Sometimes it is important to take a step back from one's own expertise and realize that not everyone is a computer geek.  While I've done tutorials and introductions to emulation here at the C64 Walkabout before, I have approached all of them with the premise that you, the reader, have at least a general familiarity with installing programs and getting new things to work as intended on your PC. 

This time around I'll assume that you know next to nothing about installing or running Emulators, and will give you a no-frills walk-thru of how to emulate a Commodore 64 on your Windows-based PC using an "Emulator" called VICE, and some tips for making it even easier below that.

If you run into any problems or have any questions, feel free to post them here through the "Add Comment" button below.

What you'll need:

1. A PC with Windows XP or Vista installed (Windows 98 will probably work fine, too), and hardware that is no more than 5 years old. 
2. An install of WinZip or WinRar to unpack compressed files.  For example, click on WinRar 3.80 (or the latest version at the top of the page) HERE and RUN the program.  Click "Next" and/or "Agree" to complete the install.
3. The VICE Emulator.  Download the "Binary for MS Windows 32-bit" HERE.  Save the file to your desktop.  Unzip to a folder on your desktop by right clicking on the zip file and selecting "Extract  to..." 
4. A Commodore 64 game disk file.  For example, go HERE and Download the file from the "Latif" link.  Extract the zip file contents using WinZip or WinRar into the VICE folder on your desktop.  (For details on the game "Blueprint", read THIS)

Optional, But Recommended:

• An inexpensive PC USB Game Pad
• A pair of speakers or headphones connected to your PC

How to Play:

1. Open up your WinVice folder on your Desktop in Windows.
2. Double-click on the x64.exe icon in the folder - this will bring up the VICE emulator program.
3. Click on File, then on Autostart Disk/Tape Image.
4. Select the "Blueprnt.t64" file (the one you downloaded and extracted in step 4 in "What you'll need" above).
5. Click Attach, and wait a few seconds while the program loads.
6. The game "Blueprint" should have loaded. 
7. Go to "Settings" in the toolbar of VICE, then "Joystick Settings".  If you are using a standard full-size PC keyboard, and not a Joystick, choose "Joystick in Port #1", then Numpad + R Ctrl.  This selects the Numpad on the right of your keyboard for directional movement, with the right Ctrl key under your right Shift key as the "Fire" button.
8. Go to Settings again and check "Save Settings on Exit".

With those steps alone you will be able to enjoy the old C64 game titled Blueprint.  You may wish to go to "Options" next and select "Double Size" unless you have a very low resolution set on your Windows PC.

If you pick up a USB game pad, choose the device in the drop down menu under "Joystick Settings".  Remember that other games may use Port #2 as the default, in which case you can use "Swap Joystick" to swap the port under Options in VICE.  The same goes for your key settings that can be swapped.  If you notice your fire button and  movement are not working on a new game you're playing for the first time, try the "Swap Joystick" option and things should work again.

If you plan to play on a small laptop without a Number Keypad on the right, and don't have a USB game pad, you will want to make your own custom keyset using "Keyset A".  Click the "Config Keyset A" button in Joystick Settings, and choose keys such as Q, W, and E for Northwest, North, and Northeast respectively, creating a square grid with A, D, Z, X, and C for the remaining directions.  In the end a small, portable USB joystick device such as the USB M.A.D. Game Pad is something you should look into if you plan to play C64 action games frequently with your laptop, and not just text adventures or RPG's.

I also suggest that you go into your VICE folder, right click the x64.exe icon, and select "Create Shortcut".  Drag the shortcut you created (should appear at the bottom of your folder) to your desktop, and you'll have easier access to your VICE emulator without digging through the VICE folder every time. 

Another similar time-saver that is great if you're setting up an emulation box for someone else to use or for the less computer-saavy  family member, is to associate all .D64 and .T64 game files with WinVice.  It's simple.  Just right click the .D64 game file you downloaded, and choose "Open With".  To select the program, browse to the WinVice folder on your desktop and find the x64.exe file as you did with the shortcut.  Check the box at the bottom that reads "Always Open Files of this Type with This Program".  What does this do?  Well, it allows you to have the game files right up on your desktop or anywhere you want, and simply by double-clicking on them you (or aforementioned less computer-saavy person) will load up and run your game without the two-step method of opening WinVice and selecting the file.  Easy?  I thought so.

That's it!  You now have the basics needed to enjoy C64 emulation on a Windows PC.  Enjoy!

Additional Help, Details and Advice on C64 Emulation can be found in Previous Walkabout entries:

An Intro to Using Commodore 64 Emulators

Getting Started with Commodore 64 Emulation on a PC or Mac

Floppy Disk Images and How to Use Them