How do I run Command & Conquer Gold on Windows 7 64-bit (in XP mode)?

I downloaded the first Command & Conquer game from EA and burnt some CDs. I couldn't get the Setup.exe program to run in Windows 7 64-bit, as it must need some old DLLs. So I ran up the Windows XP Mode virtual machine, and was able to install it fine.

However, when I try to run the program, I just get an empty message box with an "OK" button. I've set the compatibility to Windows 95, and checked all of the options in the Compatibility tab, but it's not running. I also downloaded the patch suggested by EA, which is an updated version of the THIPX32.DLL file (copied into the C&C installation folder).

Has anyone managed to get this working?

Solution 1:

Ok, you need to download the unofficial patch linked from the instructions in indyK1ng's answer, and install that. Then I found trying to run the game gave an error "Unable to set video mode".

To fix this, in the XP virtual machine, disable the Integration Features. This will lose the links back to Windows 7 (e.g. the hard drive(s)), but enable you to change the resolution, and enable the game to set the resolution to 640x480 or 1024x768. Then it works!

Solution 2:

Did you try reading the installation instructions linked to from the EA website? They have instructions specifically for people running 64-bit versions of Windows.

Solution 3:

The best way I found to get it working in Windows 7 64-bit was to have it installed in XP, which is pretty easy, and then just copy the install folder over to anywhere you want in Windows 7.

You don't have to worry about any emulation software or changing settings or properties in Windows 7 for it to work.