September 2016 - last edited September 2016
Hi,
I'd like to comment that the method proposed by EA no longer works.
I had to restore my XP retrogaming machine due to an epic fail caused by Avira antivirus. Origin installs, but then when it'd want to download a 130MB update from the internet, and after installing that update it will no longer work, claiming that Origin requires Windows 7 SP1 or later.
I already have Origin installed on a newer PC. This is one of my "retrogaming" PCs that I'm retaining XP on to run older games ie The Sims 2, SimCity 4 and SimCity Social.
Can EA please put up the offline installer for XP? The Sims 2 and SimCity Social doesn't work correctly on Windows 7, and I'd rather play SimCity 4 the way I played it 13 years ago than on Windows 7.
Thanks.
Edit: Managed to get Origin 9.12.2 from a third party download site. Installation completes normally. Noticed there was an option to automatically update origin, disabled that. Still a no-go.
Now whenever I start Origin, it keeps prompting me to update to 10.2 which is not compatible with XP. It won't let me skip the update, the only options are update (and break Origin), go offline (which is useless because this is a fresh install and I have not logged on before), or cancel (which does absolutely nothing to help).
Please reinstate XP support to Origin. This is ridiculous. Even Steam still supports XP, so you can install older games like Half Life and the original Counter Strike which otherwise doesn't work properly in 7. And there are games offered by Origin which runs with serious issues on Windows 7 but properly on XP- I've had constant permission and graphics resolution issues on Simcity Societies and graphical issues in The Sims 2 on 7 that does not happen in XP.
January 2017 - last edited January 2017
I have similar problem, although I cant install the origin client at all on my Windows XP. It says it requires windows 7 or later, but I need Windows XP to play the old games without bugs and crashes. Origin please fix old games, or provide Windows XP client so I can install my old games.
Edit: So I tried the method here by downloading old client, but the client failed to launch because update could not be completed, the link provided cant be reached.
Edit: The link is actually working & I downloaded OriginSetup.exe that wouldn't install because "Origin can only be installed on Windows 7 or later"
January 2017
Origin DOESN'T support Windows XP anymore. It supports Windows 7 SP1 and later.
January 2017
If you are on an older system with outdated drivers:
August 2017
I have tried to run as another OS but in XP you only get 2000, NT4, 98, ME or 95 as options to run in compatibility mode.
Have tried all of these and it doesnt work.
Have uninstalled my firewall and it still wont work.
I can't even download the games I Want via the website most of them only run in XP due to age.
PLEASE HELP ME! It worked a few weeks ago but not now
May 2019
April 2020 - last edited April 2020
It turned out that it was because I was trying to run in on XP 64 bit, not 32 bit. Once I moved it onto 32 bit, it loaded OK. However, I also found a fix to get Generals and Generals Zero Hour working on Windows 10 64 bit. I found an entry on a forum somewhere (sorry, I can't remember the link now) that said to delete a DLL file from the command and conquer generals (and zero hour) installation directories. The file is dbghelp.dll - once I deleted this, the games ran perfectly every time.
March 2021
Did you get Origin working on windows xp?
March 2021 - last edited March 2021
@SharkVader66 Origin no longer runs in Windows XP and hasn't since January 2020. If you want to run Origin, the current minimum requirement is Windows 7.
March 2021