Last year I updated from an old computer (running Windows 98 SE) to a brand new machine running Windows XP. However, I have found that several problems (including a Chinese language program which I used for quite some time on my old computer) will no longer run on this new computer. Several people who I have asked are also unable to get this program running, and the computer dealer said the reason for this problem is that the new machine has a dual-core processor which will not work with older programs. Disabling the firewall and antivirus programs when loading the program has not resolved the problem. Can you assist?

Without knowing the exact error message that is appearing when you attempt to run the old software it will be difficult to diagnose this issue. However, there are known compatibility issues when running certain pieces of old software, such as those designed for Windows 98, on a more modern operating system. The comment from your dealer about the software not working as your new computer has a dual-core processor is quite puzzling, as the number of cores on the CPU should not influence your ability to run certain programs. The more likely cause of such compatibility problems is due to the newer operating system on the computer (Windows XP) being incompatible with the older software. However, there are several methods we can use to resolve this issue and hopefully get the old software working.

First, Windows XP has compatibility modes which software can run within. This means if a piece of software was designed for an earlier version of Windows it can run in a compatibility mode for that version of Windows. This will make the program think that it is running in an earlier version of Windows, in many cases getting around compatibility problems preventing it from running in the latest version of Windows. To set the compatibility mode for a piece of software you first need to install the software on the computer. Once it has been installed, on the Start menu locate the shortcut to the program. Right-click on the shortcut and select “Properties”. In the Properties window that appears, select the “Compatibility” tab. Tick the option to “Run this program in compatibility mode for” and select “Windows 98” from the drop-down menu. Click OK to save and close the properties window. Now try running the program again to see whether the problem continues, or whether the software now runs correctly.

Should the software still not run correctly, the next possible cause are missing files in Windows XP. It is possible that the software requires specific files to operate which are not installed in the correct location when installing the software in Windows XP, mostly because the Windows XP file system structure is a bit different to earlier versions of Windows. Quite a few of the Windows XP system directories are called different things making it difficult for software to install their files into the correct location on a Windows XP system, particularly if the software was originally designed for Windows 98 and the Windows 98 system directory locations. Another possible cause is that a configuration or security setting in Windows XP is conflicting with the software. I have seen this on several occasions when attempting to load legacy (old) software onto Windows XP. Since these so-called legacy software packages were designed before Windows XP was released they are not Windows XP Logo Program compliant. The Windows XP Logo Program stipulates that the software needs to act in a certain manner, such as not attempting to write files back to system directories. Under Windows 98 this was not an issue, as the operating system was a lot less concerned about the locations to which programs could and could not write data. However, this was significantly tightened-up in Windows XP (which is a good thing, for system security) but it also has the effect of preventing some older programs from running on Windows XP.

In either of the above cases, without the exact error and description of the problem that is occurring when you attempt to run the software I cannot provide specific advice on how to fix the problem. At this point I would suggest that you either send more detailed information about the problem through to me, or you could search the internet (using Google or like) for more specific details and information on the problem which is being encountered.