The Software Compatibility Troubleshooter
Most applications designed for Windows 7 and earlier versions work automatically on Windows 8.1 and newer. However, when an older program fails to work properly on your current OS-for example, it runs slowly or not at all-you should attempt to resolve the problem by using the Program Compatibility troubleshooter, which runs the software while simulating the behavior of an earlier version of Windows. Often this relatively simple process can resolve the problem and allow the program to run. You can open the troubleshooting tool by following these steps:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Under System and Security, click Find and fix problems.
3. Within the Troubleshooting screen, click Run programs made for previous versions of Windows
4. On the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter screen, click Next.
5. Select the program that is having problems, and then click Next.
6. Once Windows has modified the settings, click the Try recommended settings to run the application using the recommended compatibility settings option.
7. Click Test the program.
8. Once the program opens, you should evaluate to see if the problems still occur. 9. Close the program and return to the troubleshooting wizard. Click Next.
10. Choose one of the following three options, or click Cancel to abort the process: a. Yes, save these settings for this program b. No, try again using different settings c. No, report the problem to Microsoft and check online for a solution
11. If the program behaved correctly, you should click Yes. The troubleshooting is complete. Click Close to close the troubleshooter.
If the Try recommended settings do not work, you should rerun the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter; but this time, select the Troubleshoot program option. Follow the wizard again and work through a number of scenarios, such as •The program expects to run on a previous OS, such as Windows 8, 7, Vista SP2, or XP SP3. •The program needs additional permissions to run, such as an administrator. •The program needs a different display environment, such as reducing the resolution or DPI scaling. The wizard also offers a combination of these scenarios. Frustratingly, the wizard does not allow you to go backward-if you make an incorrect selection, you need to cancel and rerun the wizard. In addition to the troubleshooter, you can also configure compatibility settings directly on the application by using the Compatibility tab found in the application's properties. 1. Locate the application executable or the application's shortcut within File Explorer (from the Start screen, right-click the application tile and select Open file location). 2. Right-click the application executable or the application's shortcut, and then click Properties. 3. On the Compatibility tab, select the settings you want to modify and click OK. 4. Rerun the application. Determine if the fix worked. Using the compatibility setting directly on the application allows you to configure additional settings; for example, you could do the following: •Reduce the display •Force the application to run in a 640 × 480 screen resolution •Apply the application fixes to all users on the computer You can also launch the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter from within the Compatibility tab.
DPI Scaling If you are using a Surface or Ultrabook, you may notice that these new devices have extremely high screen resolutions. By default, Windows scales the screen to magnify the size of text and other items on the screen so that they appear larger and are easier to view. You can modify this by launching the display utility directly by typing dpiscaling.exe in the Start screen, or it can be run from the Control Panel by performing the following steps:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Click Appearance and Personalization.
3. Within the Display section, click Make text and other items larger or smaller.
4. On the Display screen, change the size setting as required, and then click Apply.
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