Old game being played on Windows 7 – can you help?

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My Mom, in her late 80’s, is a devoted fan of the old “Bookworm Deluxe” game by Pop Cap.  We have the disc to install it from and over the years, have re-installed it a few times when it mysteriously disappears.  She has an old Toshiba laptop running Windows 7 and I’ve just recently bought her a Chromebook, which she uses to check email and surf the web.  The only thing she uses the Toshiba laptop for is to play the Bookworm game since it can’t be loaded onto the Chromebook.  My question – I’d like to stop with the monthly MS updates on the Toshiba.  I’ve been continuing to do them because in order to play Bookworm it apparently needs to be connected to the internet, even though it’s been loaded onto the laptop via the installation disc.  Would it be “safe” for me to not update her Toshiba anymore, and for her to still play her beloved game?  I’m not very computer savvy, and worry that her laptop being connected to the internet for a few hours each day while she plays may open her up to bad things if it’s not patched every month.  I know that come January there will be no more patching, hence the Chromebook for her email and surfing, etc.  I hope this question makes sense!

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[Alex5723]

pkoryn wrote:

Bookworm Deluxe

Your mom can play the game online using Chrombook (the game requires Flash)

http://game-game.com/165485/

Many here have blocked Windows 7 from updating (Group W) and haven’t been harmed, as long as you don’t download shady apps, open unknown links…

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by Alex5723.

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pkoryn

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Alex – I just tried clicking on the link and is says “adobe flash player blocked”.  Am using Chrome browser – how would we get around this to be able to play the game?  Many thanks for the link and hopefully we can get it to work!

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in Chrome, –> settings (3 dot icon) –> Advanced –> Privacy and security –> Site settings –> Flash

You can add the site however Flash is being removed from Chrome: https://www.askwoody.com/2019/patch-lady-two-items-of-note-in-chrome/

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pkoryn

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Alex5723 said:
Your mom can play the game online using Chrombook (the game requires Flash)  http://game-game.com/165485

An alternative HTTPS site that also hosts Bookworm:
https://www.doublegames.com/play/bookworm-deluxe.html

Its SWF Flash binary is identical to the copy hosted at Game-Game.com site:
919.96 KB,  MD5: 1B2549DB4DF48DA454F58BD8C8A41333

Note: So far, all the online Flash versions that I’d seen labelled as “Bookworm Deluxe” on their respective host webpages are apparently the “Classic” version. This is how the menu of the full <em title=””>Bookworm Deluxe looks like.

To play the full Deluxe version, use a working EXE or ISO installer to install the game on the PC — as indicated in my previous comments here. Internet connection is not necessary for gameplay.

Nevertheless, if one wishes to play the online “Classic” version (& expose a vulnerable PC to the internet during possibly hours-long gameplay), instead of using a web browser (many of which will stop supporting Flash in the near future), one can instead download the standalone, no-install Adobe Flash Player Projector.

To minimize internet-exposure time for Mom’s old laptop, you can download the Projector using another PC, & transfer it to Mom’s old laptop using a USB thumbdrive — eg. to the Desktop for Mom’s convenience.

Latest v32.0.0.238 WinOS executable (14.73 MB exe, 13 Aug 2019)

Remember to check the Adobe page periodically for updates. If the file version number changes (eg. from flashplayer_32_sa.exe to flashplayer_33_sa.exe), delete the older version to prevent file clutter. [Changelog]

To play the online Bookworm “Classic” Flash game using Adobe Flash Player Projector:

1. Connect to the internet
2. Click to launch flashplayer_XX_sa.exe
3. Menu: File > Open (or: just press CTRL-O)
4. Location:  https://www.doublegames.com/swf/bookworm-deluxe/bookworm-deluxe.swf
5. If prompted by the firewall, allow flashplayer_XX_sa.exe to access the internet
6. Wait for the game’s screen to load (this may take a couple of seconds)

Screenshots of the <em title=””>Bookworm “Classic” online Flash game as loaded in Adobe Flash Player Projector in Win 7.

Last but not least, it is of course possible to use Adobe Flash Player Projector to play Flash games whlist disconnected from the internet, as long as one has the full SWF file (& not a small launcher-type SWF). Simply drag-&-drop the game’s SWF onto the Projector’s open window to load the game.

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pkoryn

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You can stop patching, but there are some things you should do if she keeps using the laptop.

+ Install a good AV program and keep it up to date.
+ Install a secure browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc) and keep it up to date. You could remove the IE11 icons from the desktop and menu (she probably can’t find it otherwise). This is just in case she forgets and gets on the Internet.
+ If there is a major vulnerability patched (like BlueKeep) between now and Jan, you should probably patch to cover it. You will need the August patch for DejaBlue.
+ be sure Remote Desktop is turned off.
+ Stay tuned to AskWoody and the Win7 beyond EOL Forum.

There may be more precautions. These come to mind at first.

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pkoryn

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And make sure that Remote Assistance is also turned off.

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pkoryn

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The other option would be to load Linux on the Toshiba (you can test it out with a live Linux USB/CD), install Pale Moon Browser (which hasn’t disabled Flash yet), and try it there.

If it works, you can then just do a full install, wipe windows 7, set it to auto login and connect to her network, and show her how to open up Pale Moon and run the game. You won’t have to worry about system updates, since you’ve installed an up to date OS…you can just update her Toshiba when you visit her. Depending on the specs of the Laptop, you can test Linux Mint Cinnamon (4-8 gigs of Ram), or Linux Mint XFCE/Mate (less than 4 gigs of Ram).

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rc primak, pkoryn

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Pkorvn, PKC has some good ideas, you should examine them, as does GTP.

This was mentioned by Alex, “Your mom can play the game online using Chrombook (the game requires Flash)”. If Flash is needed for it to play on your Windows 7 you SHOULD get the latest version of Flash. One of the vectors into a PC is a 3rd party program like, Java, A Flash, A reader that is not updated.

You do not have to update the OS if you do not want to. You did mention, “I’ve just recently bought her a Chromebook, which she uses to check email and surf the web.” So if she is not surfing or checking emails with the Windows & she should be OK.

Since this PC is used for one thing, but is on the network, I suggest you look at Black Vipers Services List and disable what you can and not break her game. For example, Windows Error Reporting, Computer Browser, Remote Registry, Remote Desktop, etc. won’t be needed.

Registry files to do it for you:
“Many people have asked for a “one-click” type of solution to Windows 7 Services.”
Windows 7 Services Registry Files
http://www.blackviper.com/2009/10/03/windows-7-services-registry-files/

Manual method: Black Viper’s Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Service Configurations
http://www.blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-7-service-pack-1-service-configurations/

Black Viper got more lenient after vista, so I have used the suggestions for the Windows XP SP2 as a go-by for my disabled services. I have done so on this Windows 7 PC and it works fine (I used the SAFE list for Windows XP SP2).

Most go down his SAFE list, but since your mom is not browsing, the more aggressive list (tweaked or barebones) may be better.

I hope this helps.

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pkoryn

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pkoryn said:
in order to play Bookworm it apparently needs to be connected to the internet, even though it’s been loaded onto the laptop via the installation disc.

Bookworm Deluxe can be played completely offline. The only reason for it to access the internet is if you optionally choose to upload your high scores to the online Hall of Fame, as opposed to saving the scores to the local PC.

https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/bookworm-deluxe
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/bookworm-deluxe

In any case, is the online server still working properly ? The new owner Electronic Arts delisted the game & took down the PogoGames server (which hosted the game’s EXE installer) at end 2014.

If online bragging rights is not the chief attraction of the game, use a firewall to block Bookworm.exe (in the game’s main folder) from connecting online, & try launching the game.

pkoryn said:
We have the disc to install it from and over the years, have re-installed it a few times when it mysteriously disappears.

That’s strange. Was the game’s folder (or the main executable file Bookworm.exe) accidentally deleted or moved (via unintentional drag-drop) from C:\Program Files\PopCap Games\ ?

In case you need to reinstall the game without having to use the disc (or if the version on your disc insists on being weird & requires online access just for playtime), Bookworm Deluxe v1.03 (15 Dec 2005) is available at archive.org, & tested as working on WinXP & Win7. As the uploader states there: “Play offline anytime… no internet connection needed.”

• Bookworm Deluxe EXE installer only (3.84 MB)
• ISO file of whole disc (449.16 MB)

Since your mom has been playing Bookworm Deluxe on her laptop, the laptop should already have DirectX in place. As such, you may perhaps wish to download just the standalone EXE installer for Bookworm Deluxe itself, as opposed to the whole ISO file.

Reason being that the disc’s ISO file also contains installers for other PopCan/Electronic Art games (namely Bejewelled 2, Insaniquarium, Typer Shark, Zuma), as well as the DirectX 9 installation files. The ISO’s large size is due to DirectX & other (non-game) disc-related data (view disc’s contents), even though the game installers themselves are relatively small in filesize.

If you prefer the ISO file (maybe because you want the other stuff in it ?), there are 3 ways you can install the game using the ISO:-

1. Burn the ISO file to a disc (handy as a backup disc), & run the installation from there.
2. Mount the ISO file using a optical drive emulator (eg. WinCDEmu, OSFMount), browse to the game’s EXE installer (at \Installers\Bookworm_mj.exe) & run it.
3. Use 7-zip to extract Bookworm_mj.exe from the ISO file, & run it.

 

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pkoryn

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