Will new games work on XP?

[Powka]

Hi guys,

I want to go back from Win 8 and Win 7, and install Win XP, because I just can't deal with Windows taking over my PC and installing Microsoft drivers when I don't need them, and want to install my own crap.

Do you think the most recent big games (i.e. Max Payne 3) and software (Adobe Premiere CS6) will run on Windows XP, or will this be a problem? If this will be a problem, do you think they will run on Windows Vista?

I can't find any other way around this except from changing Windows, unfortunately.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

This topic has been moved from the section Windows XP to section Video Games by Area51reopened

 

[jay_nar2012]

You do know you can stop Windows from installing updates.

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi guys,

I want to go back from Win 8 and Win 7, and install Win XP, because I just can't deal with Windows taking over my PC and installing Microsoft drivers when I don't need them, and want to install my own crap.

Do you think the most recent big games (i.e. Max Payne 3) and software (Adobe Premiere CS6) will run on Windows XP, or will this be a problem? If this will be a problem, do you think they will run on Windows Vista?

I can't find any other way around this except from changing Windows, unfortunately.

Hi

All you have to do is to LOOK on the games/software sites at minimum requirements...

All the best Brett

 

[Powka]

You do know you can stop Windows from installing updates.

In theory - yes. I offered people money to do this - nobody can do it. Microsoft support also can't do anything, hehe. So it's not like I haven't tried. I need to install Realtek HD Audio drivers, but MS drivers are overriding them no matter what I tell them to do, and if you'd Google it, you'd see there are millions of websites with the same question - it's just one of the million problems that crappy Windows OS have.

 

[jay2tall]

Game developers are slowly starting to drop support for XP. You will inevitably need to upgrade your version of windows at some point. I have had Vista for years and have never had an issue. Windows 7 is pretty much the same as Vista plus some features and with some features not turned on by default. I have my Windows updates set to not install automatically so I can choose when and which ones to install.

Not sure what your complaint is as XP has the same type of windows updates, except there are much less of them as mainstream support for XP ended in 2009. Extended support for XP will end on 8/4/2014.

 

[Powka]

Game developers are slowly starting to drop support for XP. You will inevitably need to upgrade your version of windows at some point. I have had Vista for years and have never had an issue. Windows 7 is pretty much the same as Vista plus some features and with some features not turned on by default. I have my Windows updates set to not install automatically so I can choose when and which ones to install.

Not sure what your complaint is as XP has the same type of windows updates, except there are much less of them as mainstream support for XP ended in 2009. Extended support for XP will end on 8/4/2014.

Hm, I see. Thanks. Yeah, maybe I'll XP a shot and, then when time comes, maybe there will be some smarter people working at MS who will be able to sort their own problems with updates, as currently there aren't any.

Yes, XP has much less updates, and that's the beauty of it. Most of those updates are useless anyway, and you can always find drivers/security/etc 10 times better on your own than what Windows are offering.

 

[Sunius]

Most new games don't support Windows XP today already.

You can disable automatic driver installation through here:

 

[Powka]

Sinius, thanks, but no - you can't. Doesn't do a thing, I've done this and much more, as well as through msconfig, gpedit.msc, etc etc

 

[jaguarskx]

In theory - yes. I offered people money to do this - nobody can do it. Microsoft support also can't do anything, hehe. So it's not like I haven't tried. I need to install Realtek HD Audio drivers, but MS drivers are overriding them no matter what I tell them to do, and if you'd Google it, you'd see there are millions of websites with the same question - it's just one of the million problems that crappy Windows OS have.

Hmmm... that's an odd problem. I have Realtek audio and I never had issues with MS trying to override the drivers for it.

To answer your original question, yes modern game can be played on Windows XP. The exception is any game that requires DX10 or DX11 to run. Halo 2 was the 1st game to require DX10 so you would need to have Windows Vista installed on the PC in order to play the game. It was a blatant ploy that MS used to force gamers to upgrade to Win Vista since Halo 2 only uses DX9 effects. Battlefield 3 is an example of a current game that you will not be able to play.

As stated by jay2tall, developers are slowly dropping support for DX9 (Win XP), but many game in the near future should run just fine on Win XP. The end of DX9 compatible game will likely accelerate once the next gen Xbox console is released.

 

[Supernova1138]

Have you considered blocking Windows Update with your firewall? If it can't connect to the Internet, it can't download those updates you don't want. If you are using the Windows Firewall, search for Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, and open it. Then you can create a rule to block Windows update from making any outbound or inbound connections. The Path for the Windows Update application is C:\Windows\System32\wuapp.exe

If you use a different firewall program, you should be able to create a rule to block Windows Update through a similar process.

 

[Powka]

Have you considered blocking Windows Update with your firewall? If it can't connect to the Internet, it can't download those updates you don't want. If you are using the Windows Firewall, search for Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, and open it. Then you can create a rule to block Windows update from making any outbound or inbound connections. The Path for the Windows Update application is C:\Windows\System32\wuapp.exe

If you use a different firewall program, you should be able to create a rule to block Windows Update through a similar process.

The problem is that the drivers are already on my PC, so what Windows do is just find them and install them after every PC reboot. I don't even know how they got there, as I've re-installed fresh Windows with no Internet connection. It's a common problem, but it doesn't happen to everyone for some reason. The key here is to find a way how to disable the overriding of new drivers on reboot, as every time you install a new driver, PC has to be restarted anyway.

 

[Sunius]

And is the windows driver non functional?

 

[Powka]

And is the windows driver non functional?

Lets just say its not the best.