Experimenting with bottle types

CrossOver supports three bottle types:

• win98
  
• win2000
  
• winxp
  

Most users instinctively aim for winxp, because it is the newest version available. Alas, that is almost always the wrong decision. The reason is that when installing an application, you want that program to be as self-sufficient as possible. The more problems that the application is worrying about, the fewer CrossOver needs to worry about, and the more likely things are to work. And what's the key to self-sufficiency?

Lower expectations

Many programs are designed to run on newer operating systems (e.g. winxp) but still retain the ability to install on Windows 98. The way they bridge that gap is by including a host of components in the installer which are there just in case the operating system doesn't include them. Install an app in a win98 bottle, and the installer will sigh, determine that if it wants anything done right it'll have to do it itself, and install these essential components. This is especially true for Microsoft Applications (they already own the license for the kitchen sink, so why not include it) and big and/or old programs (e.g. many classics from adobe) that have been running on Windows since Windows 98 was a mere twinkle in Bill's eye.

Of course, some apps will refuse to install in a win98 bottle because they're new-fangled or depend on features that Windows 98 doesn't provide and which they can't provide themselves. For similar reasons, some apps will install but not function adequately. For that reason, when your app isn't installing or running as you'd like, you should

Try everything

The CrossOver bottle manager makes it easy to create bottles and steer unsupported apps into them. So, if win98 doesn't work right, try win2000. If win2000 doesn't work, try winxp. For every bottle type, we have examples of apps that work in that type, and only that one. This is always the first thing you should try when experimenting with an unsupported application.

If you've tried all three types and nothing works, it's time to start giving your app a helping hand. If it can't install the pieces that it needs to work, then maybe you can.

Before you start messing with other techniques, you'll may need to settle on a bottle type. If all else is failing and you don't have the patience to run your future experiments three times over, stick with win2000. It's what CodeWeavers tests the most, and it's the bottle where the majority of small, custom and/or obscure apps wind up working.