- Install your game to a folder in your User folder or in My Documents
- Disable Windows DEP (Data Execution Prevention)
- Run Compatibility Mode for Windows XP (right-click on .exe, go to properties, choose compatibility mode)
- Remember to reboot your computer upon disabling DEP
- You might need to turn off Secure Boot before you can disable DEP
Turn off Data Execution Prevention for Particular Program
Starting with Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced Data Execution Prevention or DEP, a security feature that can help prevent damage to your computer by monitoring programs from time to time. Monitoring ensures that running program use system memory efficiently. If there is any instance of a program on your computer using memory incorrectly, DEP notices it, closes the program and notifies you.
If you want to generally turn off DEP or Data Execution Prevention in your Windows, you can always do so, But if you need to turn off Data Execution Prevention for a particular program only, like say explorer.exe, here’s how to go about.
Turn off Data Execution Prevention for Particular Program
Open Windows Explorer. Right click This PC or Computer and choose, ‘Properties’. Then, select the ‘Advanced System settings’ option. Next, from the ‘System Properties’ window, select ‘Advanced’ tab. Choose the ‘Performance’ section now and from the new Performance Options window that appears on your computer screen, select ‘Data Execution Prevention tab’.
You will see options:
- Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services
- Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select.
This way you can disable or turn off Data Execution Prevention for Explorer too, by navigating to the C:\Windows folder and selecting explorer.exe. If this does not work, follow the next block of information below.
more from The Windows Club website in case you need to fully disable DEP
Disable Data Execution Prevention
We have already seen how Data Execution Prevention, a security feature can help prevent damage to your computer from viruses and other security threats. Harmful programs who try to attack Windows by attempting to execute code from system memory locations reserved for Windows and other authorized programs, are stopped. These types of attacks can harm your programs and files. DEP can help protect your computer by monitoring your programs to make sure that they use system memory safely. If DEP notices a program on your computer using memory incorrectly, it closes the program and notifies you. It is as such a security feature.
While it is not recommended, you may have your reasons for wanting to disable Data Execution Prevention on your Windows computer. Lets us see how to disable DEP in Windows 10/8/7 using the bcdedit.exe tool.
Disable Data Execution Prevention
In Windows 7, type cmd in Start Search. Right click on search results ‘cmd’ and click on Run as Administrator. Windows 10/8 users can also open an elevated command prompt window via the WinX menu.
Then, copy paste the following and hit Enter:
bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff
Reboot.
You will find that Data Execution Prevention has been disable on your Windows computer. You may then, if you wish, verify the status of Data Execution Prevention feature on your system.
Enable Data Execution Prevention
To enable back DEP, type the following in an elevated command prompt and hit Enter:
bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOn
This will enable back Data Execution Prevention.