Solved Can't Install Older Software Versions

[Janesdf]

Problem solved. Thanks for all of the help.

 

[Lee]

Download the free application "Virtual Box" virtual machine software and setup a virtual machine then install windows xp. Once xp is installed into the VM you can load all your xp apps. If you want the best VM software and are willing to shell out some cash then go with VMWare's Workstation (much matter)

If neither of those two are the way you want to go then hop over to the Tutorial section here on the forums and read up on installing xp along with 7 doing a dual boot.

BTW, "Welcome to the Seven Forums." . .:grouphug:

 

[Kari]

Hi Janesdf, welcome to the Seven Forums.

As Lee already told, you can run most of your legacy applications on an XP virtual machine in VirtualBox, free download here. If you want to test the VMware solution for virtualization, they also have a free version called VMware Player, free download here.

That said, I want to tell you I disagree with your statement. Like everything else in life and this world of ours, computers, too, are developing. New technology makes it possible to do more with less, handle documents, images and videos in a way we could only dream in 10 - 15 years ago. One key factor to this evolution of computing is computer architecture. Some of your older software might be designed to use 16-bit architecture which makes it really difficult to computer and operating system manufacturers; it's simply not a sound business decision to take all old software and users in consideration. There would be too many compromises, end result would make everybody unhappy.

Remember, IBM released the first PC not 30 years ago, Microsoft published Windows 95 some 15 years ago, a few years after birth of the World Wide Web. Compared to for instance cars, demanding that support for 15 year old software should continue is about the same than demanding that Ford still should produce parts to that pick-up of mine from late 40's, or that broadcasters should still send my favorite shows using old enough technology for me to be able to receive the signal with a TV-set my grandpa bought for Christmas 59.

Read more about computer architecture, processors and bits:
Microprocessor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Computer Architecture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here are two links that might interest you:

• Paint.Net
  
  An excellent free application to create, edit, manipulate and correct all kind of images​
• OpenOffice.org
  
  Maybe the best available free integrated office suite​
  Includes wordprocessor Write, spreadsheet application Calc, presentation application Impress, graphics editing Draw and database program Base​

You have found your way here to the Seven Forums. We are at the moment over 100,000 volunteers from all continents, all around the world, learning together to use this marvelous new operating system called Windows 7. Not all of us were happy in the beginning, some of us will never be happy with Seven. But at least this is the best place to try to adapt, to find out what to do when your old methods and tools no longer meet the demands of the modern day.

Never humble, mostly honest, always sincere,

Kari

 

[bobkn]

The extra $100 for Win7 Pro is for XP mode, which is running XP in a virtual machine. I imagine that the performance would be slower than running XP natively, but the new PC is probably enough faster than your old one that it'd be OK.

I'm not sure whether XP mode would solve driver incompatibility issues, but I expect that it would not. I hope that wouldn't be an issue for you.

Windows Vista was probably incompatible with your old software. It was released in January of 2007. That suggests how likely it is that Microsoft will build an OS that maintains backwards compatibility with all third party software published since 1995.

Perhaps the most satisying course for you would be to go back to XP. That would require you to come up with a copy of the OS, which (I think) is no longer available at retail. (It's readily available on eBay.) You'd also need drivers for your new PC. They may well exist - my new company workstation has XP Pro, and it's up-to-date hardware (quad core Xeon, Socket 1366).

 

[Janesdf]

Problem solved. Thanks everyone for all of your help.

 

[Bill2]

Hello Janesdf,

Just a couple of things, you might find useful.

1) If you plan to buy a copy of XP, you can simply install that on your new computer, replacing the win7 it came with instead of running it in virtual mode. To do this, you can backup the win7 install as an image using free tools, so you dont loose the OS you paid for and can revert to win7 anytime in the future. If this interests you, please ask and our imaging and install gurus will help out.

2) It seems WP is very important for you. I came across this thread that discusses the problem (though i dont exactly which version of WP you have).

Older version of Word Perfect 5.1 will not display in full screen mode

It also has a link to a website which is dedicated to running WP on various windows editions:

WordPerfect for DOS Updated

3) Support for XP will be phased out by 2014. That means security patches and hotfixes will no longer will be released by MS after that for this OS. So after that migration to a new OS will become a necessity.