Windows 8 I have all my Microsoft Games working in Windows 8!!!!

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I finally got my Microsoft Games working in Windows 8.
I can play FreeCell again!!!

Here's how to do it.

First copy the Microsoft Games folder in it's entirety from your Widows 7 install, Program Files folder to the Program Files folder on your Windows 8 drive.

Next copy the Cardgames.dll file from the System32 folder in your Windows 7 install, to each of the folders in the Microsoft Games Folder in Windows 8.

I.e. paste it into the Chess folder, the FreeCell folder, the Hearts folder etc.

Download this file and put it in your Microsoft Games folder on you Windows 8 drive.

Link Removed

Run the .exe file. You will get a popup click OK and it will run a program that modifies the .exe files for each of the games. I't doesn't change anything else, just makes the game.exe files readable by Windows 8.

Make your shortcuts and your ready to go!

My hat's off to Tito who wrote this patch.

Mike

 

[Sivert]

I tried this but did not get it working, any suggestions ?
I have Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bit on my Laptop and Windows 8 Pro 32 bit on my Desktop

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I would try it again and make sure you do it exactly the way they say.
I've done this on 2 Windows 8 computers and it worked both times.

If that doesn't do it, I don't really know what the problem could be unless it's the fact that your Windows 8 is 32 bit.
I was always going from a 32 bit Windows 7 computer to a 64 bit Windows 8 computer.

Maybe you can get access to a 32 bit computer and copy the games from there.

Mike

 

[Sivert]

I now tried with my previous system Vista 32 bit and did the same and now it works !!!

Sivert

 

[Digerati]

I just had to reinstall W8 on a system and remembered this thread was where I could find the games patcher program. Thanks for that, BTW.

Just a short comment in regards to cardgames.dll found in the Windows 7 c:\windows\system32 folder - you don't have to paste a copy of it into each game folder in W8, just paste it into W8's c:\windows\system32 folder and all the games will work. Don't even have to reboot.

 

[ussnorway]

Old school gamers rule!

p.s. It works because the game was successfully entered into the registry (at the time of original install)… I use a similar hack to play KOTOR on my windows 8 rig.

 

[Digerati]

Ummm, no. Sorry but that is not correct. These games do not come with Windows8 - that's the problem. If you want to play the games that traditionally came with Windows in Windows8, you have to download and install them from the Microsoft Store and then they only run in full "Metro" style screen.

This works because running the Microsoft Games Patcher program sets the Registry.

 

[Kathie]

Thank you for the information! I am now up and running with Spider Solitaire. I just had a computer built using Win 8.1 Pro and missed not having Spider. And the APP store's free version of Spider is awful, with the ads and appearance. I found the patcher program reference in another forum, but your explanation helped me to get things situated. Thank you again! ~ Kathie

 

[Digerati]

FTR, to get Windows 7 games to work with Windows 10, see Link Removed. Ignore the "RECOMMENDED" link to fix Windows. That's just an ad for the free site to get some revenue for their efforts.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I'm a FreeCell fan, I've played it since Windows 3.1 and I had to have it working in Windows 10.

I used a hack similar to the one shown in Digerati's post to run it in Windows 10 that was originally written for Windows 8 but still works.

Like you, I don't like the Windows Store versions of the old games.

Mike

 

[Kathie]

Thank you for the information! I am now up and running with Spider Solitaire. I just had a computer built using Win 8.1 Pro and missed not having Spider. And the APP store's free version of Spider is awful, with the ads and appearance. I found the patcher program reference in another forum, but your explanation helped me to get things situated. Thank you again! ~ Kathie

I don't know what happened with the Spider game. It was functioning fine. I had the occasion to reboot my computer, and today I went to play the game. It launched. However, it is not correct. On the top left, when I click on the spider icon I get drop down menu: restore, move, size, minimize, close (instead of Game Help. As an aside, I know this game was working because I had made a snapshot of the game and posted to my Facebook page!). And on right side the usual minimize, size, and X to close. I have no options like before (undo, start over, etc). And I got to point of last deal, and am stuck. I close the game - launch it - and I have the same game that is already in play. I rebooted the computer, launched the game, and it is the same one as before. Any thoughts on this? Thank you! I am so puzzled because it had worked as normal before.

<<< update >>> Because I was having some networking issues with the Win 8 machine, I had disabled a UAC setting. Just a few moments ago, I tried to launch the APP store, and could not because I had fiddled with the UAC setting. So I put it back to enable, and I figured I would try launching Spider. It now is what it should be with Game Help in upper left hand corner. So fire is out. I will now wait for the tech that built my machine to come over and fix the networking issues in regard to permissions. >>>