Windows 8 Bible

Using the Program Compatibility Wizard

Installing a program is one thing; getting it to run after it’s installed is another. If an installed program won’t start or isn’t working right, try using the Program Compatibility Wizard on it.

The Program Compatibility Wizard provides a step-by-step means of configuring and testing an older program so that it will run in Windows 8. Before you bother to use it, try running the installed program without it. You could discover that the program runs just fine without any compatibility settings and save yourself quite a bit of trouble.

If you’re sure an installed program isn’t running, or is not running correctly, follow these steps to start the Program Compatibility Wizard:

Tip

You can right-click a program’s icon on the Start screen, choose File Location, right-click the file, and then choose Troubleshoot Compatibility to launch the Program Compatibility Wizard.

1. On the desktop, press Windows+X and click Control Panel. Click the Programs category and then click Run Programs Made For Previous Versions Of Windows to launch the Program Compatibility Wizard.

2. Read the first wizard page and click Next.

3. On the second wizard page, choose the program for which you want to modify compatibility settings (see Figure 39.1). Then, click Next.

FIGURE 39.1 Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

4. If you want Windows 8 to try to determine ...