Hey everyone! My dad has a CD copy of Doom 2 that he bought back when it first came out. He used to play it on an old computer, but we no longer have that. He recently tried to use it on his Windows 7 desktop (which he's about to retire), but it gave him an error and wouldn't launch the game. He's interested in buying a new laptop that runs Windows 11, and I was wondering if there's some kind of adapter or converter that would let him play Doom 2 on this new computer. He specifically doesn't want the newer versions since he loves his old copy for the nostalgia. I think it would make a great Christmas gift if I could find a way for him to enjoy his favorite game again! I've seen some USB CD adapters, but they only seem to mention compatibility with movies and music. Any suggestions?
4 Answers
You might want to try using DOSBox. It's a free program that allows you to run older DOS games on modern systems. It might take a bit of setup, but many users have had success getting classic games like Doom to work on their current machines.
You might not need one if you can find a digital copy to download!
Another option is to look for abandoned game sites like abandonware.com, where you might find Doom 2 that can be installed and played without needing a CD drive. Some games might still require DOSBox, though.
You could even download it for free from the Internet Archive; they have a playable version of Doom 2 available. Just search for it on their site!
It sounds like that CD might be too old for modern Windows systems to read properly. You could encourage your dad to check out a Steam sale where you can get both Doom and Doom II for around 10 bucks, and those are optimized to run on newer computers. Just a thought!
Yeah, that could work, but not sure if my dad would want to move to Steam since he isn't tech-savvy.
That's a good price for both games, though! It might be worth buying them just in case.
Would I still need a USB CD adapter to use DOSBox?