A question about compatability with programs and games, especially with XPhome vs Pro

yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
edited December 2003 in Science & Tech
Is XP Pro any more compatable with certain games and programs, compared to XP Home?

Also, is 2000 Pro better than XP for compatability, vs the stability?





I just can't get my favorite Red Alert 2 game to work under Windows XP home, under my copy, and a few friends' copies, and yet have heard VERY mixed thoughts on this subject, this game, and between XP and 2000.

All ideas, thoughts, and experiences wanted...

Comments

  • rapturerapture
    edited December 2003
    RA2 should work no problem, its still a fairly new game. I've played the original Red Alert on XP Home..

    No idea about Pro but I would hazard a guess at things being exactly the same. The main differences are some extra networking features, the Group Policy Editor and things like support for multi processor systems.
    There are other extras but this isnt the thread for that :P

    What exact problems do you get that stop you from running the game?
  • verselloversello New
    edited December 2003
    XP Pro and XP Home are virtually identical except Pro, as Rapture mentioned, has a better network implementation for the business environment.

    Comparing XP and 2000, stability wise they're both on par. XP is based of the 2000 kernel. For compatability with software XP is also better. It supports various compatability modes as well to emulate previous Windows renditions.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    First off, the compatability settings do not work for me at all! Unless I am missing something? I get to the games properties and have tried all of the os options, none work.

    Second, my problem with Red Alert 2 is that I can install it, all seems fine, then when I attempt to open or play it it flashes a black screen like it does normally, but instead of loading it instantly flashes back to the desktop, compatability modes didn't change a thing. My one friend nearby also can't get RA2 to work on his XP Home, but he can't even get his computer to recognize the cd is in the drive (s), although every other app we ever put in it works, not trying older CnC games.
  • verselloversello New
    edited December 2003
    XP's compatability settings aren't the greatest, but they have helped in a few instances.

    As for Red Alert 2, are there any patches for it?
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    Are there other compatability programs out there? preferably free ones? Or is there a better way to use the compatability program in XP?

    As for the patch question, yes, version 1.004 (I think) and version 1.006 is as far as they went, but they don't help, I think there was a compatability patch on westwood's site a couple years ago, but I can't find it now, don't even know if I am remembering correctly, and what ever I tried back then that I am remembering didn't help my friend (since I didn't have Windows XP back then I obviously couldn't nor attempted to try it on my comp so I don't know if it would help)

    **********************************************

    Getting back to a similar question, if something is incompatable with Windows XP like Red Alert 2 (on systems I know) is there a high chance it isn't compatable with windows 2000?

    The whole reason I am asking this is that I have been getting some problems with my dual boot system lately (Windows 98 SE and Windows XP Home), the XP doesn't and never supported a couple things I have, but I like it more (for a lot of reasons), and 98 SE has started showing it stability issues and lags and anti-Hyper threading capabilities, as well as the fact it is soon to be taken off the MS website for updates if I ever need them again. 98 also seems to vary with each re-install I have to do, although many of the same "oldness" problems remain. Last install it wouldn't let me access my radio/tv card and popped errors, this install it seemed fine, but after Office 2000 (only P.P. and Word) were installed it wouldn't allow all its features. Many tries to fix, but simply put, Windows 98 isn't what I remembered on my bros computer back in 98, 99, and 2000.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited December 2003
    Generally from what I've seen if it won't work on XP it certainly won't work on 2k as XP seems to be more compatible.

    I've seen that error before a few times and for me it's seemed to stem from a copy protection type called Safedisk. I've gotten around it by doing a full install then getting a game crack so that it'll play it off the HD without needing the cd in the drive.

    Also have you got all your video and directx drivers up to date it could be a problem with that as well.
  • rapturerapture
    edited December 2003
    There is a safedisk update for XP somewhere, I heard about it once when I went to update Midtown Madness 2..

    This really could be 101 different things.. Unless there are any error codes or obvious problems/clues as to why this might happen its gonna be difficult for you to fix.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    Yep, well I know Red Alert 2 (or was is 1?) was one of the first games to shock people with it's "Safedisk" which obviously just annoyed us normal people who WANT TO PLAY WITHOUT PROBLEMS, and still it CONTINUED TO GET BOOTLEGGED probably at a higher rate from the people that know what there doing. Are these companies who invent this code, and the legislature ever gonna learn this does not help!!!!!!! obviously not.


    Ok, next thing, the "game crack" you are talking about, is this like an image cloner like Alcohol 120% does, or something else?


    And also, there is a compatability mode under 2000 correct?
  • verselloversello New
    edited December 2003
    Originally posted by yagga
    Ok, next thing, the "game crack" you are talking about, is this like an image cloner like Alcohol 120% does, or something else?

    And also, there is a compatability mode under 2000 correct?

    No, there's no compatability mode in 2k.

    Kryyst explained what a 'game crack' is pretty well IMO... but in a more simplified version, a crack will allow you to play a game without the CD. Simple as that.
  • rapturerapture
    edited December 2003
    That avatar really does my eyes in, I have to scroll past really fast. it literally does make my eyes water :/

    The safedisk thing isnt actually a crack, it was an update released by MS but I dont know how relevent it would be to your problem, or where the best place to get it from would be.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    yes, but do you mean it makes a virtual drive for the system to recognize?
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited December 2003
    No what the game crack does generally is replace the main executable on your harddrive with a cracked one that doesn't check to make sure the CD is in the drive that's it.

    no if this post gets Knocked I'll protest because he does own the game so putting a no-cd fix on it is legal...check out this site they have lots of no-cd fixes. Just make sure that you get the one for your current version of the game as generally every update needs to be re-fixed.

    www.gamecopyworld.com
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    ok...
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    Ok, does anybody know if there is a compatability tab in win 2k? I keep hearing people say just go there and it solves problem, they also say get sp 3, well my version comes with sp 4 which would include it as well if 3 had it, so is there one or not? I would like to try my red alert 2 out, right now it is the same problem i have with win xp installs fine, patches fine, attempt to play, flashes back to desktop almost immediatly.



    WHY CAN'T THIS BE EASIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited December 2003
    Right click on the icon to launch the program. Go into properties. There should be a compatability tab at the top. Choose that in there is a picker to set what OS you want as your compatable one.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    Yeah, well, there isn't, and this is why I am confused, I updated it completely too, and like I said it had S.P. 4 on the cd. I had heard S.P.3 introduced this tab, so I would assume it would stick around, only common sence MICROSOFT!
  • rapturerapture
    edited December 2003
    Those compatibility modes are for XP only, and will NOT help for RA2 which retailed when, 2001?
    It runs under XP natively

    To be honest I've never gotten a game to work using that feature. The only thing its helped with was some software that came with a digital camera.
    From what I have found games are generally a little beyond the abilities of WXP compatibility modes.

    Your problem lies somewhere else. Its not the game that doesnt like the OS.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    Yep, its a losing battle... thats driving me crazy...



    I am sure the new O.S. (longhorn or whatever) is probably going to be at least as picky as XP too...
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited December 2003
    No it will be far more picking then XP....longhorn is going to be the ultimate screw over.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited December 2003
    :D OH YAY!:D
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