The Game Of Life (Hasbro CD-ROM Version)
64 bit Install Guide
Life's setup program won't run inside of 64-bit Windows, but it's fairly easy to make the game work.
Step #1 - Copying Game Files from CD
First, create the following path on your hard drive:
C:\Games\Board\
This is the directory we will be copying the game files to. Technically you can copy the game to any folder you wish, but the registry key I will be providing is set up to make the game work work out of this folder and this folder only.
Once the folders have been created, insert the Game of Life CD and open your CD drive in File Explorer. Highlight the "Life" folder and copy it. Return to the Games\Board directory you made previously, and paste the Life folder inside it, so that the game path becomes C:\Games\Board\Life.
You can actually play the game with only one file on your hard drive (Life.exe), but copying the entire Life folder makes it possible to play the game without the CD in the drive.
Step #2 - Add the Registry Keys
Next we have to install the registry keys for the game. Download this file and double-click on it in File Explorer to add the information to the registry.
Download the Life registry key
Note that if you have installed the game in a directory other than the one I chose, you will have to make changes to this file. Right click on the reg file in File Explorer and hit edit to bring up a Notepad window. These are the lines you will be concerned with
"InstallDestPath"="C:\\Games\\Board\\Life"
"SaveGamePath"="C:\\Games\\Board\\Life"
"ExePath"="C:\\Games\\Board\\Life"
These lines will have to be adjusted to match the directory where you have the game's files copied.
When you're ready, double-click on the reg file in File Explorer and click yes at the prompt to add the registry information.
That should be enough to get the game to run. Launch Life.exe to play.
If you have trouble, double check your registry settings. You can also try setting Life.exe to run in Windows 95 compatibility mode.
If you have questions or comments about this game, you can leave me a note at the message board.
