How to run your old PC games on Windows 10

Windows 10 is the latest version of the Windows operating system in modern-day computers. It offers a very smooth gaming experience. The interface of this OS is very simple and user friendly. It is capable of running any of the latest game titles if your hardware supports it. But the question arises of running old PC games as many gamers prefer running older games for fun to experience the old era of gaming. Check out the text below if you want to know how to run old Pc games on Windows 10.

See also: How to use System Restore in Windows 10

Reasons for old games running errors

The major reasons for old games not running in Windows 10 are:

  • Some of the older games depend on old software versions like Direct X 9 to run. As Windows 10 does not support such programs, the games will not work.
  • Some of the games are based on 16-bit processing. Windows 10 do not support 16-bit applications and games may crash.
  • As there is no DRM solution in Windows 10 the booting process is stopped.

Steps to run old PC games on windows 10

  1. Setup File/ Installation:

The games or the setup file must be taken from the official website or store. There are many unauthorized websites which provide pirates games. These modded games sometimes have some problems and don’t work. So, it is recommended to get the games from the official sites.

  1. System requirements:

Every game has hardware and software requirements. Check on the game website the minimum requirements of the PC to run the game. If your system fulfills the criteria then the game will run. There is some additional software provided by the developer which must be installed for the game to run.

  1. Run as administrator:

If you want to run a game that is supported by Windows XP then you must open it using “Run as administrator” way. Windows XP always has the users as the administrators which is not in the case in Windows 10. This can cause failures in the system to launch the games. The administrator access will allow the game to use the resources without restrictions. To run it as an administrator, right-click on the game icon and click on ‘Run as Administrator’ option and then click on “Yes”.

  1. Unsigned drivers:

Some of the old games require old drivers. But Windows 10 doesn’t allow the older version of the driver to be installed. In such a case, you need to disable driver signature enforcement. This will allow you to install the older versions. However, it gets automatically enabled when your system restarts removing the older version of the drivers. Follow the steps to disable driver signature enforcement:

  1. Press the Shift button while clicking Restart. The advance boot menu will appear.
  2. Select the Troubleshoot option.
  3. Go to Advanced options.
  4. Open Startup settings.
  5. Click on the Restart followed by the enter button.

The system will boot allowing you to install the older drivers.

Program Compatibility Troubleshooter:

The program compatibility troubleshooter allows you to troubleshoot the problems related to the running of the programs or games. To troubleshoot the compatibility of the game follows the steps below:

  1. Open the Start menu and search “Run programs made for previous version of Windows”.
  2. Select the appropriate option to open the compatibility troubleshooter.
  3. Click on Advanced and then “Run as administrator”.
  4. Click on Next.
  5. The troubleshooter will scan your system for any issues. Select the application you want to troubleshoot from the list.
  6. Click on Next.
  7. The troubleshoot will then search for issues and will ask you to click on “Try recommended settings”.

Your game will now run without any problem.

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