Win7 games on Win10


  1. Posts : 720
    Win10 x64 Pro - 2 desktops, 2 laptops
       #1

    Win7 games on Win10


    A while ago I installed Win7 games on Win10 using msgames_win8_x64.msi as mentioned in thread Hearts and Solitaire Games in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums I wondered if this was legal but did it anyway. Installing the TH2 update removed the games. I installed them again, but this is starting to bother my conscience. Does Microsoft consider these games "pirated" or "unauthorized"? If not, why did the maintenance delete them?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 42,634
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #2

    This is simply to do with the way the TH2 update is implemented. It's virtually a new Windows installation, and creates a Windows.old folder. Because your games are presumably installed within folders which are part of the OS, I would expect they have been left behind in the Windows.old folder and not copied across.

    As a side note, it has been found that some user installed programs (just a very few) have been uninstalled by the update, where MS has deemed these are incompatible.

    Just reinstall them if you wish.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 79
    Windows 10 Build: Redstone
       #3

    By incompatible it means that you may experience problems in the upcoming builds of Windows 10. Each new build that makes it's way through might have some things that are incompatible. Say a certain component or program as an example.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 720
    Win10 x64 Pro - 2 desktops, 2 laptops
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Dean73 said:
    By incompatible it means that you may experience problems in the upcoming builds of Windows 10. Each new build that makes it's way through might have some things that are incompatible. Say a certain component or program as an example.
    Some posts on other threads commented on TH2 uninstalling those "incompatible" programs, but that didn't happen for me except for the Win7 games. I believe Speccy, CPUID, and HWiNFO64 were specifically mentioned. I have those, and the TH2 didn't touch them. But it did uninstall the games. I think there must be some other process involved.

    Maybe I should try to find a log of the TH2 installation. Is there such a thing, or do I just look at the "Setup" events produced during the install?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 42,634
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #5

    Well, put it this way, if you find the games in Windows.old and not in your current installation, and you noticed that almost immediately after the upgrade, maybe 2+2 =42..? But who knows. Anyway, just try putting them back...but maybe not in the middle of Windows.. I mean, if they are portable, you can put them anywhere..

    It also seems to be true that some experience adverse consequences from TH2 and others not. As to why... well, maybe it's part of MS's learning curve. Clearly they should test things against a range of representative customer systems, not just relatively clean ones. I wonder if they do?

    E.g. I've just discovered my search indexing locations have been set to default- presumably yet another side effect.. and another reason not to bother with MS search..

    Windows update log:
    Windows Update logs are now generated using ETW (Event Tracing for Windows).
    Please run the Get-WindowsUpdateLog PowerShell command to convert ETW traces into a readable WindowsUpdate.log.


    For more information, please visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=518345
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 720
    Win10 x64 Pro - 2 desktops, 2 laptops
    Thread Starter
       #6

    dalchina said:
    Well, put it this way, if you find the games in Windows.old and not in your current installation, and you noticed that almost immediately after the upgrade, maybe 2+2 =42..? But who knows. Anyway, just try putting them back...but maybe not in the middle of Windows.. I mean, if they are portable, you can put them anywhere..
    Maybe I didn't mention it, but I did reinstall the games with no problem. However, they were installed via a .msi file. I assume that, by definition, installs them "in the middle of Windows". I also assume that that installation procedure does more than just plop them down in a folder. (If that's all that happens, just copying them from Win7 to Win10 should work ... but it doesn't.

    However, my real question is one of ethics and legality. Is it legal to run these games on Win10? (It was obviously legal to run them on that box before I did a free upgrade from 7 to 10. And it is obviously legal for me to run them on my 2 boxes still running Win7.)

    dalchina said:
    Windows update log:
    Windows Update logs are now generated using ETW (Event Tracing for Windows).
    Please run the Get-WindowsUpdateLog PowerShell command to convert ETW traces into a readable WindowsUpdate.log.


    For more information, please visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=518345
    I've generated the log file and can't find any record with "games" in it, but it's a big log. I'll continue looking.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 42,634
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #7

    Sorry, I'm not a lawyer, and couldn't possibly venture an opinion. Perhaps one of the other members might be..
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 79
    Windows 10 Build: Redstone
       #8

    Of course it's legal made by MS and owned by MS they wouldn't even care if you installed it on Windows 10.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 720
    Win10 x64 Pro - 2 desktops, 2 laptops
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Dean73 said:
    Of course it's legal made by MS and owned by MS they wouldn't even care if you installed it on Windows 10.
    I don't find that argument particularly persuasive. It was made by MS to run under, to be part of Win7. The games seem to change a little with each new version of Windows. If it wanted to, Microsoft could dictate that the Win7 games can be run legally only on Win7. However, I've not seen that Microsoft even officially said that, and I think the .msi file I used to install the games was provided by Microsoft to install the games on Win8. Anyway, the "About" text displays the Win10 license agreement so I guess I'm ok running the games.
      My Computer


 

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:17.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums