No games installed in Windows 7 Professional?

For those people installing Windows 7 Professional you might notice that the Games Explorer and Start Menu look a bit sparse game wise. By default the games aren't installed in the Professional version.

You can of course quickly add them back.

Press Start
-> Control Panel
--> Programs
---> Turn Windows features on or off

Up the top of the list of components you should see Games. Check that box, or drill into it and specify individual games. And press OK. Within a few moments the games should be installed.

You can also add the Games Explorer on the Start Menu by right-clicking on the Start Menu -> Clicking customize and adding it in the new dialog box and OKing out.

For those still not sure, here's the video tutorial:

51 comments

Comment from: no games? [Visitor]
no games?Thanks!
29th October 2009 @ 22:58
Comment from: Jay Cee [Visitor]
****-
Jay CeeYes, thanks - they will keep my young daughter occupied!
8th November 2009 @ 20:27
Comment from: Drake [Visitor]
*****
DrakeYay! Was wondering where they were!
9th November 2009 @ 07:01
Comment from: Brixdan [Visitor]
*****
BrixdanThanks. I was getting kind of disappointed that I had no games. I was SO looking forward to playing mahjong!
17th November 2009 @ 20:31
Comment from: Nikhil [Visitor]
*****
NikhilHi this seems really helpful but when i go to turn windows feature on and off i dont get anything showing.

is there something i have to do to turn this on.
27th November 2009 @ 12:06
Comment from: rube [Visitor]
rubethanks!!!
11th December 2009 @ 20:33
Comment from: Glad [Visitor]
GladYAY!!!!!! Thank you very much! Glad to play on Spider Solitaire, Mahjong Titans, and Solitaire. :D
12th December 2009 @ 03:01
Comment from: Hooray [Visitor]
*****
HoorayThanks! My grandmother wasn't gonna be happy without her Mahjong and Soltiaire on her new laptop.
26th December 2009 @ 21:41
Comment from: jlmagee [Visitor]
*****
jlmageeExcellent tip! Thanks so much; I was starting to get really frustrated trying to figure out how to get the games in 7.
27th December 2009 @ 01:21
Comment from: Chris [Visitor]
*****
ChrisTriple thumbs up.
23rd January 2010 @ 15:15
Comment from: billybob [Visitor]
billybobthanks man needed a chess titans fix bad
24th January 2010 @ 22:24
Comment from: Guddu [Visitor] Email
*****
GudduThanks. you saved me some googling time ;-)
7th February 2010 @ 15:03
Comment from: Au [Visitor]
*****
AuThat was helpful. Thanks!
19th February 2010 @ 16:04
Comment from: Noel [Visitor]
****-
NoelFollowed your instructions re no games in windows7 professional but got the following message -
An error has occurred. Not all the features were successfully changed.

Have tried many times but always the same result and of course no games.
Can anyone offer further advice?
1st March 2010 @ 06:02
Comment from: Kim [Visitor]
*****
Kimthanks!
12th March 2010 @ 10:24
Comment from: kevin [Visitor]
****-
kevinthank you
15th March 2010 @ 20:11
Comment from: paul fisher [Visitor]
*****
paul fisherGreat I was about to re-install!!
16th April 2010 @ 12:38
Comment from: dragos [Visitor]
dragoshy! i checked the box as nothing. how do i get the games??
2nd May 2010 @ 05:56
Comment from: sasha [Visitor]
*****
sashaThanks this is gr8 :)
4th May 2010 @ 03:19
Comment from: Ash [Visitor]
*****
Ashthank you
9th May 2010 @ 07:49
Comment from: Tanya [Visitor]
TanyaThanks
11th May 2010 @ 21:10
Comment from: Maloud [Visitor]
*****
MaloudThank you very much. It was very helpful.
15th May 2010 @ 21:02
Comment from: judy [Visitor]
judywhen I go to windows feature on or off there is nothing there
13th June 2010 @ 11:47
Comment from: swetha [Visitor]
***--
swethaoh Thanks... was really surprised and shocked to see win7 has no games. but this helped out very well...
19th June 2010 @ 00:50
Comment from: Jamie [Visitor]
*****
JamieThanks!
19th June 2010 @ 02:51
Comment from: krs10a [Visitor]
*****
krs10aThanks Paul! Your post was very helpful.
17th July 2010 @ 00:55
Comment from: Lucky [Visitor] Email
***--
LuckyFound it!!

Click Start > Right Click > Properties > Start Menu tab > Customize > Select Games > Display as a link or Display as a menu > OK > Apply > OK

You can also type "Shell:Games" in Windows start menu search bar and hit enter to open the Games folder.

But if the Games Explorer folder does not open in your Windows, then do this:


Type cmd in Windows 7 start menu search. When cmd appears as a result, right click on it and select Run as administrator.

In the elevated command prompt, type

regsvr32.exe gameux.dll

and hit Enter. This will re-register the gameux dll file.

Now if on running a game from the Games Explorer, you get an error message :

This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the set associations ControlPanel then, open regedit and navigate to following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile

If it doesnt exist, then in the RHS, create a new String value (REG_SZ) Call it IsShortcut . Click OK > Close Regedit > Reboot.

26th July 2010 @ 12:08
Comment from: Bala.P [Visitor]
****-
Bala.PThanks a lot.
11th August 2010 @ 05:10
Comment from: azhar [Visitor]
*****
azharthank s for teh help ..
24th August 2010 @ 19:13
Comment from: Steve [Visitor]
*****
SteveThanks for the ease of solution and sharing your knowledge. I like to learn something new everyday and I did.
24th August 2010 @ 23:50
Comment from: Jamil Ahmed [Visitor]
*****
Jamil AhmedThanks!!:)
26th August 2010 @ 06:25
Comment from: amy [Visitor]
*****
amyThank you. I have been on the phone with Dell for 2 freaken hours. They had me send the games from my sons computer to my EHD, then couldnt get them to load. Transferred me to software dept where the guy got nasty with me saying that PRO doesnt come with games. I did a search after ripping him a new u- know- what and found your post. IT WORKED. Thank you so much. I owe ya =)
2nd September 2010 @ 15:42
Comment from: gaddaphi [Visitor]
*****
gaddaphithanks alot, someone was gonna kick my ass if i didn't bring the games back.
13th September 2010 @ 00:00
Comment from: Shrew [Visitor]
*****
ShrewSuch a simple thing and yet I had to look everywhere for a solution.
Thank you so much for your stepwise solution!
Keep up the Great Work!
15th September 2010 @ 20:42
Comment from: smokie [Visitor]
*****
smokiethank you!
25th September 2010 @ 04:46
Comment from: Play Ms Pacman [Visitor]
****-
Play Ms PacmanI still can't install the games. Please give another solution!
22nd October 2010 @ 19:03
Comment from: Karyuu [Visitor]
*****
KaryuuAmazing, thank you.
24th November 2010 @ 21:36
Comment from: Laura [Visitor]
*****
LauraThank you for the simple instructions. My dad has missed setting records in FreeCell ever since he installed the new system.
9th December 2010 @ 03:12
Comment from: Alberto Fiorillo [Visitor]
*****
Alberto FiorilloThank you!
25th December 2010 @ 22:14
Comment from: davoud [Visitor]
*****
davoudraely thanx
9th January 2011 @ 21:14
Comment from: Shami [Visitor]
*****
ShamiThnx for the information its really very useful
17th January 2011 @ 14:20
Comment from: Remnant Ron [Visitor]
*****
Remnant RonThanks, saved me lots of time figuring Windows 7.
5th March 2011 @ 07:02
Comment from: Zawl [Visitor]
*****
ZawlThanks a lot, i thought there where no games in win 7 pro and i was on my way to buy win 7 home premium until i saw this
14th April 2011 @ 04:26
Comment from: Diana [Visitor] Email
DianaI've tried all of that, but then I get an error message saying "Not all of the features were successfully changed." HELP!!!
1st June 2011 @ 15:21
Comment from: Elsie Metcalf [Visitor]
Elsie MetcalfMy Windows XP ran my vintage WEP games program just fine, but it died and I now have Windows 7 which refuses to run the 16-bit program, even though I upgraded to Professional. Is there any way at all that I can get the new OS to recognize my old program?
29th June 2011 @ 10:33
Comment from: Adi [Visitor]
AdiI did not find games in "Turn windows features on or off".
could you plz advise me what to do now
9th October 2011 @ 13:26
Comment from: Edward Ybarra [Visitor] Email
Edward YbarraI pulled up the "windows features box" Where you can turn windows features on or off. There is nothing in the box.
Whats up and how do I rectify this?
Help and thx
Edward
26th November 2011 @ 04:14
Comment from: Rana [Visitor]
RanaThankkkkkkksssssssssssss Boss
5th May 2012 @ 19:46
Comment from: Mohsen [Visitor]
*****
Mohsenthanks
28th June 2012 @ 21:13
Comment from: Kenneth Leeds [Visitor]
*****
Kenneth LeedsThanks, Paul -
Yours was the ONLY solution that worked!
9th February 2013 @ 19:50
Comment from: shubham [Visitor]
*****
shubhamthankyou .....it works
23rd March 2013 @ 14:23