enter.
  2. Go into the system drive (usually C:).
  3. Go into the Windows.old folder.
  4. Go to the equivalent location for the files you are looking for and move them to their normal location.

Non-Unicode applications might not work properly

This is most commonly an issue with Japanese games and visual novels, and may prevent a game from being installed, launched, or even work properly (may have scrambled text or bugs).
Locale Emulator/Microsoft AppLocale runs the application with the correct localization without affecting the rest of the operating system.
Use Locale Emulator
Developed primarily for Windows 10, although it is also compatible with both 7 and 8.1.
Supports only 32-bit executables.

Instructions

  1. Download Locale Emulator and extract the archive to where you want the application to be installed.
  2. Run LEInstaller.exe and select Install for current user.
  3. After the installation have finished, use LEGUI.exe to set up desired localization profiles.
  4. Finally, right-click on a 32-bit executable (or its shortcut) and select the desired profile under the Locale Emulator context menu.
Use Microsoft AppLocale
Might not work on modern versions of Windows as the tool have not been updated since 2004.

Instructions

  1. Download Microsoft AppLocale here and install it.
    • With Windows versions after XP installation will fail. Simply put installer to XP SP3 compatibility mode to continue.
  2. Open AppLocale follow instructions. It should automatically detect programs language.
Change non-Unicode language system-wide[11]
Easiest way to fix the issue, but may introduce unwanted changes to other programs; especially if the display language of Windows is non-English. This includes some basic characters being incorrectly replaced, programs defaulting to set non-Unicode language and other programs suddenly not being able to launch or crash.

Instructions

  1. Go to Control Panel, Clock, Language and Region and Regional and Language Options.
  2. From Administrative tab change non-unicode language to the country/localization the game originated from.
  3. Restart computer for changes to take effect.

IPX protocol deprecated

IPX was a LAN protocol commonly used with older programs, especially games. Unfortunately it was removed entirely from Vista and later with no indication of returning.
Try a wrapper[citation needed]

Try one of the following:

  • ipxemu
  • IPXWrapper
  • Kali - This one's more for tunneling IPX over the internet rather than LAN, but still works.
Copy support files from Windows XP[12]

What you need: a working installation of Windows XP sp2.

Step 1. Ctrate a new folder c:\temp

Step 2. Copy the following files to the directory c:\temp *and* to the corrsponding vista directories: Note: You might need to open up an "elevated" command prompt, "run as administrator", (to get write access to directories).

Windows\System32\drivers\nwlnkipx.sys Windows\System32\drivers\nwlnkflt.sys Windows\System32\drivers\nwlnkfwd.sys Windows\System32\drivers\nwlnknb.sys Windows\System32\drivers\nwlnkspx.sys

Windows\System32\rtipxmib.dll Windows\System32\wshisn.dll Windows\System32\nwprovau.dll

Windows\inf\netnwlnk.inf (*) Windows\inf\netnwlnk.pnf (*)

(*) The directory "inf" is hidden

Step 3. Go to "manage network connection" (in control panel-> network). Right click your LAN adapter connection, click "install", "protocol", "Add", Do not select the IPX that is already in the list, be sure to select "have disk". Navigate to "c:\temp" and select file "netnwlnk.inf", now select "WLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS". You will get a warning it's not verifyable, install anyway (or not..).

If you get an error message about a missing module, you forgot to copy the above files to the windows 7 directories.

Step 4. Reboot computer.

Only works on 32-bit version of Vista and later.
Some parts of protocol don't even work (properties button greyed out in setting, ect.)
Support files can also be downloaded here in case you don't own XP.

Lowered volume when using background Metro/UWP apps

Instructions[citation needed]
  1. Push Win+R, type mmsys.cpl, then select OK.
  2. Open the Communications tab, then select Do nothing and save.

Microsoft removed the MIDI Mapper

Starting Windows 8.1 and later, Microsoft removed the ability to change the default MIDI device, at least officially

Modify the registry[13]

Go to: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32"
Then open "midimapper" and replace "midimap.dll" with "VirtualMIDISynth\VirtualMIDISynth.dll"

Use a MIDIMapper replacement[14][15]

Use the CoolSoft MIDIMapper or KaleidonKep99's (A.K.A. Riccardo Loi) ReactOS MIDI Mapper (no longer availible).

Error connected with "dxgmms2.sys" error with DirectX 8 or older games

This happened after the November 2015 update on Nvidia video cards that do not support DirectX 12 hardware features. Issue was resolved with Windows update KB3140743.

"To use this, you need to upgrade Windows" notification on Microsoft Store pages

Ensure Windows 10 is Version 1511 or later (run winver from the start menu search box to verify).[16] The update can be installed through Windows Update (if listed) or manually from Get Windows 10.

SafeDisc protected games do not work with Windows 10

This exposes the system to known security vulnerabilities, and can make the system more susceptible to malicious attacks.

Previous versions of Windows included a compatible version of secdrv.sys for Macrovision SafeDisc DRM; Windows 10 does not, rendering games protected by SafeDisc unplayable. According to a Microsoft representative "Safedisc is not supported on Windows 10" and people will have to wait for Macrovision to come out with an updated kernel driver, something they have yet to do.[17] However a workaround is to obtain and install the kernel driver from an older version of Windows, as described below.

Install SafeDisc drivers from a previous version of Windows[18]
  1. Download the necessary files.
  2. Extract to any path except directly to %WINDIR%\system32\drivers.
  3. Copy secdrv.sys to %WINDIR%\system32\drivers.
  4. Import secdrv.reg to Windows registry.

Backward compatibility

Compatibility mode

See Windows Compatibility Mode for information on how to use the built-in backward compatibility mode of Windows.

DOS compatibility

For modern versions of Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit), it is recommended to use DOSBox.

If you're having trouble getting DOS games to run on older versions of NT (XP & 2000) checkout The Sierra Help Pages.
In the transition from Windows 9x to NT based versions, DOS compatibility was temporarily maintained, at least for 32-bit editions.

Other information

Install the bundled games of Windows 7 on newer versions

While Microsoft haven't made the games bundled with older versions of Windows easily accessible to newer versions of the operating system, it is still possible to download and install these due to efforts from the community to make them compatible with newer versions of Windows.
Download and install the desired games from this article.

The package includes the following games from Windows 7:

Speed up loading of web pages in Windows

Windows ships with Automatically detect settings enabled by default for compatibility reasons. This option allows automatic configuration of Internet connectivity in networks that supports it by using the DNS or DHCP services of the network. However support for this type of automatic configuration is almost only found within corporate or academic networks, and the feature is as such not usually required for home or small network users.
The feature have in some instances been found to add noticeable delays when loading content from the Internet, and is therefor recommended to be disabled unless the network requires it.
Disabling this feature affects all applications that relies on the internal IE subsystem of Windows, such as Google Chrome, Steam, and more.
Instructions[19]
  1. Open the Start menu and type Internet Options.
  2. Open the Connections tab, click the LAN Settings button.
  3. Uncheck the Automatically detect settings checkbox.

Notes

Re-enable the setting if you lose Internet access entirely within 48 hours.


References