How to run the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP

**Anilrgowda** · 05-Dec-2006, 10:09 PM

How to run the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP

1. Press Windows Key + R. Type hcp://system/compatctr/compatmode.htm and press OK.

2. The Program Compatibility Wizard is launched. On the Welcome screen, press Next.

3. On the 2nd screen you are asked: "How do you want to locate the program that you would like to run with compatibility settings?" Select I want to locate the program manually (3rd bullet).

4. On the 3rd screen, press the Browse button on the right of the text box. A new window opens, titled "Please Select Application".

5. Navigate in this window, until you locate the executable file that installs the program you are interested in running in compatibility mode. As you can see in the "File type" box, most popular executable file types are selected, to help you narrow down to the actual installer. In many cases, it is something straightforward, like "setup.exe". However, no-one can guarantee this will always be the case. If you cannot make out which one is the installer, then browse the CD to locate any "ReadMe" files or other files with instructions or help information. These will typically let you know which file is the executable installer.

6. When you finish, press Open in the "Please Select Application" window. This window now closes, and the Program Compatibility Wizard shows the path to the executable installer of the program. Press Next.

7. On the 4th screen, you select the compatibility mode for the program. You can set it to Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 SP5, Windows 98/Me, or Windows 2000. After having selected the correct compatibility mode, press Next.

8. On the 5th screen, you set the display settings for the program. You can limit the displayed colors to 256, select a screen resolution of 640 X 480 pixels, and disable visual themes (which are typically enabled by default in WinXP). You can select whatever combination of these three settings. My suggestion is to always choose all three in the begining to make sure the program runs, and later you can experiment (i.e. attempt running the program with some of them left in WinXP defaults). Press Next.

9. On the 6th screen, you can review the settings you've selected. If you consent, press Next. (You can always go back at any point, by pressing Back.)

10. Now the installer is launched to test the program with the new compatibility settings. If you succesfully conclude with the installation, you know you selected the right settings. If not, you'll need to try different ones. In any case, regardless if the installation succeeds or fails, when the program closes, you are facing the 7th screen of the Program Compatibility Wizard.

11. If the program did not work correctly, then answer the "Did the program work correctly?" question by selecting No, try different compatibility settings (2nd bullet). This time, when you press Next, you will be taken again to the 4th screen of the wizard (see step #7 above).

12. If you have verified that the program works correctly with the compatibility settings you selected, then when you return to the wizard and you are asked "Did the program work correctly?", select Yes, set this program to always use these compatibility settings (1st bullet). Press Next.

13. Your computer starts collecting information in order to permanently set this program's compatibility mode as selected by you. When this concludes, you are taken to the 8th screen of the Program Compatibility Wizard. Here, you are asked if you want to share these compatibility data with Microsoft. The wizard creates temporary files that contain information about the settings you selected and whether the problems were fixed. Microsoft claims that by sending this information over, you will help them improve program compatibility. You can actually see what these temporary files contain. Press either Yes or No, and you will be taken to the 9th (and last) screen of the Program Compatibility Wizard.

14. Press Finish to complete the Program Compatibility Wizard. In case you will need to readjust or remove compatibility settings in the future, you can simply run this wizard again.

ADDITIONAL CONCERNS

A. If your program does not run correctly after you test it with the Program Compatibility Wizard, look on the Internet for updates:
1. Visit the program manufacturer's Web site to determine if an update is available.
2. Visit the Windows Update Web site to see if an update is available for the program. To do this, click Home on the menu bar of Help and Support Center, and then click Windows Update.
3. If the program is a game that uses DirectX, make sure that you are using the latest version of DirectX.
4. Visit the Web site of the manufacturer of your video adapter or sound card to determine if newer drivers are available.

B. If all the options on the Compatibility tab are unavailable, then either you are not an administrator, or the program is on a network share or on a mapped network drive. First of all, make sure you are logged in with a user account that has administrative rights. Then, select the option to manually locate the program in the Program Compatibility Wizard. When you do this, you can type the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path of the program's executable file, or you can search for the program on a mapped network drive.

C. You cannot use Compatibility Mode with Windows XP components that are protected with Windows File Protection. (Windows File Protection helps prevent the replacement of important system files as part of Windows. Programs must not overwrite these files because they are used by the operating system and by other programs. Protecting these files helps prevent problems with the operating system and other programs.)

D. The Compatibility tab is only available for programs that are installed on your hard drive. Although you can run the Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain in effect after you close the program.

E. If you click to clear all the options in the Compatibility tab, you will restore the default settings.

F. If you are still facing compatibility issues with this program, then consider the following:
How to troubleshoot program compatibility issues in Windows XP
How to Obtain the Windows Application Compatibility Tool

**mecol** · 15-Dec-2006, 07:48 PM

This is a good tips.I have just heard about it today. Thanks.

05-Dec-2006, 10:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
Anilrgowda Administrator Posts: 18,695 Join Date: Jan 2006 Rep Power: 10 IM:	How to run the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP How to run the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP 1. Press Windows Key + R. Type hcp://system/compatctr/compatmode.htm and press OK. 2. The Program Compatibility Wizard is launched. On the Welcome screen, press Next. 3. On the 2nd screen you are asked: "How do you want to locate the program that you would like to run with compatibility settings?" Select I want to locate the program manually (3rd bullet). 4. On the 3rd screen, press the Browse button on the right of the text box. A new window opens, titled "Please Select Application". 5. Navigate in this window, until you locate the executable file that installs the program you are interested in running in compatibility mode. As you can see in the "File type" box, most popular executable file types are selected, to help you narrow down to the actual installer. In many cases, it is something straightforward, like "setup.exe". However, no-one can guarantee this will always be the case. If you cannot make out which one is the installer, then browse the CD to locate any "ReadMe" files or other files with instructions or help information. These will typically let you know which file is the executable installer. 6. When you finish, press Open in the "Please Select Application" window. This window now closes, and the Program Compatibility Wizard shows the path to the executable installer of the program. Press Next. 7. On the 4th screen, you select the compatibility mode for the program. You can set it to Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 SP5, Windows 98/Me, or Windows 2000. After having selected the correct compatibility mode, press Next. 8. On the 5th screen, you set the display settings for the program. You can limit the displayed colors to 256, select a screen resolution of 640 X 480 pixels, and disable visual themes (which are typically enabled by default in WinXP). You can select whatever combination of these three settings. My suggestion is to always choose all three in the begining to make sure the program runs, and later you can experiment (i.e. attempt running the program with some of them left in WinXP defaults). Press Next. 9. On the 6th screen, you can review the settings you've selected. If you consent, press Next. (You can always go back at any point, by pressing Back.) 10. Now the installer is launched to test the program with the new compatibility settings. If you succesfully conclude with the installation, you know you selected the right settings. If not, you'll need to try different ones. In any case, regardless if the installation succeeds or fails, when the program closes, you are facing the 7th screen of the Program Compatibility Wizard. 11. If the program did not work correctly, then answer the "Did the program work correctly?" question by selecting No, try different compatibility settings (2nd bullet). This time, when you press Next, you will be taken again to the 4th screen of the wizard (see step #7 above). 12. If you have verified that the program works correctly with the compatibility settings you selected, then when you return to the wizard and you are asked "Did the program work correctly?", select Yes, set this program to always use these compatibility settings (1st bullet). Press Next. 13. Your computer starts collecting information in order to permanently set this program's compatibility mode as selected by you. When this concludes, you are taken to the 8th screen of the Program Compatibility Wizard. Here, you are asked if you want to share these compatibility data with Microsoft. The wizard creates temporary files that contain information about the settings you selected and whether the problems were fixed. Microsoft claims that by sending this information over, you will help them improve program compatibility. You can actually see what these temporary files contain. Press either Yes or No, and you will be taken to the 9th (and last) screen of the Program Compatibility Wizard. 14. Press Finish to complete the Program Compatibility Wizard. In case you will need to readjust or remove compatibility settings in the future, you can simply run this wizard again. ADDITIONAL CONCERNS A. If your program does not run correctly after you test it with the Program Compatibility Wizard, look on the Internet for updates: 1. Visit the program manufacturer's Web site to determine if an update is available. 2. Visit the Windows Update Web site to see if an update is available for the program. To do this, click Home on the menu bar of Help and Support Center, and then click Windows Update. 3. If the program is a game that uses DirectX, make sure that you are using the latest version of DirectX. 4. Visit the Web site of the manufacturer of your video adapter or sound card to determine if newer drivers are available. B. If all the options on the Compatibility tab are unavailable, then either you are not an administrator, or the program is on a network share or on a mapped network drive. First of all, make sure you are logged in with a user account that has administrative rights. Then, select the option to manually locate the program in the Program Compatibility Wizard. When you do this, you can type the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path of the program's executable file, or you can search for the program on a mapped network drive. C. You cannot use Compatibility Mode with Windows XP components that are protected with Windows File Protection. (Windows File Protection helps prevent the replacement of important system files as part of Windows. Programs must not overwrite these files because they are used by the operating system and by other programs. Protecting these files helps prevent problems with the operating system and other programs.) D. The Compatibility tab is only available for programs that are installed on your hard drive. Although you can run the Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain in effect after you close the program. E. If you click to clear all the options in the Compatibility tab, you will restore the default settings. F. If you are still facing compatibility issues with this program, then consider the following: How to troubleshoot program compatibility issues in Windows XP How to Obtain the Windows Application Compatibility Tool

15-Dec-2006, 07:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
mecol Fix my Error! Posts: 4 Join Date: Dec 2006 Rep Power: 0 IM:	Re: How to run the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP This is a good tips.I have just heard about it today. Thanks.

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