Windows 7 and internet

Several years ago when I bought my Windows 10 machine, the people from whom I bought the machine told me that an antivirus program was not really necessary, as W 10 had enough built in safeguards. I accepted that, and to date have had no problems with the machine. However, my W10 machine does not have a CD/DVD drive and I was wondering if I could press my old W7 machine - it has the drive for CDs - so that could play my old games, the ones which came on discs.

I have not tried to connect to the internet as the feeling at the time was that it was unsafe to do it.

Has the situation changed over the years regarding the ability of anti virus programs to make it now safe to connect the W7 machine to the internet? It would certainly help if could be done so that I could, for example, get in touch
quickly with GB site to help when I get stuck. As I all too often do.

petert

Hi Peter,

I have moved your post over to Glitches so that you can get some good advice and suggestions in regards to this.

No... and as a matter of fact, it's gotten much worse with no security updates for such a long time. As I tried to tell someone on another site, anti-virus programs are not helpful on a Windows 7 machine because the security holes are much deeper than that in the actual architecture of the operating system. Windows 7 machines on the internet are easily taken over without the user's knowledge to spread spam and viruses and much worse. You are playing with the worst of the internet where viruses are the least of your worries if you take a Windows 7 machine on-line.

But it will be PERFECT to play your old disk games on, so game away! Just remember to disconnect from the internet. And maybe keep your Windows 10 machine booted up to call for help here!

The built-in anti-malware program in Windows used to be pretty bad. But it has improved by leaps and bounds over the years and is now rated fairly highly. I use an extra layer of protection with Malwarebytes Pro. I've used this combination for many years and it's very effective. Plus, I am NEVER bothered with false positives while installing a game or other annoyances that I find a royal pain to deal with. I just want to install my game and play, not jack around with removing the offending file from the scanner and notifying the company! Best part is, it was the security combination of choice of our own Jenny100!

Thank you, Drac!

thanks Draclvr, could not have said it better. And petert, you could buy an External CD/DVD player to plug into your W10 machine, if you look around you can good ones for really cheap.

Excellent point, Starcom! Peter, I did a search for "exterior DVD drives" at Amazon UK and it came up with this...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Exteri...s&srs=27016827031&ref=nb_sb_noss

Thanks for the info.

I will get round to a portable drive right away.

petert

Bought a portable drive, and loaded in Nostrodamus on my W10 laptop and everthing seemed to be OK. I used the compatibility function and the laptop correctly identified that
the disk was Windows Vista, and it all seemed to be hunky dorey. The game seemed to load correcty and displayed the correct initial display, but the cursor has disappeared.

I normally use a mouse with games as I cannot react quickly enough when using the touchpad, but I cannot get the arrow cursor at all with either method.

Anyone got any ideas about what I am doing wrong?

petert

You are definitely not doing anything wrong. Did you EVER have a cursor or was it working and then disappeared? Have you tried starting the game again? Do you have a cursor long enough to perhaps get into your options or settings and disable a custom cursor?

I found plenty out there on the cursor disappearing in Windows 10, but nothing about it disappearing in this particular game.

I don't think I ever had a cursor.

Yes, I have started the game a couple of times but, like Einstein said, it is futile to expect to repeat the same thing and hope for a different answer.

I guess it doesn't really matter, because I am playing the game on my W7 machine anyway, but I was testing out the new drive to see if it is OK.

I will try with a different game and see what happens

petert

Post back with what happens.

Tried again with a different game and the response was even worse.
The new game - Tunguska - appeared to load, and I had an icon on the computer display for the game, but when I clicked on it, I was unable launch the game. It just sat there, static and I could do nothing with it.

It does seem that the new disc drive does not pick up something on the software in the old games that would enable my W10 machine to operate with the oldies.
Certainly, the Compatiblity function in W10 seems to do what is says on the tin.

I did notice in my first attempt on Nostrodamus that when I first tried to go back to desktop, I had a black screen with tiny letters saying 'v1.01'. The only way that I found to go back to Desktop was to hit the Windows key, and then when I restarted the machine I was able to turn the computer off.

So I think that the way ahead is for me exchange the disc drive for one that is able to do what I want.

petert

PS. We all had terrible trouble with Tomato Blight on our outdoor tomatoes this year.

I'm pretty sure Tungaska is one of those games with a type of copy protection that Window 10 will block. That's the behavior you get... it installs and there is an icon, but then... nothing. Maybe try another game. Tungaska is one that can only be played on Windows 10 with a download from GOG or STEAM where they have removed the copy protection.

I don't think the disk drive is your issue. I will not behave any differently than if you had it installed inside your computer.

Thanks for this.

I will find some way around the problem if I can.

If you are talking about Tungaska, you can't find a workaround... other than getting the download with the copy protection removed.

No, I have given up the task of trying to use the auxiliary CD/DVD drive, and have sent it back to where I bought it.

I did wonder afterwards whether it was capable of doing what I wanted, because there were 2 leads from the drive, one being the standard USB connector to the computer, and the other had a connector that didn't seem to serve any purpose. It was too short to plug into the computer any way.

The little instruction sheet - about 2" by 3", translated from Chinese, and in the tiniest font you can imagine ,
- did not refer to it at all.

If I do decide to give it another go - with a different drive - I will make sure that there are no extraneous leads. One simple USB connector is all that is required.

petert

Yes, unless it is a "powered" external drive like mine is. Mine plugs into an electrical outlet for it's power. The ones with only a UBS plug get both power and data transmission through the USB cable. Which is fine for just installing content from CDs.

Hi petert, is this game Tunguska you are talking about, could the Full name be:

Secret Files: Tunguska, if so, I have the NO CD fix for it that I can send you if you wish.

That might work, Starcom! Have you tried installing it on Windows 10 with the NoCD fix?

I'm curious what your "powered" external drive does that a non "powered" external drive does Drac. I've considered getting an external drive myself.

Since my power does not have to be shared with the USB cable, I can do much more with mine. I rip a lot of music CDs and that takes a lot of oomph compared to just installing a game.

Hi Draclvr, when I get back home in a few days I will check to see if I still have the *game and Will try it with my Windows 10.

* I have the No CD fix but not sure about still having the game. Will let you know asap.

Starcom, thanks for the input.

I had only picked Tunguska to try out the drive - it is "secret files TUNGUSKA" by the way - because it was the first one in my "library" of games that came on a single disc. Nearly all the others contained more than one disc, and I did not want to complicate the situation in that way.

And Drac, my drive was one which was powered from the computer via the USB port, as you surmised.

petert

And that shouldn't matter for simply installing games or playing music from CDs.

Well I am back home and unfortunately I do not have the CD for the game Tunguska, either I got rid of it because I didn't like the game or I downloaded it from a game site that no longer exist, either way I know I had to use the No Cd fix, which oddly enough I still the have the No cd fix on my Hard Drive and on my No CDs backup.

I bought a new CD Drive that did not have the extra cable, only the USB lead, and Tunguska loaded just fine - complete with cursor.
So I am all set.

petert

Excellent news, Peter! Now, enjoy the game.