Fixing Older Games that suffer from Graphical problems in a Post-Windows XP OS

Foreword:
I have re-titled this article to better reflect the topic.  Suffice it to say, this article deals with making older PC Games work in Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

Some games are classics that even a reboot won't fix or replace.  For many of these games, newer OS means you can't run game you enjoyed.  For me, I enjoyed Age of Empires 1 and 2, KKND Xtreme, and several other DirectX games that just didn't work in newer OS.  You may remember I also posted a temporary fix for this issue in AOE 2 a few months back.

Sure, you can always try reinstalling an older OS in a Virtual machine or messing with Compatability settings, but many times even this does not work.  But what if I told you there is another way to get your vintage games to work?  What if I told you a very simple programming can make a game work on your new machine.  What if I told you a secret to unlocking your games of yesteryear?

Nah just fucking with you.

A few months ago I got on a strong nostalgia trip to play AOE 2.  The problem is, the old AOE 2 and AOE 1 suffers from problems of color degradation.  This is due to some problems between the game and explorer.exe - Windows' Graphical User Interface (GUI).

One of the fixes I found was to open Task manager (Control+Alt+Delete), find explorer.exe in the Processes tab, and click the End Task button.  Then using Alt+Tab, get back into the program, and enjoy it without graphical problems.  Once you finished playing, you then had to again, open Task Manager, click on the Applications tab, click the New Task button, and type in explorer.exe to restart the Windows or simply reboot your computer through other means.

I had found another method that involved creating a Windows batch file that included the command to close explorer.exe, launch the game, and once you ended the game, it would relaunch the explorer.exe.  It was a brilliant solution, but I could never get the damned thing to work correctly - or really at all.  The problem was you needed to launch the batch file to actually do all of this, but this, too, didn't always work correctly.

Here is the sample command for Age of Empires 2 as found here:

In notepad, copy and paste the following lines into the notepad:

taskkill /F /IM Explorer.exe

age2_x1.exe
Start explorer.exe

Go to File --> Save As

File Name: age2.bat

Save as type: All Files (VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SELECT THIS, OR IT WILL BE SAVED AS A TEXT FILE)

Place the file in this directory:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II\age2_x1

Make sure the age2_x1 file is in this directory as well.  It should be there already from installing the game.

You are done.  When the game launches, your explorer will close and the colors in game will be fine.  Once the game closes, explorer will come back online.  Hope this is easy for everyone to understand.

I tried this and could never get it to work for me.  Later on I decided this might work in KKND Extreme, which also suffers from the same discoloration issues.  However, I would have to change the name of the program and place the file in the KKNDExtreme folder and call the file KKND.bat.

taskkill /F /IM Explorer.exe
KKND.exe
Start explorer.exe

When I launched the program - KKND.exe, it didn't launch the KKND.bat - exactly the same issue I'd run into with AOE2.  So, Instead, I launched KKND.bat - it worked perfectly!  But then I decided I should try modifying the desktop Icon so that it launched KKND.bat.

Unfortunately it did not work because the bat file being launched seemingly from the desktop icon, could not find the folder KKND.exe was located in.  I realized, this was also a  problem I'd had with AOE2' bat I'd created - the bat file just hung at the command prompt.  I got frustrated and just went about exiting explorer.exe manually via the Task Manager and when the nostalgia wore off, uninstalled the game and went on.

This time, I wanted to spend some quality time playing the game.  So, I took another look at what had been happening with the batch file.  In order to get the command prompt to find the file I wanted to launch, I would give the bat file the specific address where it could find KKND.exe - the C:\KKNDXtreme folder by modifying this code:

taskkill /F /IM Explorer.exe
C:\KKNDXtreme\KKND.exe
Start explorer.exe

You can, of course name the batch file anything you'd like, but I felt staying simple would be best.  I also modified the desktop icon to launch KKND.bat instead of KKND.exe - success!  Now when you launch the game, it very quickly opens a command prompt to exit explorer.exe and launch KKND.exe.  When you Quit the game, it relaunches explorer.exe - slicker'n snot!

This method could very well fix many other older games that failed to work in Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 - typically with the graphical discoloration problems.  If you find that ending explorer.exe resolves your discoloration problems, you owe it to yourself to try this method to make accessign your vintage games a little less laborious.

I'm hoping this might also solve problems in C&C Red Alert 2 which worked wondefully in Windows 2000, but turned out to be total ass in Windows XP and Win7.

Hope this helps!

Upgrades...upgrades...upgrades...

I got quite a few new goodies for the home network and am ready to begin cutting down the table of technology to free up space and get some return on my investment.

Thinkpad T400
The first surprise was getting a Lenovo Thinkpad T400 off ebay - $180 shipped.  The Processor is the C2D P8400 - 2.2GHz with the Intel GMA X4500.  I upgraded the RAM to 8GB and tossed Win 7 Pro 64bit on there.  This machine was purchased to replace my Dell, outright.  I do have the option of bumping the processor up to 2.8GHzm should I wish to do so, but I'd most likely leave it as is for my On-Call IT duties.

T400 vs T61
Externally, there is no real difference between the two.  Internally, they are both Core 2 Duo machines, but the T400 series benefits from the use of the much cheaper DDR3 where as the T61 is reliant on DDR2.  Secondly, the T61 series offers Intel GMA and Nvidia Quadro-based offerings whilst the T400 line is based on Intel GMA and ATI Radeon.

I had toyed with the notion of buying another T400 with the Radeon card, but right now I need to begin to get rid of systems I am not using.

Nvidia GT 630
I had considered buying a Lenovo Tablet while I was in Lubbock, but opted to instead upgrade the graphics card on my desktop.  I replaced my 210 with the GT630.  Performance has improved drastically and this frees up my 210 to use in the backup machine and allows me to prep this machine for set-top duties once I get my new TV.  That keeps getting pushed back to the point, It will be January before I have it.  :D

Odds and Ends
I did manage to get an extra tray for the living room.  These TV stands are just the right sze for a laptop and come in handy for setting up a portable system anywhere its needed, especially when you need workspace.  At $10, you can beat it with any of the dedicated "Laptop" trays or mounts ont he market.  And its cheap enough they can be loaned out indefinitely.

My Personal History with the Thinkpad

Many may wonder why I choose a Thinkpad and simply put, it is every bit a reliable business machine.  When you work in IT where you are responsible for fixing broken and failing computers, its nice to have a quality machine.  I decided to write this short article about my experiences with the Thinkpad line.

The Thinkpad laptop was essentially a group effort by all of the Japanese electronics industry to create an American business laptop that was reliable, robust, and able to withstand the rigors of mobile computing.  It wasn't by any means, the best or fastest hardware, but they were built to last and work.  I feel Lenovo was passed that torch and has done quite well in keeping the Thinkpad line alive well after IBM got out of the personal computer market.

A major benefit to using a business class machine is the Thinkpad is well-supported with drivers and replacement hardware.  They are also quite easy to work with, not requiring removal of over-sized toy-like and bulky chassis like a Dell and not requiring an Nth level of redundant dis-assembly to service like Sony or HP.  They are quite easy to work on and typically require minimal maintenance.

IBM Thinkpad 600x

IBM Thinkpad 600X
I was first introduced to the Thinkpad line in 2000 while working at the Odessa American.  One of the reporters had a 600X with a Pentium 3 450MHz processor and a 20GB hard drive.  I remember this because, at the time, the specs matched that of my dad's Gateway and slightly higher than my own Gateway. 

My co-worker often bragged of playing Rogue Spear on the machine, which I had also played very nearly every night.  I was impressed by the amount of power and the fact he'd spent close to 2 grand for it.  Still, I would have loved such a high-priced toy.  Before this, my only experience with an IBM machine was a very quirky ThinkCenter at McDonald's which seemed to crash simply by looking at it.

IBM Thinkpad 380 Series

IBM Thinkpad 380
In 2007, I was given an IBM THinkpad 380 Series by my boss at Discover-net.  The machine sported a Pentium II 300MHz processor and 196MB of RAM (2x 128MB of RAM) and a 10GB hard drive.  At first she wanted me to fix it up for her son to use, but after getting several viruses, she gave up on it. 

Her only stipulation on it was if I sold it, she be reimbursed for the two sticks of RAM she had bought.  $50.  Easily enough, I reformatted the hard drive, stuck Windows 2000 Pro on it, and used it for a makeshift Unreal Tournament server.  Eventually, I decided to sell it and was able to split the $100 with my boss.

IBM Thinkpad T20

IBM Thinkpad T20
Shortly before my gave me the 380, I'd purchased a T60 from eBay to use as my secondary machine at work.  I used it mostly for working in Putty for SSH sessions.  The machine sported a Pentium III 650MHz processor, 512MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive and was running Windows 98 Second Edition.

The machine has a SiS 8MB graphics card, but was easily able to run games like Unreal Tournament, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and Soldier of Fortune.  Through stroke of luck, I was given a 40GB hard drive by a client when they upgraded their laptop to a more spacious 120GB drive.

Running Windows 2000, I was fortunate to resell the computer for $150, the same amount I had purchased it for.  I only sold the machine in 2008 because my Supervisor had given me an HP Compaq Evo N600 in exchange for refurbishing several additional machines he'd brought for projects and to sell.

IBM Thinkpad A20

IBM Thinkpad A20 repairs
Around this time, my boss's daughter brought her Thinkpad A20 into the office for repairs.   She'd damaged the PCMCIA modem and had wanted me to remove the damaged card and find a replacement for her.  Fortunately for her, I went one better and simply replaced the integrated hardware modem the system had internally. 

The 20, 30, and 40 Series all were equipped with the needed ports for modem and ethernet, they simply had to have the correct daughter card installed to add the functionality.  She was back up and running within a week.  Again, the vast amount of replacement parts made repairs very simple.

IBM Thinkpad T40

IBM Thinkpad T40
This is where I ran into one of my first duds in the Thinkpad lines.  As nice as the Evo N600 was, they were not Thinkpad class and I decided to replace it with similar hardware.  After searching eBay, I found an excellent seller in Colorado who was selling T40s for $150 shipped and promptly placed my order.

When I received it, the machine was running Windows 98 and I promptly upgraded to Windows 2000.  Unfortunately, I'd noticed the sound driver had not been loaded during the previous install and made a note to grab the correct Windows 2000 drivers.  After completing the installation of network drivers, the sound still was not working.

After a few days of trying to detect hardware, I noticed the modem was also not functioning.  After checking with Thinkforums, i found it to be a common issue with the T40.  Luckily, the seller graciously accepted a return, even offering to compensate me for the additional RAM I'd purchased.

IBM Thinkpad T41

IBM Thinkpad T41
After running into my first eBay dud, I'd decided to play it safe and order a refurbished T41 from Tiger Direct.  I paid an extra $50 for peace of mind and got the original IBM OS Install CDs with it.  The computer was in stellar condition and served me well for the next two years.

Pentium 4M - 1.6GHz, 2 Gigs of RAM, and a 60GB Hard drive.  The graphics were an ATI Radeon 9700 with 32 MB of RAM - I might add, a slight boost over the Evo N600's P3 1.3GHz, more RAM, but the same graphics card.

In December 2009, I picked up an HP Mini, which replaced my Thinkpad in the hardware department and brought me to the Windows 7 OS.  Having a newer system with better hardware, I decided to loan out the Thinkpad to my sister, who had been struggling with a slightly older Dell laptop.  From there, my story jumps forward a few years.

also see blog post phasing-out-older-machines July 2013

Changes to the Thinkpad line
During the mid-2000s, IBM shifted production of the Thinkpad line to computer company, Lenovo.  I believe this included Series 40 and on.

In 2005, Lenovo purchased the IBM personal computer business and the ThinkPad brand along with it. Speaking of the purchase of IBM's personal computer division, Liu Chuanzhi said, "We benefited in three ways from the IBM acquisition. We got the ThinkPad brand, IBM's more advanced PC manufacturing technology and the company's international resources, such as its global sales channels and operation teams. These three elements have shored up our sales revenue in the past several years." ~ "Acquisition by Lenovo," ThinkPad Wikipedia Article

Many of the people I knew on the Thinkpad Enthusiasts' sites were worried quality would take a dive when Lenovo acquired the Thinkpad line.  There have been issues with batteries, but that was not necessarily a Lenovo issue, but rather, a battery issue that affected many other computer manufacturers.  I confess, I haven't noticed significant changes in quality, but rather, more diversity in the product lineups.

Lenovo Thinkpad Tablets
In February on 2013, I was discussing tablets with a fellow airsofter on Airsoft Ohio chat.  His school had issued Lenovo Thinkpad x230 Tablets to students.  He'd mentioned it's sluggish performance and the monetary details of his responsibility towards the school-issued equipment.

My solution to his problem was adding RAM to the system and getting around the draconian school OS installations by removing the harddrive, installing his own, and installing his OS of choice.  This would allow him to use the machine as he wished on his time, but return the school drive for use when needed for various school-related functions.  Oh, and I also found a very inexpensive source for Lenovo Stylus to save him $50, should he lose it, with an additional scheme to sell them to his fellow students at a tidy profit.  :D

My research into the tablet led me to the realization that its compact size and better processing power made it an ideal replacement for the netbooks I'd had.  Preferring a smaller machine due to having to carry my computer to work on foot and because I had limited space at my new apartment, I began to scour eBay for an affordable netbook replacement.

Lenovo Thinkpad X61 Tablet

Lenovo Thinkpad X61 Tablet
In early March (2013), I ordered my first X61 Tablet from eBay.  It was in poor shape, but otherwise was operational.  The system sported a 12" multitouch display, 150GB hard drive, Ram expandable to 8GB, and the much-coveted 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo processor. 

The X61 Tablet is an expanded version of the compact X61 Series notebook.  It's a smaller-sized machine that lacks integrated optical drive to save on power and space requirements.  The idea behind it being you have the power of a full-sized notbook in a very compact form factor.

Indeed, the X61 Tablet was preceded by the X40/41 tablet which was powered by Penitum 4-M archecture and sported similar 1.5 GHz - 1.8 GHz processors.  The X60/61 Tablets were offered in Core 2 Duo 1.6 and 1.8 GHz versions, the 1.8GHz being somewhat more difficult to find.  I lucked out and got one ont he first try!

I soon began to pick up replacement parts and components to fully restore the X61 to full functionality when I came across a second 1.6 GHz Tablet for $80.  YOINK!!!  I simply had to replace the missing hard drive and find an AC adapter - problem was solved, problem would stay solved.

Lenovo Thinkpad T61

Lenovo Thinkpad T61
As I had mentioned in an earlier blog post, my experiences with the T61 Series had been a few years earlier while working for a client.  I had performed an OS downgrade and was very pleased with the newest Lenovo offering.  I made a mental note to look back at the machine a few years later when I'd begun looking for a new laptop.

As much as I enjoy my X61 tablets and my current work computer, a Dell Inspiron E1505, I want something with better processing options, better RAM upgrades, and better screen resolution.  I also wanted to continue to be able to have a reliable system with access to spare and replacement parts.

Realistically, my T61 can be upgraded to a 2.5Ghz Core 2 Duo, 8 GB of RAM, and has excellent high resolution at 1440 x 900.  And at around $180 for a used machine, I'm staying within a very low budget and still coming out ahead.

Gaming vs. Work
To those who do follow my blog, I do enjoy playing a few old favorites - Unreal Tournament, Battlefield 2, etc.  But I do, very much, work from my machines.  I watch movies, I write boring blog posts, and troll Airsoft Ohio Chat.  At the end of the day, I want a machine I can trust to do my job and help in winding down when I get home.

I don't need a dedicated gaming machine that requires constant tweaking and special cooling considerations.  I just need something that works and that will let me do my work.

June 2013!!!

After some consideration and research, I've transferred all of my "Moving Forward" posts here and shut down the old blog.

In the last few weeks, I've really not had much time for gaming, but since November 2012, there have been several games I've played through.

PSP: Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony
This game I bought to fill out my humble collection of PSP games.  I can honestly say this game is weak.  It does borrow from the Dungeon Siege theme, sounds, and music.  But it gives you the option of yourself and a "Pet" to play through a severely limited game in a a completely original adventure.

Was it worth the $3 I paid on eBay for the game - yes.  Do I like the game?  No.  It's simply filler for my collection, had the game come with the case like it was supposed to, it would sit in my library largely un-played and forgotten.  Instead, it will sit in my PSP case un-played and forgotten.

Diablo III
I played this game when it was released nearly a year ago.  The Demo limits you to Level 10 and Act One.  This is a fun game and there are several perks of playing through this game.  I broke down and bought the full version on Christmas day and have been playing it off and on since.  If you like hack and slash RPG, this is a great game.

I mostly play solo and to this end, I really wish it would give you the option to bring along more than one follower.  There are certain points in the various missions where you get two.  But once they finish whatever objective they had been given, the game will make you choose between your two followers.

There are some ways around this limitation if you choose the Witch Doctor.  She can summon pets and allies to give you up to an addition five characters.  This can be very handy when you reach areas with many enemies.

Starcraft 2
Another game I'd played through the demo (free version) and enjoyed.  I broke down and bought the full version of Wings of Liberty shortly after moving into my new place.  This game has ben alot of fun.  I also picked up the original and its expansion through battle.net to play on my older Lenovo tablets.

Borderlands 2
I love the original game and was following the progress of its sequel, eagerly awaiting a Game of the Year or some other Edition that would package all DLC.  Steam got the better of me pricing the game at $13.  YOINK!!!

The humor and gameplay is there, but its missing something the original had and I just can't seem to put my finger on it.  Its much the same way I felt when moving from Unreal Tournament (99) to UT2K3.  New options and still a lot of fun, but just not as much fun as the original.

Newer Desktop
In March, I got my newer HP DC7900 Mini Tower to replace my DC7600.  The differences in power are significant.  The DC7900 had a C2D 3.0 GHz processor versus the 7600's P4D 3.4GHz processor.  The Mini tower has far more expansion capabilities than the DC7600 SFF case.  I also have support for up to 16GB of RAM vs the 4GB of the older.

Lastly, in April, I put a C2Q 2.4GHz Quad core Processor into the system, which gives it even more power over the older system.  But as my brother was fond of pointing out, my really drap was the graphics card - Nvidia 210, which I plan to replace shortly.  I have my eye on an Nvidio 640 with 4GB of VRAM - overkill, sure it is, but the additional RAM should keep things interesting.

All in all, its been a great new year and I only hope things improve further.  My next planned system is sporting an i5 Quad Core and a new Lenovo laptop matches its specs quite well.