How to set up game compatibility on Windows 10

If you have just recently switched to Windows 10, and your entire software archive has migrated from Windows Vista or XP to the new “ten”, it is quite possible that old applications will simply refuse to run on new version operating system. Games require old DirectX versions or drivers, system applications – earlier versions DLL libraries that have been updated or replaced, and console applications are now launched only through the launch of new utilities, on previous versions Windows were completely absent.

The most rational solution here is to update the bank of distributions by downloading new versions from the official website of the developer. But what if Windows 10 support for these programs still remains unavailable? The most likely reason is that the developer may abandon his brainchild, ceasing to release new versions due to the transition to new project or finding official employment.

In this situation, the compatibility mode will come to the rescue, allowing you to run the old program, which functioned perfectly on XP, Vista or Win 7, on the “ten”, while avoiding shamanic dances with tambourines and smoking pipes with potions of unknown origin.

What is compatibility mode?

What kind of regime is this, and what is it for? Essentially, this is a universal mechanism for running old software on Windows 10, ensuring stable operation of such applications without freezes, crashes and lags. Compatibility mode also existed in previous versions of Windows. The only difference is that support for new systems, including Win 7 and 8/8.1, has also migrated to the top ten from previous builds, and all ancient systems, starting with version 95, remain available and have not gone away.

In fact, if the program worked successfully and ran on version 7 or 8.1, most likely in the top ten you will not experience any problems with it, since no major changes were made in the architecture and logic of the systems, and you can easily run such a program in latest version OS from Microsoft.

But the compatibility mode becomes most relevant in relation to programs from the times of XP and earlier builds, since this software stops working starting from Vista, and it is absolutely impossible to do without the compatibility mode.

How to enable compatibility mode and run programs?

To launch an application in this mode, right-click on the program you want to launch. You can try to launch not only the program itself, but also a shortcut to it, so you can select any object that refers to the executable file you need. In the appeared context menu select "Properties". A form for configuring application settings will open.

On the settings form, select the “Compatibility” tab, if it is present at all among other tabs.

We enable compatibility mode by checking the appropriate box in the first box at the top. Next, select the operating system for which you would like to activate the compatibility mode.

The entire range of Microsoft systems is available, with the exception of version 3.11. However, if you have so much old program, you can launch it using the Dosbox application (http://www.dosbox.com/). But let's return to our topic. Thanks to the wide range of operating systems, there is great hope that you will still run your program. You just need to put a little hand into the launch settings and setting additional options, which will be discussed below.

What additional options (viewing options) are also available here?

• First of all, this low color mode. If your program was launched in CGA, EGA or VGA mode, you cannot do without the reduced color mode. It downgrades the available color gamut to 8-bit or 16-bit, and limits the color gamut, making it possible to run an application with a limited color gamut even on modern devices with maximum color range.
• The next option is using a reduced screen resolution of 640x480. It’s hard to believe, but there were times when programs (primarily games) ran and felt great in this resolution. If the resolution was increased to at least 800x600, then strong lags occurred, after which we again had to return to the “native” 640x480. This significantly reduced the quality of the picture, but this is all the power that modern PCs could handle in those days. In particular, this situation was relevant in Windows times 95.
• The next parameter is for disable scaling when high resolution display. This option will avoid problems associated with response failure when touching the display or clicks when displaying a picture on modern tablets or PCs during startup legacy applications. If you experience such problems, feel free to check the “On” position.
• The last option allows run the program in administrator mode. This will activate supporting system libraries and allow the application to run even when the standard launch mechanism fails.

So we looked at all the options that can be set in parallel with the launch software products in compatibility mode in Windows 10. Their number is not very large, but if you play with them while working with outdated software, it is likely that you will be able to achieve the desired result in this way.

How to disable compatibility mode?

To disable compatibility mode, you just need to uncheck the corresponding item on the settings form above. Exhibited additional options will not play any role, so their status will no longer matter.

Another handy tool that will help solve the problem of running old software on modern systems- This Compatibility Troubleshooter.

In a nutshell, it is a kind of wizard that allows you to automatic mode specify all the same parameters and compatibility settings that you can set manually below on the same form. To avoid long attempts to configure everything manually, the wizard will allow you to do the same thing, but much faster, and using the “question-answer” procedure, rather than by manually manipulating parameters and settings.

Compatibility mode is an important and necessary component of the operating system. Windows systems 10, but it does not provide a 100% guarantee that the program will run on your device. All you can do is try to run the program using it. In all other cases, a virtual machine will do.

As soon as the user starts the program, the OS automatically turns on the Compatibility Assistant. It is intended to improve system performance, but on devices with minimal technical parameters one more running utility will cause a crash or slow work(how to increase PC speed is described in the article “”). Therefore, if you want to speed up your computer, read how to disable compatibility mode in Windows 10.

Shutdown

Assistant Windows compatibility designed to track:

• programs installed on the computer (read how to remove a program from a PC in the article “”);
• failures that occurred previously during application operation;
• ways to solve emerging compatibility problems.

It is also designed to run applications written for earlier versions of the OS. But if you don't want to constantly see messages on your PC asking you to install an app with recommended settings, disable this feature.

Using the Services

In Group Policy

1. Press Win+R and enter the command: gpedit.msc.
2. Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows components- Application compatibility.
   
3. On the right side of the window, find “Disable Program Compatibility Assistant” → RMB → Change → Enabled → confirm changes → restart your PC.
   

In OS Configuration

Manually launch applications in compatibility mode

RMB on the launch shortcut → properties → “Compatibility” tab.

There are three options available here:

• click the “Run Compatibility Troubleshooter” button - the system will automatically try to solve the problems;
• in the “Compatibility Mode” block, check the box “Run the program in compatibility mode for” and select from the drop-down list the OS in which the application worked stably;
• in the “Parameters” block, specify the values ​​with which the program will be launched in compatibility mode - save the changes.

Good to know! To changes made were made for each user on the computer, click the “Change settings for all users” button (Administrator rights are required).

The video describes the manual start process more clearly.

Automatic parameter detection

1. To start automatic settings You can also right-click on the shortcut to launch the program – Fix compatibility problems.
2. After diagnostics, windows will appear with two options for troubleshooting:
   • use recommended parameters;
   • program diagnostics.
3. Select “Use recommended settings” to automatically configure the program → the utility will offer to check the functionality of the application with the changes made.
   
4. Launch the application and check its functionality → Next.
5. The utility will ask if the problems with the application's performance have been resolved → select one of the proposed options.
   

Conclusion

If a program stops working on Windows 10, use the Compatibility Assistant to start it. If necessary, it can be disabled. But it is not recommended to do this if it does not interfere with the operation of the computer.

Everyone will accept, today I want to tell you about how to run old programs in the top ten, namely about Windows 10 compatibility mode. Windows 10 program compatibility mode allows you to run software on your computer that only worked normally in previous versions of Windows, but in the latest OS the program does not run or works with errors. This instruction on how to enable compatibility mode for Windows 8.1, 7, Vista or XP in Windows 10 to fix program startup errors is suitable for those who have old software whose developer has long stopped supporting and updating it..

By default, Windows 10 offers to automatically enable compatibility mode after program failures, but only in some of them and not always. Manually enabling compatibility mode, which previously (in previous OSes) was performed through the properties of the program or its shortcut, is now not available for all shortcuts and sometimes you need to use a special tool for this. Let's consider both methods.

Enabling compatibility mode through program or shortcut properties

And so we all have Windows 10 threshold 2 installed, if you don’t have it, you can download it from the link on the left.

The first way to enable compatibility mode in Windows 10 is very simple - right-click on the shortcut or executable file program, select Properties and open, if found, the Compatibility tab.

All that remains to be done is to set the compatibility mode parameters: indicate the version of Windows in which the program ran without errors. If necessary, enable the program to run as an administrator or in lower screen resolution and lower color mode (for very old programs). Then apply the settings you made. The next time the program will be launched with the parameters already changed.

How to enable backward compatibility mode in Windows 10 through troubleshooting

To run the Program Compatibility Mode setting, you will need to run a special troubleshooter Windows problems 10 > Run programs designed for previous versions of Windows.

This can be done either through the control panel item > Troubleshooting (the control panel can be opened by right-clicking on the Start button).

Or in the search you can enter > Execute programs created for previous versions.

This will launch the Windows 10 Legacy Program Compatibility Troubleshooter. It makes sense to use the "Run as Administrator" option when using it (this will allow the settings to be applied to programs located in folders with limited access). Click Next.

After some waiting, the next window will ask you to select a program with compatibility problems. If you need to add your own program (for example, portable applications will not appear in the list), select Not in the list and click Next, then set the path to the executable exe file programs.

After selecting a program or specifying its location, you will be prompted to select a diagnostic mode. To manually specify the compatibility mode for a specific version of Windows, click Program Diagnostics.

The next window will ask you to indicate problems that were noticed when running your program in Windows 10. Select The program worked in previous versions of Windows, but is not installed or does not start now (or other options, as appropriate).

In the next window you will need to indicate which OS version to enable compatibility with - Windows 7, 8, Vista and XP. Select your option and click Next.

In the next window, to complete the installation of compatibility mode, you need to click Test the program. After running it, checking it (which you do yourself, optional) and closing it, click Next.

And, finally, either save the compatibility settings for this program, or use the second point, if errors remain - No, try using other settings. Done, after saving the settings, the program will work in Windows 10 in the compatibility mode you selected.

It gives the impression of a radically new operating system - just look at the version number, which differs from Windows 7 by three digits. And all the pre-installed applications are new “universal” ones, not traditional desktop ones.

However, those who need traditional desktop programs need not worry. Let the unfamiliar Windows decoration 10 doesn't scare you: if an app worked on Windows 7, it will almost certainly work on Windows 10.

Inside the system is similar to Windows 7 and 8

Yes, you can run traditional desktop programs on Windows 10. In terms of its internal structure, Windows 10 is very similar to Windows 8, and that, in turn, to Windows 7. The application security model and driver architecture have not changed radically - there is no such difference as between Windows XP and Windows Vista or Windows 7.

In other words, if an app works on Windows 7 or 8, it will almost certainly work on Windows 10. Yes, Windows 10 does and absolutely new model applications, but traditional desktop programs can run in parallel with these new "universal" applications.

Microsoft abandoned development, so even Microsoft Surface 3 you can use desktop programs, although you couldn't use Surface 2 yet.

16-bit applications - that is, any programs from Windows 3.1 - will not work on 64-bit versions of Windows 10. They work in 32-bit versions of Windows 7, so if you can’t do without using 16-bit programs, install the 32-bit version of Windows 10. In general, with Windows 7 things were exactly the same - in 64-bit versions of the system 16-bit applications did not work. When trying to run a 16-bit program in a 64-bit Windows versions 10 a message appears stating that it is not supported on this computer.

Microsoft has an Update Assistant that scans the system and reports any incompatible programs and devices. This assistant is built into the Get Windows 10 app, which was automatically installed on all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers through Windows Update. Click on the application icon in the taskbar and run a compatibility check.

If you have important business applications or other irreplaceable programs, try checking with the developer company to see if they are compatible with Windows 10. There should be no problems if they worked on Windows 7 and 8.

If you can't do without these apps, you can wait a few weeks to upgrade and see if they work for other users on Windows 10. After all, there's no need to rush to upgrade—it'll be free for a full year after Windows 10 releases.