Lionel Collector's Guide CDs

Yellercat,

Your best bet is to learn to work with virtualization.  There are programs (some free) available (Virtualbox, VMware and others) that allow you to create virtual computer hard drives on your Win7 machine.  To read your CDs, you create this virtual hard drive and install Win95 (if you can find a copy) on it.  Both Win95 and Win7 then have access to your CD player, but only one at a time.

You might also look into finding a used copy of 32-bit Win7 and see if the CDs will work with that.

Last thought - doesn't Win7 have a compatibility mode feature?  Might try looking for something like that.

Hope this helps,

Chuck

I use VMWare player to create a virtual "guest" on my Windows 8.1 machine. Then an operating system has to be installed on the guest machine.

VMWare player is free for home use.

THANKS to everyone who replied and offered assistance, however no prizes yet... if I understand the virtual programs that were suggested, I still will need a bootable Win 95 disc, which I do not have.  Please correct me if I am wrong... also any suggestions will be very much appreciated... THANKS, Jay

On a related problem, I have my train inventory saved on a "MS Works: file.  Up until now, when I upgraded to a new computer, the new windows system would open and read its old "Works" program.

However, my new computer will not allow me to open Works so I can't use my train inventory file. When I try to open it, I am sent to a page where I must choose from some internet suppliers to get "Works" loaded onto my new computer.

Do any of you have suggestions as to which supplier I should buy this adaptation from so I can access my inventory?

Thanks for the help!

I have the following, which otherwise will wind up in the trash and/or recycle bins soon, if they possibly may be of use:

• Windows 98 Upgrade for users of Windows 3.1x and Windows 95

• Windows Me, Millennium Edition

• Windows XP, Home Edition

You don't need to buy another version of Works if you have Microsoft Office on your new computer.  If you still have your old computer, you can save your Works file in a Office-compatible format.  If you don't still have your old computer, you can use free document converter software.

http://www.ehow.com/how_596513...rt-wdb-file-xls.html

Yellercat,

Yes, that's right.  If you attempt to use virtualization, you will still need to install either Windows 3.1 or Win95 onto the "virtual" hard drive.  From what I've heard, second hand copies of those programs are relatively available, for a small price, on the web.

Dave Warburton,

Microsoft stopped producing Works several years ago because they were undercutting their own Office program.  The free work around for previous Works users is to download a program called Libre Office.  They work very hard to be compatible with Microsoft products and should be able to open your Works files.  Once open, check to be sure that "conversion" was satisfactory and then "Save As" under the Libre format for future use.

The more expensive option is to acquire Microsoft Office and follow their conversion feature.

Happy computing,

Chuck

How about Open Office? Will it read Microsoft Works files?

I find it annoying that Microsoft Access 2010 will not read some older versions of Access Databases. I believe that Open Office will.

Inquiry specifically addressed to PRR1950

Hi Chuck... without boring the forum with details specific to my outdated CDs, will you accept a personal eMail inquiry???  If so, I welcome your contacting me with your eMail address... YellerCat@gMail.com

THANKS, Jay