The Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia Deluxe is an authoritative multimedia encyclopedia released in 1996 by Microsoft. This interactive reference catalog features over 31,000 articles, audio and video clips, 360-degree panoramas, and the popular interactive trivia game MindMaze. It is truly "the ultimate information resource" for education, research, self-study and edutainment purposes. 

This software product was released for the Windows 95 and 3.1 systems. It comes on two CDs. The Deluxe edition won industry awards, such as the PC Magazine Editors’ Choice award. Note that extra features relying on internet connectivity (like article updates and web links) no longer function. However, the vast majority of the content and features work completely offline without an internet connection, including encyclopedia articles, multimedia clips, the interactive World Atlas, timelines, and MindMaze.

If installing Encarta 97 on modern Windows, right-click the setup file on CD 1. Go to Properties, Compatibility. Check the box to run it in compatibility mode for Windows 95 or XP and the box to run it as administrator.