Older Games non running on win 8.1

[Aardvark1313]

So far the only issues I've run into as far as older games(though I have more to re-install after my mobo/cpu/gpu upgrades) are games labelled "Games for windows" for which I've followed oodles of guides and all were epic fails. Specifically, I'm trying to install fallout 3 and expansions, all with that "Games for windows" label or platform on them and none run no matter what compatibility or troubleshooting I try. To top it all off, all those solutions always have some error after each step I take until I run into a brick wall and the solutions run out without a fix. The windows 8.1 site specifically has that game as NOT being compatible with 8.1 which is stupid and unless Bethesda(all they do is refer you to the same useless links as all other sites) or windows(snicker)supplies players with some kind of patch to make it compatible, that and other games will never work. Hell I even got old Morrowind to work(so far) and that's even older than fallout 3.
Anything else using drm managers(for lack of a better term) like Origin/battle.net/steam/beamdog run old games just fine. I was told to go out and buy a fallout 3 GOTY edition as IT apparently runs on win 8.1 so as usual, the clients/gamers have to fork over money for upgrades since some game companies and Microsoft are too damned lazy to write a small patch to make these games compatible without jumping through useless hoops. Vent over. good luck.

For those looking for specifics, I went through the whole compatibility troubleshooter using both win xp sp 2 and 3 as well as vista and neither worked which led to the next line. I initially got an error about a missing DLL file(I forget the name as I type this) for which I'm given a link to d-load it from. I do that, and I get a new error about a missing ordinal(42 I believe whatever that means), and the solution to THAT is to download the actual Games for windows client(which is technically an x-box thing and no longer even supported?????) but that didn't work either and that's where the solutions end. All useless and none work.

 

[astelin]

Hey, Ive had many BS problems like this before.

I can still run Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on my Windows 8.1 laptop without any issues. But other games such as you mentioned will need to run in compatibility mode running in Administrator mode. i see you have tried it and it has caused further issues, Then again Games for windows is no longer supported (it was a microsoft version of steam) Its weird how vista has not worked as that was the main OS for Games for windows.

I really dont know how to solve this, Guess im bumping this thread. Try talking to Microsoft on they're forums as they have licensed the game, so they should know about it. Thanks!

 

[TairikuOkami]

Either wait for Windows 10, which is supposed to support xbox games or buy it on steam during Christmas.

 

[Aardvark1313]

I don't have any xbox games, but for some odd reason, some PC games were distributed using the games for windows platform which yes, I always assumed belonged exclusively to xbox, but other games I have(not many civ IV and maybe 1 more game) also run on that platform. I was given a link to a solution on another site I often frequent which involved downloading the latest version of GFW(it's only xbox that is no longer supported ironically enough but they keep GFW updated for windows games that still use it) and it also involved making some changes to the INI. files and so far that's worked. I just need to find out if I have to do the same to the dlc's or not and test everything before starting on mods. If interested, I can track that link down on the other site and post it here.

 

[TairikuOkami]

Fallout 3 is xbox game, so it should be supported on Windows 10.

 

[Gamer11]

I doubt your OS is 64bit
I have win 8.1 64bit and its incompatible with old games , as well as win 7 64bit
I played every game on 8.1 32bit when I was having it as Recoil 1998
you can get them work on 32bit windows but 64bit is incompatible ( especially giving Video adapter error) , Good luk

 

[Aardvark1313]

Don't know who your commenting to gamer11 but I for one DO have 8.1 64bit installed so If you got your GFWL games to run on 32 bit without the workaround good for you. As far as older games, there's a small list of incompatible games on the windows site and a lot of older games are NOT on it. The only games I recognized on it were in fact, GFWL games. Other games on the list I've never played so I can't speak to them. But since I AM running 64 bit and now ALL my games work fine including the rest of my older games, kinda makes your point moot, no offence.

 

[sygnus21]

I doubt your OS is 64bit
I have win 8.1 64bit and its incompatible with old games , as well as win 7 64bit
I played every game on 8.1 32bit when I was having it as Recoil 1998
you can get them work on 32bit windows but 64bit is incompatible ( especially giving Video adapter error) , Good luk

Not exactly sure what you're alluding to but Windows 8.1 x64 as well as Windows x64, WILL play older games.... it just depends on what they are, and whether they use 16-bit or 32 bit installers. Windows 64-bit does NOT run 16 bit apps or installers thus games with 16-bit installers won't run, let alone install.

Outside of that, depending on the game it will run on a 32-bit OS. However if you're talking 1998 games, well yeah, expect issues. However I've gotten Deus Ex to run under Windows 7 x64 no problem - Playing Deus Ex..... I've also got Halo 1 running as well - How to get Halo 2 working under Windows 7

Oh, and under my Steam games I have Half-Life (1998) F.E.A.R. (2006), and Oblivion (2005 and they work pretty well under my copy of Windows 8.1. See my system specs.

With older games, it's not easy, and it depends on the game, but it is possible... providing it doesn't use a 16-bit installer.

 

[Gamer11]

Don't know who your commenting to gamer11 but I for one DO have 8.1 64bit installed so If you got your GFWL games to run on 32 bit without the workaround good for you. As far as older games, there's a small list of incompatible games on the windows site and a lot of older games are NOT on it. The only games I recognized on it were in fact, GFWL games. Other games on the list I've never played so I can't speak to them. But since I AM running 64 bit and now ALL my games work fine including the rest of my older games, kinda makes your point moot, no offence.

I doubt your OS is 64bit
I have win 8.1 64bit and its incompatible with old games , as well as win 7 64bit
I played every game on 8.1 32bit when I was having it as Recoil 1998
you can get them work on 32bit windows but 64bit is incompatible ( especially giving Video adapter error) , Good luk

Not exactly sure what you're alluding to but Windows 8.1 x64 as well as Windows x64, WILL play older games.... it just depends on what they are, and whether they use 16-bit or 32 bit installers. Windows 64-bit does NOT run 16 bit apps or installers thus games with 16-bit installers won't run, let alone install.

Outside of that, depending on the game it will run on a 32-bit OS. However if you're talking 1998 games, well yeah, expect issues. However I've gotten Deus Ex to run under Windows 7 x64 no problem - Playing Deus Ex..... I've also got Halo 1 running as well - How to get Halo 2 working under Windows 7

Oh, and under my Steam games I have Half-Life (1998) F.E.A.R. (2006), and Oblivion (2005 and they work pretty well under my copy of Windows 8.1. See my system specs.

With older games, it's not easy, and it depends on the game, but it is possible... providing it doesn't use a 16-bit installer.

sorry for joining this thread but I didnt prove a thing or break another
I just typed my experience , you could have just ignored it as it didnt seem right
and I later used win XP mode to avoid issues

 

[Aardvark1313]

Not going to quote everything or this post will be crazy long lol.

Gamer11: no worries mate, no harm done or insult intended, it's all good.

Sygnus21: yes It's been a roller coaster ride with installing games on 8.1. Most worked fine and run fine so far. Some had patches or workarounds to make them run. Fallout 3 was the only one that really gave me some nightmares & I haven't fully tested the entire elder scrolls series up to Bloodmoon yet(I doubt Oblivion or Skyrim will give me any troubles) but finally found a workaround for fallout 3 as mentioned but it was a pita one too, but with only 3-4 of my 40 games left to install(took close to 3 weeks now total to get everything going) everything finally looks good. Why Microsoft keeps making game-hostile OS is beyond me. Win 7 at least had a more efficient compatibility mode than 8.1 and as long as I stayed away from installing anything into Program or ProgramX86 and created self titled new folders instead, everything on win 7 ran fine(I still run Win 7 on my 2nd computer specifically for my oldest games normally including a sophisticated DOS emulator for my REALLY old games lol. Can you believe I still run and play the old silver an d gold box D&D games from when dinosaurs roamed the earth(I'm old what can I say). But anyway I do the same on 8.1. avoid prog and progX86 on the majority of my games, especially anything I intend to run mods on.

 

[sygnus21]

Well for some odd reason I swore I had the Steam version of Fallout 3 but seems I don't so I'm going to be installing Fallout 3 in a few minutes. I'll post my results here later.

Until then...

 

[sygnus21]

Just installed Fallout 3 on my system and no issues whatsoever.

BTW do understand Games For Windows Live is no more...

Overview

As part of the recent Xbox 360 system update, Microsoft Points will be retired and the Xbox.com PC Marketplace will be closed as of August 25, 2013. We encourage you to spend your Microsoft Points balance prior to this change. Although you will not be able to purchase new games, you can continue to enjoy previously purchased content by downloading it through the Games for Windows Live client software as usual.

Frequently asked questions...

What happens to the games and downloaded content that I purchased?

You can continue to enjoy previously purchased games and downloadable content in your catalog by downloading it through the Games for Windows Live client. Although the purchase functionality will be discontinued, the Games for Windows Live service will continue to operate as usual.

PC Marketplace is closing August 2013

With that, you still may be required to activate the game... that is put in it's PID# to get the game to fully function. Outside of that the game installed as usual... no workarounds or admin/compatibility modes. And yes, it is playable.