Operating System for older/newer BL games: Windows 7, XP and Vista

[Adrienne]

This is my first thread, so please be kind and tolerant

Do let me know if this issue has already been addressed, answered or isn't supposed to be posted here (I did a browse through the rest of the threads in this section and didn't find something quite similar, but if I'm wrong, I apologise in advance)

I am new to BL games, and already hooked.
So far, I managed to download, set-up & play smoothly in my Vista Home premium edition Vaio laptop games like Hanamachi, Silver Chaos 2: Artificial Mermaid and Maid Hajimemashita.

However, despite day-long efforts to play games like Kichiku Megane, Kichiku Megane R and STEAL! in my laptop too, I failed miserably in going past the written dialogue-parts of the games to viewing the video parts like OP movies and such.
I tried almost everything.
I downloaded updates to games from the game site.
I did a number of updates on my directx, both from Microsoft, and the ones prompted by the Japanese games during installation, so this might have been a huge screw up on my part. Currently, it says that I have version 10 installed. Anyway, I'm not experienced when it comes to gameplay using PCs, so I don't know if this an issue.
I managed the change to Japanese language settings just fine, so I will bypass this as an issue.
Daemon tools/Alcohol 120/Nero all worked just fine for me, whichever I used, so I'll bypass this issue too. I was able to write/install the games properly.

The thing is, I had the sudden epiphany to try and play the games in a windows XP computer (directx version 9c something, if it matters).
They ran smoothly after I switched to Japanese language settings, I was able to view OP movie videos and such, and I even finished one...


NOW to the issue: Is it a windows vista compatibility issue, the fact I can't play certain BL games? My pc often came up with pop-ups about compatibility problems needing to be fixed when I tried to run these games.
And if so, what do I do, upgrade to Windows 7?
Do you know of problems associated with the Windows 7 OS when playing BL/Japanese games, older and newer ones alike?
And windows XP isn't a solution either, service packs for these won't be around for much longer anyway...
So, what's your experience?
(I've also been meaning to buy a desktop all-in-one PC with touch screen, and being able to play BL and other Japanese games is, for me, a very important factor in deciding. But most, if not all of them come with windows 7. So I'm wondering if this will be a problem)

So, your help in addressing these questions will be invaluable

I hope my questions are not off-topic, and also relevant to others' who might have the same issues with me. Sorry if it's too long...

[daniyagami]

I use windows XP so I have no problems. You can use XP for many years yet, even without the service packs. Don't believe in everything that Microsoft says.
Most of BL games don't run in Vista 64.

[libertypo]

Don't believe in everything that Microsoft says.

Don't believe in Microsoft. Period, I might add. Usually the compatibility is specified on the box if the game is original otherwise you'll find the relevant info on the net. But as daniyagami specified your best bet for now is winblows xp

[Adrienne]

Thank you for your prompt replies, daniyagami and libertypo!
Helped clear some of the confusion...

Most of BL games don't run in Vista 64.

As I suspected... vista is the reason.
I know about using xp for many years yet.
My brother has been using them since they came out.
And I sure know Microsoft isn't to be trusted.
I just really want to know if the games are compatible with windows 7,
because I will definitely have to buy a new desktop sometime this year...
And they are ALL, especially the touch screen ones, windows 7...

But as daniyagami specified your best bet for now is winblows xp

Yeah, that's the thing to do for now, I guess.

But still, I would like to hear some testimonials from people with windows 7, official/authentic and not, and whether they could play BL/japanese games or not.
Just imagining playing BL games with a touch screen sounds amazing, so I would really like to know if I can buy a touch screen desktop with windows 7 and still play BL games.

[daniyagami]

Just imagining playing BL games with a touch screen sounds amazing, so I would really like to know if I can buy a touch screen desktop with windows 7 and still play BL games.

Probably not because the games are old and probably doesn't have support to new technologies.
I play some old games in my computer, they run exactly how they were originally made to run (in 1997 and 1999) and I have to run them in a window because they don't even support my graphic card.
Old is old.

[Adrienne]

Probably not because the games are old and probably doesn't have support to new technologies.
I play some old games in my computer. . .they don't even support my graphic card.
Old is old.

You are right about the old ones, it sounds logical.
Will keep the xp pc available for those, I guess...
But what about more recent games like spray's STEAL! ?
And Kichiku Megane R is fairly recent too.
I was told that windows 7 has fixed some of the game compatibility problems one encounters with vista. But I haven't actually tried windows 7, or search the web on the topic, so I don't know.

Hmmm, aren't there any windows 7 users who have tried bl games, to tell us from their experience?

[Kasumii]

It shouldn't be a compatibility issue.
I have Windows 7 on my computer, but Kichiku Megane, KM R, Togainu no Chi, and a few other games work perfectly fine for me. Do you get a specific error message or something, or does it just not open?

[Adrienne]

I have Windows 7 on my computer, but Kichiku Megane, KM R, Togainu no Chi, and a few other games work perfectly fine for me.

Kasumii, thank you for your reply!
Finally a windows 7 user. You say that you can play bl games with windows 7, but what edition do you have? Home premium, ultimate, pro?
Do you run these games using the XP mode application, or do you simply play?

I don't get an error message in my vista pc, my screen just freezes during the game when it is about to show a video, like kichiku megane's opening movie.
I 've been told the problem is my directx is a version 10/higher, and not 9c something that xp have.
If it's not a combatibility issue with vista, then what is it?

Are there bl games you cannot play in windows 7?
And if you could, please tell me what kind of cpu, graphic card, motherboard you have. I've been told that older bl games aren't compatible with some graphic cards etc., so I'm wondering what works out for you.
Sorry for the drilling, I'm about to buy a desktop, and I'm building it myself, so I need to know what works and what doesn't for bl and other japanese games. Since I already have a laptop for work purposes, I'm buying the desktop for gaming

I'm looking forward to your reply!

[Alatariel]

I've got Windows 7 Home Premium, a pretty crap processor (2.1 GHz AMD Sempron), a ridiculously old graphics card (Radeon X700), dunno about the motherboard but I wouldn't recommend it for a gaming PC anyway, my system is nowhere near fast enough for real-time 3D graphics rendering... Which you would need for playing non-BL games, but for my purposes it works out great! ^^;

Anyway, Togainu no Chi and a few others that will play with a simple daemon tools mount work fine for me, but Lamento does not; I haven't tried kichiku megane. However, I would recommend getting Windows 7 Professional at least, because then you can download and mount a virtual machine to run XP (Microsoft won't let you download it with Home or Starter editions). I have a good feeling running 7- and Vista-incompatible games on an XP virtual machine would solve the compatibility issues I (and a few Vista users here on the forum) are getting, since it's basically like having an XP machine right at your fingertips.. but I haven't tested out the theory since I've only got Home edition >__<

hope this helps!

[Adrienne]

I've got Windows 7 Home Premium, a pretty crap processor (2.1 GHz AMD Sempron), a ridiculously old graphics card (Radeon X700) . . . but for my purposes it works out great! ^^;

Anyway, Togainu no Chi and a few others that will play. . .but Lamento does not; I haven't tried kichiku megane.

However, I would recommend getting Windows 7 Professional at least, because then you can download and mount a virtual machine to run XP (Microsoft won't let you download it with Home or Starter editions).

Alatariel, thanks a lot for the info, it helps a lot!

I'm upgrading my vista laptop to windows 7, and I was wondering if there were any bl games that will play on windows 7 without the xp mode virtual environment thingy. Since I'm saving to build a desktop that will support the xp mode virtual environment application, I was wondering if in the meantime I could play some games in my laptop only with windows 7 ultimate. If it isn't too much trouble, could you report in this thread any other bl games you managed to play using windows 7? Older ones like Messiah, or newer ones like STEAL! for example. It would be valuable info