If I was going to get me that "free" LCD monitor, I needed to get that DOS-era "German for Everyone" program running on Vista. I finally figured it out:
I initially installed the software just like normal, but the first sign of trouble came when the old version of QuickTime (provided with the German CD) displayed an error message during the install, and then seemed to freeze. Running the German program showed just a black screen.
I got a Vista-compatible version of QuickTime, installed that, but the German program would not work with it.
I deduced that the problem was that (1) the German program ran only with that old version of QuickTime, and (2) the old version of QuickTime did not run with Vista.
Compatibility Mode
After detouring through a fruitless attempt to install Windows 2000, I recalled Vista's compatibility mode. Right-click a program or shortcut, click the Compatibility tab, and then choose an operating system. I picked Windows 98/ME.
Running the German program in compatibility mode still didn't work. Then a thought struck me: what if I install both components in compatibility mode?
I uninstalled QuickTime and the German program.
I right-clicked both icons on the CD, and set them up to be compatible with Windows 98/ME.
I first ran the QuickTime installer, and this time it installed successfully. I followed that by installing the Germany program.
Finally, I ran the German program in compatibility mode. It worked!
(If it hadn't worked, my next step would have been to buy the cheapest hard drive in town in order to install Windows 2000, side-stepping the Microsoftian imposition that prevented me using whatever OS I want.)
Now that German for Everyone worked, I could swap in the old LCD and keyboard to the new computer, and then steal the new keyboard and LCD for my notebook computer expansion.
Comments