A way to run Windows just for gaming?

[gylf]

I'm eager to try some of the newer MMORPGs that have been (and will be) released. I'm also looking forward to BattleField 2, though ET has kept me pretty happy for FPS's. So I'm wondering if anyone has come up with a clever way to (legally [-X ) run windows w/ linux without breaking the bank (I own no copies of Windows).

Wine/Cedega hasn't worked well for me and doesn't support a lot of MMO's (Guild Wars specifically).

I'm tempted to pick up a cheap copy of the lowest direct X supported Win version (98 or ME I think...) and duel boot. I know there are programs like win4lin, but do any of them have directX support? Has anyone else tried this?

[darkoptix]

I would suggest just using a copy of xp, and the service pack 2 install. Then use Nlite(http://www.nliteos.com/) to intergrate service pack 2 into the installation. Also, take out all the programs that suck which is basically all of them( windows media player, internet explorer, outlook express, etc), and configure to your liking. This will allow for a seemless install and you won't have to configure almost anything. Proceed to install latest version of drivers, directX, and your done.

I wouldn't recommend 98/me because well they suck for gaming, unless your doing old gaming like tribes 2 :razz: , Doom3 and HL2 require Windows 2000 at least.

This is what i'm doing at the gaming side of me when I had a ati card, and running games that are not linux friendly. The install turns out to be small, and minimal, which is perfect for gaming.

[cdhotfire]

I would suggest just using a copy of xp, and the service pack 2 install. Then use Nlite(http://www.nliteos.com/) to intergrate service pack 2 into the installation. Also, take out all the programs that suck which is basically all of them( windows media player, internet explorer, outlook express, etc), and configure to your liking. This will allow for a seemless install and you won't have to configure almost anything. Proceed to install latest version of drivers, directX, and your done.

I wouldn't recommend 98/me because well they suck for gaming, unless your doing old gaming like tribes 2 :razz: , Doom3 and HL2 require Windows 2000 at least.

This is what i'm doing at the gaming side of me when I had a ati card, and running games that are not linux friendly. The install turns out to be small, and minimal, which is perfect for gaming.

"internet explorer" ?

are you crazy?????

this is windows filemanager, kind of works like in kde, file manager and browser in one. If you want to try, go into ie and type in c:\ and what comes out?

i would just dual boot, is not like that much of a hassel. Just boot up ubuntu to do work and stuff, and if your bored boot up windows, no big deal. Those programs like win4lin would not be a very smart choice, onless you want to play games with more lag than needed.:???:

Well good luck on that.:grin:

[poofyhairguy]

Doom3 and HL2 require Windows 2000 at least.


Then the question is (I want to know this) what runs games better- XP or 2000k?

[TravisNewman]

2000k? 2000,000? I want a copy of windows 2 million!!
(sorry, sorry, had to be a butt)

In my experience, XP runs games better.

[gylf]

use Nlite(http://www.nliteos.com/)

Cool program, thanks.


I wouldn't recommend 98/me because well they suck for gaming, unless your doing old gaming like tribes 2 , Doom3 and HL2 require Windows 2000 at least.

I know that the latest version of DirectX runs on windows 98 and ME. HL2 requirements actually say 98 will work. Doom 3 says 2000/XP only, but forums online say that it does run w/ 98SE.

Granted the NT systems are more solid, but I'm very poor (and cheap) and if I'm going to break down and spend money on Windows, I want to spend as little as possible :)

Hopefully by the time they drop DirectX support for 98, WINE will be much improved or native linux clients will be more common.

Now, where to find a cheap copy of 98...

[cdhotfire]

2000k? 2000,000? I want a copy of windows 2 million!!
(sorry, sorry, had to be a butt)

In my experience, XP runs games better.

Ya id have to agree with this, i have a friend using 2k and he has trouble playing tons of games. So XP would be the better choice.

Also about my first post, you can delete internet explorer if you wish, id do this, only if you want to play games, that is when you take off explorer from task manager, your only left with the wallpaper. This is good to save ram and have games run better, but if your actually planning to use windows this would not be a good idea, this was what i was trying to get to in first post.:)

[gylf]

Ya id have to agree with this, i have a friend using 2k and he has trouble playing tons of games. So XP would be the better choice.

Also about my first post, you can delete internet explorer if you wish, id do this, only if you want to play games, that is when you take off explorer from task manager, your only left with the wallpaper. This is good to save ram and have games run better, but if your actually planning to use windows this would not be a good idea, this was what i was trying to get to in first post.:)

Yup, I knew what you were saying.

My only problem is that windows XP costs big bucks. And I really don't want to give that much money to MS. I do have a OEM copy somewhere that came w/ my laptop. It might work on my desktop, not sure about the licensing (I never accepted the agreement on the laptop when I purchased it).

[cdhotfire]

on ebay lowest i saw for buy it now was about $81 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=7153718274&rd=1) including shipping, you can prob get it for less by bidding, this is lowes i have seen for windows xp. Or you can try and download it.:-\"

[kvidell]

"internet explorer" ?

are you crazy?????

this is windows filemanager, kind of works like in kde, file manager and browser in one. If you want to try, go into ie and type in c:\ and what comes out?
That's not entirely true.
I ran XP-Lite on my mom's computer and it succesfully removed Internet Explorer without removing EXPLORER.
They're essentially the same application, but not exactly. IE simply is a wrapper for Explorer that adds some functionality to it to make it work better for websites, rather than local data.

Going in to IE and typing in a local address drops it in to a basic explorer shell.
Opening up a basic explorer shell and typing in an internet address brings it up to IE and adds in all the "web features".

--
Oh, and why SP2? SP1a is completely adequete for gaming I've found.

[gylf]

$60 here. (http://www.ioffer.com/i/Microsoft-Windows-Xp-Pro-With-Sp2-free-shipping-6579712)
I don't know if I'll actually purchase it or not, but for anyone that's interested this site seems to have some good deals.

[poofyhairguy]

$60 here. (http://www.ioffer.com/i/Microsoft-Windows-Xp-Pro-With-Sp2-free-shipping-6579712)
I don't know if I'll actually purchase it or not, but for anyone that's interested this site seems to have some good deals.


Anyone also note that that is an OEM copy and you can't resell it (and many other things).

[gylf]

I'm not sure if your insinuating that he's selling it illegally, or if your just making people aware of the restrictions...

He's probably a software dealer and a legal reseller. I'm only aware of two other restrictions: it can only be installed on a single computer, and must be sold w/ hardware.

Newegg (http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102153) sells OEM copies, for instance.

[TravisNewman]

If it must be sold with hardware, and this ISN'T sold with hardware, isn't that illegal then?

[kvidell]

If it must be sold with hardware, and this ISN'T sold with hardware, isn't that illegal then?
Agreed. My company will NOT buy oem software or hardware from NewEgg or other Distributors.
Alot of the times it's bootlegged from foreign "distributors"
(We're a little retail and repair shoppe that does a few other things (Like they ***** me out to clients for webdesign and system administration and voip stuffs).)
Apparently people've gotten nailed via that before.

[poofyhairguy]

I'm not sure if your insinuating that he's selling it illegally, or if your just making people aware of the restrictions...



Second one....

[gylf]

Anandtech (http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=34&threadid=1570299&STARTPAGE=1) thread on OEM windows.

As far as hardware goes, I've heard a lot of mixed opinions on what "hardware" entails. This guy probably throws in a free IDE cable and calls it good. I don't know to what extent MS actually enforces it, since they really have no way of knowing what "hardware" you bought with the OEM copy.

[TravisNewman]

gylf-- true. Could be "Buy this HDD screw for $80, get Windows XP for FREE!"

[poofyhairguy]

gylf-- true. Could be "Buy this HDD screw for $80, get Windows XP for FREE!"

LOL. Two screws for the price of one!!

[gylf]

Maybe this will get the thread back on topic a bit :)

I found this neat trick today:
A custom windows 98 Live CD (http://www.lachiesadicristo.it/w98cd/page1.htm).

You can customize the configuration anyway you want. The whole OS is loaded into a RAM drive (stripped down with 98lite (http://www.litepc.com/98lite.html) to under 100MB). Unfortunatly, being on a CD its read-only so its not much good if you want to change the setup often (ie install new games). Maybe once there's a more reliable way to map an ext3 drive to windows, one could figure out how to import/export the registry and store big apps there (maybe in the WINE folder?). That would let you boot windows from a CD while using a fully ext3 drive.

This CD (DVD?) setup would probably still work good if you have just a couple windows games you like.

At this point I'm probably going to just get a cheap 2nd HD, make it FAT32, install windows 98, and use 98lite to strip it down to nothing. Update GRUB and away I go for under $100. Since its FAT32, I can still utilize the space in Ubuntu.

Any other ideas or suggestions are appreciated. :)

[darkoptix]

Sorry if this is totally wrong and against the rules but, why would you pay for xp??? I stopped at win95.

[jordanau]

Sorry if this is totally wrong and against the rules but, why would you pay for xp??? I stopped at win95.

Well I am not going to get into the moral issues of pirating software. I do know that I don't want to be whored out in prison for cigarettes or whatever else my pimp would want. I have also come to realize that it is stupid to download that kind of crap of the internet. Who's to say nobody is watching and taking notes...

[lappy512]

I'm not sure if your insinuating that he's selling it illegally, or if your just making people aware of the restrictions...

He's probably a software dealer and a legal reseller. I'm only aware of two other restrictions: it can only be installed on a single computer, and must be sold w/ hardware.

Newegg (http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102153) sells OEM copies, for instance.

of course if you get a counterfeit copy, then you can always call MS and then get a real copy, it was on slashdot today

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/05/149250&tid=109&tid=155&tid=98&tid=1