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Resolved Question

Replace grandma's Windows 8 with older Windows and AOL?

by May 20, 2014 11:34AM PDT

My grandma recently replaced her old desktop PC with a new laptop running Windows 8, but she is having an extremely difficult time using it. She only wants to access her AOL Mail and Facebook.

Yeah, I know.

I set it up so it was extremely simple to get to either with one click, but "it looks different" and she doesn't hear "You have mail!" so she won't use it. She's getting really frustrated and I desperately want to help her. Can I just replace the new Windows 8 with, like, an old version of Windows 98 and AOL? I think I used all of my AOL discs as coasters back in the 90s so I don't even know how to go about getting this ancient software...any help would be greatly appreciated!

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catgrrl00 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
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good videos
by May 20, 2014 1:05PM PDT

one for win98 in virtual PC, everything you need to know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi3BcSYnw7M

one for win2000 in virtual PC, you can see how much it looks like win98.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB4elcSMwPE

This is a 5 part, in depth, primer on installing windows 2000 into Virtual Box (free from Oracle). I turned off the sound, it was irritating to me, so be warned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsWc4IHa-NA

Both VPC2004, VPC2007, and VirtualBox should run on windows 8. I know they work on Windows 7 computers.

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Answer
Use windows 2000 for her instead
by May 20, 2014 12:37PM PDT

It will look like windows 98, but Avast antivirus is still available to run on it. It is extremely stable. Almost all the programs that run on windows 98 will run on it. It's before Activation and Genuine Advantage virus were added to XP and later Windows versions. EBay usually has some retail copies for it, cost about $20-25 each. Here's an ebay link to some available.

This would be great since it comes with the SP4 already in it. After that there's also a Rollup 1 which should be added too. Full Version, means no previous system needed.

This is original box retail version for upgrading from windows 98 or 95, for a decent price on "buy it now" but you'd need to find, download and install the SP4 and Rollup 1 to it also.

Your grandma might not even notice it's not windows 98 because it's basically the NT version for business that looks mostly the same.

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Answer
one more thing
by May 20, 2014 12:42PM PDT

the older versions of windows may not work on the new hardware which comes with windows 8 computers. You can however install VPC2004 or VPC2007 or VMWare or Virtual Box programs. You then create virtual hard drive in it and install the older windows version in it. You can put an icon on her desktop where she can clk on it, open the virtual software and have it boot the older system.

Here's a video showing it done, there are others too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxduuTyNqa8

Some other videos on how to do it.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=windows+98+virtual+machine+in+windows+8

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Answer
Why not put a few tiles to go where she needs to go?
by Forum moderator May 21, 2014 1:18AM PDT

Accessing AOL Mail and Facebook don't need much more than a few tiles (icons) on the screen to get there.

Changing the OS may not be supported but let's say what you really wanted was the old Start menu. For that, install CLASSIC SHELL (free) and you're done.
Bob

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Here's what I'd do
by May 21, 2014 1:26AM PDT

First you can download the AOL desktop software from here:
http://daol.aol.com/software/ .
Next download & install Classic Shell from classicshell.net & set it up to look like XP. Now the computer will boot to a desktop that looks like the older Windows desktop with the Start button and menu. Put an icon for the AOL desktop on the Windows desktop. You could even set it up so that you could press one of the 12 F keys to bring up AOL so that all she'd have to do is boot it up and press that one key to start AOL.`
Good luck.

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Thanks!
by May 21, 2014 4:19AM PDT

Thanks, all! I'm going to try a few of these and see which is easier for her. I suspect that the problem is more her dementia than the software, but this will at least make it a little better for her. Really appreciate all the responses!

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