Recipe 4.7. Running Older Applications


Problem

You want to run applications written for versions of Windows previous to XP, but they don't run at all or have problems running in XP.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

The Application Compatibility Wizard will fix most problems with running software written for older versions of Windows. To run the Compatibility Wizard, choose Start Help and Support Fixing a Problem Application and software problems Fix a problem Getting older programs to run on XP, then scroll down and click Program Compatibility Wizard. (Note: You can also get to the Help and Support area by pressing F1 when you're on the desktop.)

You'll be prompted to choose the software you want to fix, and then asked a series of questions, including the operating system for which the software was written, or on which it last ran properly; and the screen resolutions recommended for the program. You can see the wizard in action in Figure 4-4. The wizard then applies those settings and tries to run the program. If the settings work, tell the wizard to always run the program using them. If they don't, try different settings until you get it working properly.

Figure 4-4. Selecting the operating system that the program was written for is key to helping make sure it runs in XP


If you're not a fan of wizards, there's an easier way to set the program's compatibility settings. Right-click on the program's shortcut icon and choose Properties Compatibility. You can then manually configure compatibility settings, as shown in Figure 4-5. You can change the same settings as you can using the wizard. You may have to try several different settings before you find one that works.

Figure 4-5. If you're not a fan of wizards, you can change the compatibility settings manually


At the bottom of the Compatibility dialog box, you'll notice a setting that lets you turn off "advanced text services." That setting is applicable if you use speech recognition and text services. If you use these services, try turning them off to see whether that helps.

Discussion

If the Compatibility Wizard doesn't fix the problem, try these steps:

  1. Check the software manufacturer's web site to see whether an update, patch, or fix is available.

  2. Use Windows Update to see whether a fix is available. Get to Windows Update by choosing Start Control Panel Windows Update.

  3. Update your sound card and video card drivers by checking the manufacturer sites.

  4. If the problem program is a game that uses DirectX, upgrade to the newest version of DirectX at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads.

There may be some instances in which a program won't even install on your system. In those instances, run the Compatibility Wizard on the installation or setup program, commonly Setup.exe or a similar filename.

See Also

Recipe 4.8 and Recipe 4.9 for more steps you can take to get older programs to run properly



Windows XP Cookbook
Windows XP Cookbook (Cookbooks)
ISBN: 0596007256
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 408

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