How to Run Old Versions Of S/W in Win 7 Using Program Compatibility Mode

Running Software in Program Compatibility Mode

 I am going to walkthrough how to make older software run 

after an OS update, say Vista to 7 or XP to Vista.

Step 1: If you find that one of your programs is not working 

properly, right click on it and select Troubleshoot 

Compatibility.

Step 2: Your next step should always be to try the 

recommended settings suggested by Windows.

Step 3: You can then begin a test run of the program using 

the recommended settings and see if it is fixed or not.

Step 4: If it worked, you have the option to save the settings 

so that they will apply every time that you launch it.

Step 5: If it didn’t, do not give up yet. You can also try to fix 

it on your own!

Selecting No, try again using different settings will 

bring up the manual troubleshooting menu, where you can 

input your own experiences with your troubled program.

You can also start with manual options at the beginning of 

 troubleshooting by choosing Troubleshoot Program at 

the first menu.

Step 6: Now you have the chance to specify the problems 

that you notice when trying to run the program.

Step 7: The contents of the next window will depend on 

what options you chose in the previous dialogue. They are 

merely a line of more specific questions to help identify the 

exact problem that you are having.

For instance, if you chose The program worked in earlier 

versions of Windows but won’t install or run now  

then you will be greeted by the following message.

In this example, it shows a variety of different display 

problems you could be having.

Step 8: Once again, it is time to run the program and see if 

the settings have fixed the problem.

Step 9: If you still find yourself with a broken piece of 

software then you should send a generated problem report to 

Microsoft to make them aware of the problem.

 Manually Select Program Compatibility 

If you know what version of Windows that your program once worked in then you can skip all of the troubleshooting and just jump right into things.

Step 1: Right-click the program and choose Properties to 

open up another menu where you will select the 

Compatibility tab.

Step 2: Within the Compatibility tab, check the box beside  

Run this program in compatibility mode for:.

Step 3: From the drop-down list, choose the version of 

 Windows that your program worked best on. Click Apply, 

and the settings will be saved for the next time that you run 

the program.

Wrapping Up

If all of the above tools do not help, don’t forget that Google 

is your best friend. Sometimes a simple search in Google, 

 describing your problem, can lead to a forum, which leads to 

 a post, leading to another post, that all ends in a solution to 

your problem. Or, if you already know a good forum, try 

using  Blekko to customize your search results.