How to launch old Barbie cd-rom game

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Hi Denisha2001,

I understand how disappointing it must be to not be able to play Shelly/Kelly Club Pet Parade, especially when other games from the same era still work fine. The Q&A Assist has already provided some insights, but if those don’t resolve the issue, let’s explore additional options.

Based on the symptoms you described, the problem may be tied to legacy DirectDraw (DirectX 7‑era) behavior. Other Barbie games might rely on slightly different engines, which explains why they launch without issue. One potential workaround is to try a DirectDraw wrapper, which can help modern systems emulate older graphics calls more reliably.

• Download dgVoodoo2 (a tool that helps with running old games on modern PCs)
• Extract it into Shelly/Kelly Club Pet Parade (2002) folder (with game .exe)
• Double‑click the game .exe to launch and see if it works now.

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If none of the suggestions in this thread works, the game is effectively incompatible with modern environment. You might need to install older Windows version inside a virtual machine and play the game there.

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The behavior described (screen briefly maximizes, then minimizes with no error) is consistent with an older app that is not fully compatible with the current Windows version and hardware, even when other, similar-era titles still run.

For older apps or games that install but do not function properly on Windows 10 or 11, the supported steps are:

1. Run the compatibility troubleshooter
   • Right‑click the game’s main executable (for example, the .exe in the install folder or on the CD).
   • Select Properties > Compatibility.
   • Select Run compatibility troubleshooter and follow the wizard so Windows can try different settings automatically (such as older Windows mode, reduced color mode, etc.).
2. Update device drivers and Windows
   • Out‑of‑date graphics, sound, or chipset drivers can cause older games to fail silently.
   • Use Windows Update to install the latest updates and drivers for the device. For more detail on driver updating, see Update your device drivers to the latest versions via Windows Update and related driver guidance in the referenced article.
3. If the app still only partially runs or shows glitches
   • The article notes that some older apps may open but show issues like flickering, unresponsiveness, or other glitches. In such cases, the same two steps are recommended: rerun the compatibility troubleshooter and ensure all drivers and Windows updates are current.

If, after these steps, this specific title still fails while others work, it is likely that this particular game has deeper compatibility issues with modern Windows versions and hardware that cannot be resolved with built‑in tools.

References:

• Make older apps or programs compatible with the latest version of Windows