i don't know much about upgrade softwares.i need 256 colors to run one cd which i bought newly. how should i do that. can i get it freely or should i buy another cd to run my new cd---some one plz help me madhuri

upgrading to 256 colors?????????? i thought we all did that in 1995!

ok your probably actually running in 24bit colours lol well more than 256. the cd you bought is old and may not run on xp but this may work. click start and programs and then the icon to run your program but instead of left clicking it. right click it and select the compatibility tab. then check the run in 256 colours box. hope this works if it doesnt try the same thing gaain but also click the compatibility mode box and set as win 95

My C= Amiga 500 had 1098 colours in 1989... Iligitimi non carborundum est

I agree with Simon. The best place to start is compatibility. The default VGA safe driver for Windows XP uses 16-bit I think. Which is 65536 colours, or something similar. Some older apps and bespoke apps require 256 colours, due to the design of the interface for that app and the poor integration with dynamic API layers in modern OSs. (I may be talking BS, but I know what I mean, have a couple of glasses of this nice red and you'll be nodding too.) Whatever my advice smells like, compatibility is usually the cause of problems with individual apps and MS. Make a start on reducing the resources XP provides for the app using the compatibility tab. Then move on to adjusting minor global settings. The next step will be to check other applications running. After that I would suggest a beer and a smoke if you do either, otherwise go for a walk to chill out, cursing MS and all its inadequacies, despite being one of the most impressive OSs on the market. (I hate MS btw.) Then check your graphics drivers: the app may be trying to switch modes through the drivers and unable to do so for some reason. Make sure they are digitally signed, if not, find some that are WHQL tested, uninstall the present one and install the new one. That's as much as I can suggest for now. If it's any help, I'm glad. If not I will answer E-mails with more specific information. In any doubt, give me a bell and I'll be pleased to help. Mike You can do a lot with nothing... look in to space, what's there?

That should have read 4098 colours not 1098. Iligitimi non carborundum est

i have a similar problem, my compueter got a trojan or something and nothing could remove it so we had to bomb the comp. now im down to 16 colors, and i recently downloaded a nerwwer format for the video card. doeas any1 know how to actualy GET 256+ colors on the moniter?... and when i did get this PC, it came 32bit standerd yea... who cares?