Also, if you want to open your old wallet you must use the open button or use the new/restore button from electrum.
Click open and then locate your old wallet.dat now it should work.
I did all that and have it in installed in Programs (x86) but I still get the error message when I try to open my old wallet:
"cannot load wallet the addresses in this wallet are not bitcoin addresses"
also get that when I try load backup wallet.
Thank you everyone.. I would like to keep working one this till resolved . I have done everything all have suggested.