Solved A couple of issues I am hoping for some help with

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TheMUBM

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Feb 28, 2021
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Hey guys,

I run windows 10 and some of the games I like will not run on that platform. So I decided I was going to just find a cheap old pc and install XP and use it for some old gaming. Just so happens, my work was getting rid of a lot of older pcs and they removed the HD from one and let me take it. I picked up a use 1TB HD for 20 bucks and installed it.

After some time navigating the blue screen of death, I finally was able to install XP. Now I have run into two issues.

1.) I have installed MVP Baseball 2005 and Empires: Dawn of the Modern World. When I try to start MVP, I get an error saying "MVP requires DirectX9" and something about video hardware. For Dawn of the Modern world, it will have it's intro screen then disappear.

I do have directx9 installed. However, when I do dxdiag, I cannot enable any of the three options under display. Would this indicate that the video card in the system just isn't able to run the games? The only thing I see when I go into device manager is "Legacy Video Card."

2.) I thought about downloading DriverEasy to see if it could clear up any driver-related issues I may have, but here is my second problem. I can't get this XP PC to connect to the internet. I realize IE doesn't work anymore, but I dropped a google chrome installer on the desktop and it won't install, says it can't connect to the internet.
 
if I could offer any advice, firstly it would be to stay the hell away from any and all of those 'driver apps'.
they at best get it wrong and make things worse or at least are simply full of malware.
do the work yourself - go to the manufactures website either for your make/model of laptop or for the motherboard and download the driver manually.

next, even though you have already gotten the laptop, I would have considered using a Virtual Machine setup on your current rig, something like VMware Workstation or VM Virtualbox, or if you have Win10 Pro, Hyper-V Manager comes inbuilt.
 
I did try the VMware and Virtualbox. I just didn't enjoy the interface and VMware had a really small screen. Plus, maybe it's weird, but I want my primary PC to be for work and school and then this other one is just for games.

Where exactly do I find the make and model of the motherboard? Device Manager? Also, I can't use that PC to get online because it won't connect to the internet but I could get the driver on this PC and transfer it.
 
the make and model of the laptop should be all you need to look on the companies website and download the drivers from there.
getting drivers these days for XP may well be your biggest hurdle. have you considered giving Windows 7 a try? or are the games only for XP?
 
The games, well one of them, tend to be problematic on 7 as well. Its a tower, not a laptop. But I know it's a dell optiplex.
 
I do have a Windows 7 ultimate disc, so I may go that route instead. But it's all for naught if the video card in this thing isn't up to snuff and I can't get online.
 
I have tried to install Windows 7 now to see if my luck is any better. I still can't get online, and when I tried to install power ISO, it started as if it were going to install then just disappeared. This is becoming more trouble than I had anticipated.
 
this 'new' PC is a desktop tower unit right?
if so, open up the side cover, look at the motherboard and get the make/model and version number.
they are all usually written in white, embossed on the board. version number is usually bottom left corner.
then go to their website, enter your mobo detail and download the network/LAN drivers for Win7 (if they still have them).
otherwise you will have to troll the web for network drivers - and there be dragons, so beware.
option 2 would be to buy a cheap wifi USB adapter for $20 as it'll come with the driver but again, will it have Win7 compatibilities!
 
Hi
I hope you don't mind me putting in my 2 cents worth. If this is a problem could you let me know please Bruce.
You should still be able to get online with xp (risky) I run xp and can get on line with iE and Google.
If you install windows 7 ultimate you can run XP mode. I also run this as well as standard xp.
It sounds like your main issue as pointed out by Bruce is the Network card/driver.
in Windows 7
Click on Start> Right Click Computer>Left Click Properties> Click on Device Manager.
Is there a Yellow mark next to network adapters?
Does the network adapter have a name e.g Atheros or Realtek with a model number?
If it has a yellow mark and no name then right click on the adapter>Left click on Properties >Details Tab.
Use the drop down box to show Device Description. If no name change the drop down to Hardware Id's
What is listed?
dell optiplex.
Click to expand...
Can you see a model Number or a service Tag with a number or a Serial Number.
You may find the information in the Bios if there is nothing on the box.
 
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Sorry guys, I am in graduate school and working full-time. I haven't had a chance to check in. I will look into the suggestions here.
 
Sorry guys, I am in graduate school and working full-time. I haven't had a chance to check in. I will look into the suggestions here.
Click to expand...
Not a problem Just post a quick update like this, that way the thread won't be closed due to lack of feed back
 
Ok, so I went back to XP. I just keep reading horror stories about a couple of things I want to run not working right on 7. That being said, I have went into device manager and there is a litany of yellow exclamation marks which is my understanding means that drivers aren't installed. However, I am still not sure how to determine what drivers I need. For instance, when I click on the one for video, it gives me no information.
 
Click on Start> Right Click Computer>Left Click Properties> Click on Device Manager.
Is there a Yellow mark next to network adapters?
Does the network adapter have a name e.g Atheros or Realtek with a model number?
If it has a yellow mark and no name then right click on the adapter>Left click on Properties >Details Tab.
Use the drop down box to show Device Description. If no name change the drop down to Hardware Id's
What is listed?
Click to expand...
Are you positive it is a 9010 ?
First step is to see if we can get network going. Have a look at the Network card instructions above.
Go back to the site and download either the Broadcom or the intel driver if not sure which one take both and the other driver (pic attached)
instead of burning DVD's you can put them on to a usb or if DVD is your only option then download all drivers and burn
 

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When I do a dxdiag, it says Optiplex 9010. I assume that is correct. Under device manager I don't have anything that specifically says network. I have one that says ethernet controller, but when I hit properties it gives me no real information other than "driver not installed."
 
Here is what I see. Sorry for the delay had to figure out how to compress images on iPhone
 

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