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Personal Tech

Solutions: How do I run that old '80s software?

Q. I am new to Vista and the Internet and I have an old IBM 286 system. Can a program (Mind Prober, on the 5-inch floppy) be transferred to a CD so I can use it on Vista? Also, can my old printer, a Canon BJ-200e, be used on Vista? It uses only black ink and my new printer, a Canon MP830, uses a bit of color ink every time I print in black. ( I'm told that it does this to keep the ink heads working, but it sure uses a lot of colored ink in the process.)

By John Torro, Times Correspondent
Published March 3, 2008

Q. I am new to Vista and the Internet and I have an old IBM 286 system. Can a program Mind Prober, on the 5-inch floppy be transferred to a CD so I can use it on Vista? Also, can my old printer, a Canon BJ-200e, be used on Vista? It uses only black ink and my new printer, a Canon MP830, uses a bit of color ink every time I print in black. ( I'm told that it does this to keep the ink heads working, but it sure uses a lot of colored ink in the process.)

A. Wow. Even though this column is 10 years old, I think this is the first time anyone has made a reference to a 286 system. Okay, how to get Mind Prober (sounds dangerous) copied to Vista. If you're comfortable working inside your old PC, copy the floppies (let's hope they're readable) to the hard drive on the 286. Then remove the hard drive and mount it in a USB disk caddy (about $20 at your local computer store). Then plug it in to the new Vista system and access the files. You could chain the old hard drive off the existing hard drive inside the new PC, which wouldn't require you to buy anything. If these solutions are beyond your technical expertise, then I suggest a company called floppydisk.com that for a fee will transfer your old floppies to CD. Once you get the files transferred, you'll need to get the program to run on Vista. There's a chance it may install and run without a hitch. But if it doesn't, you will need to try the Compatibility Mode features. Using Windows File Explorer, navigate to where the executable files (files ending in .exe) are for the Mind Prober program. Right-click the .exe file, select Properties and then click the Compatibility tab. In the Compatibility Mode drop-down, select Windows 95. I would check the Run as Administrator box. Click OK and then try running the program. Modifying the Compatibility Mode settings has helped me run more than a few programs that were not made to run on Vista. As for your printer: You can find Vista drivers for that model at www.xpvistasite.com/printers/canon/. If all you do is print in black and white, I would recommend buying one of the inexpensive laser printers. In the long run they are much more economical than ink jets.

Q. Is there an easy way to write to a CD and add to it later? I'm running Windows XP and Nero.

A. Check the options within Nero for "multi-session." This is the setting that allows you to add to or update previously recorded CDs. It should be the default, so perhaps it was changed at one time. In other software packages it is also referred to as Write-Once capability, which you would not select if you intended to add to a disc later.

Q. I am receiving live video feeds of soccer games from the United Kingdom. I would rather watch these games on my TV. Is there some way of relaying the signals from my PC to my TV?

A. You need to connect an S-Video cable from your PC to your TV. This is relatively simple as long as your TV and PC have the right input/outputs. There's an excellent site at www.svideo.com/compaq1700.html with tips. Go Man U!

Send questions to personaltech@sptimes.com or Personal Tech, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Questions are answered only in this column.

[Last modified February 29, 2008, 20:50:02]