Windows XP(SP2) not supported

[Peter Betts]

Trying to work older software for WinXP is a hit-and-miss experience. The Compatibility Troubleshooter only allows WinXp(SP3), and not software that ran on plain XP or XP with SP2. Anybody got any solutions for this, as Microsoft hasn't yet provided a Windows XP emulator for Win 10.

 

[Bighorn]

Mainstream support for Windows XP and Windows Vista has been discontinued for some time now. Do you have a particular program that won't run on WinXP SP3? As I recall SP3 was a cumulative update, included SP1 and SP2. Have you checked with the publisher of that program for an update? Or is the publisher even still in business?

I also have a program from 2000 that would be nice to run but can't on Win10 32-bit or 64-bit but have kept a WinXP computer working for an occasional hardware need and the program still runs on it.

Side note: I have doubts that Microsoft is even considering making such a compatibility available in Win10, mainly because Win10 does not support 16-bit programs.

 

[BigFeet]

If you're talking about compatibility mode, My GTA IV can run in XP sp2 or 3 mode. It doesn't need to, but the options are there. It shouldn't make much difference between the service packs. Compatibility mode is hit or miss, and there's no guarantee it would work anyway.