On Windows 11, you can run old applications designed for the previous version of the operating system using compatibility mode, and in this guide, you will learn how.
Although you can install and run virtually any application on Windows 11, sometimes, a program designed for an older version of Windows may refuse to run correctly for various reasons. If you have an old application that has compatibility problems with Windows 11, you can use the ācompatibility modeā feature to mitigate the issues and get the program running.
āCompatibility modeā is a feature that emulates an older systemās environment to run applications designed for an earlier version of the operating system. Usually, a newer version of Windows is built with backward compatibility in mind. However, if the program had poor development or relied on specific components or technology, it may not work on Windows 11 or higher releases.
This guide will teach you the steps to run an old program in compatibility mode on Windows 11.
Run old programs on Windows 11 using compatibility mode
On Windows 11, you can enable compatibility mode for an old program in at least two ways, manually and automatically.
Manual compatibility mode
To configure an old app to run on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Start on Windows 11.
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Search for the old application, right-click the top result, and select the āOpen file locationā option.
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Right-click the app (executable) and choose the Properties option.
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Click the Compatibility tab.
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Check the āRun this program in compatibility modeā option in the āCompatibility modeā setting and select the compatibility mode, including Windows 95, 98, XP, Vista, 7, or 8.
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(Optional) Check the āReduced color modeā option and choose one of the available options, 8- or 16-bit. Quick note: You would only use this feature if the problem is related to graphics.
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(Optional) Check the āRun in 640 x 480 screen resolutionā option if the program was designed for old technology displays.
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(Optional) Check the āRun this program as an administratorā option if the application doesnāt work with standard permissions.
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Click the Apply button.
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Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, the app should be able to run normally without problems or crashes.
Automatic compatibility mode
To use the compatibility troubleshooter to make an old program compatible with Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Start.
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Search for the old application, right-click the top result, and select the āOpen file locationā option.
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Right-click the app (executable) and choose the Properties option.
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Click the Compatibility tab.
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Click the āRun compatibility troubleshooterā button.
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Click the āTry recommended settingsā option.
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Click the āTest the programā button.
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Confirm whether the old program works as intended on Windows 11.
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Click the āYes, save these settings for this programā option. Or click the āNo, try again using different settingsā option if the app still doesnāt work correctly.
After you complete the steps, the old program should be able to operate normally on Windows 11.
Alternatively, you can also run the troubleshooter from Settings> System> Troubleshoot> Other troubleshooters, click the āRunā button for the āProgram Compatibility Troubleshooterā option, select the program, and continue with the wizard to enable compatibility mode.
Although this feature should make virtually any application compatible with the operating system, itās not always the case. If you must continue running an application designed for an old version of Windows, consider creating a virtual machine with the required version of the operating system and then installing the old program for better compatibility.
Source: Pureinfotech