Windows 7 is a good operating system. It is not without reason that it is called one of the best representatives of the Microsoft family. But, despite all its merits, she is very critical of the programs that were developed before her release. In general, there are certain problems with integration.
Application Compatibility Concept
The thing is that with the release of Vista and the next Windows 7, significant changes took place in the architecture of the system core. This was done to improve operational safety. But incompatible applications with Windows 7 became a side effect. Naturally, this is not critical and this problem can be fixed, although it is somewhat unpleasant when the program simply stops working on one of the days.
The fact is that the architecture of Windows 7 programs is fundamentally different from those in Windows XP. And attempts to restore compatibility are far from always positive.
Therefore, there is an alternative solution - to download or update current applications to updated versions integrated under the "seven". For example, you can take Skype, an incompatible Windows 7 application. How can I fix this problem using the system? No way - it’s much simpler and more expedient to just download a new version, which will be adapted to the “seven”, rather than trying to fix the compatibility problem.
Reasons for inconvenience
There are obstacles that cannot be eliminated by updating the desired application. Even with the upgrade, the status of "incompatible Windows 7 application" may still persist. How to fix this problem? The fact is that Windows 7 has brought innovations to the world of computer technology with an increased level of security. We are talking about accounting control records (UAC) and WRP (protection of Windows system resources).
The main problems may arise in the work of old programs integrated under previous versions of the operating system. This is usually a forced close or a startup error message.
Another likely option is the lack of the necessary program files in the files of the system libraries that interact with the OS. But in this case, you need to look for the reasons not in the system, but in the application itself.
Troubleshoot compatibility issues
You should not give up if you still have an incompatible application with Windows 7 on your computer. How to fix it yourself is very simple. First you need to figure out what exactly is the problem. After all, there are two options - the application does not start at all or unexpectedly “crashes” during operation, informing the user about compatibility issues.
Here is a list of possible troubleshooting solutions:
- launch in compatibility mode with previous versions of the OS;
- application testing;
- disable user account control (recommended only for advanced users).
Method 1: compatibility with earlier versions of Windows
It’s worth mentioning right away that this method does not always work. There are incompatible programs with Windows 7 that will not start even when launched under the guise of a previous version of the OS. This is anti-virus software, all kinds of system utilities (cleaners, registries, etc.). Attempts to launch them in this way can affect the operation of the system, as well as cause irreparable damage to it in the form of corrupted system files.
So, in order to fix the compatibility problem in this way, you need to follow the clear instructions:
- Click PMK on the application launch file.
- Select "Fix compatibility issues."
- The system automatically tries to identify the problem, and then gives two choices - “use the recommended parameters” and “Diagnostics of the program”.
- You need to select the first item, after which the automatic adjustment of the application to the current version of the OS will be applied.
- If this does not help, then the error "incompatible application with Windows 7" will be displayed again. How to fix it? You need to apply the second method - manual compatibility settings.
- Right-click on the application icon and select “Properties”.
- Select the Compatibility tab.
- Select the checkbox “Run the program in compatibility mode with ...”, select “Windows XP (service pack 3)” from the drop-down list.
- Click Apply - OK.
- Additionally, you can select the option “Run this program as administrator”.
This usually works, and the application starts to work as usual.
Method 2: simplified application launch
Actually, this solution is a complement to the first method. It concerns a small load on the operating system by disabling some services.
How to remove "Incompatible application with Windows 7":
- RMB click on the program icon;
- selection of the item "Properties";
- Tab "Compatibility";
- in the window that opens, check the following items: “Use 256 colors,” “Turn off visual design,” “Use 640x480 resolution,” “Turn off desktop composition,” “Turn off image scaling at high screen resolution”;
- give the program Administrator rights, click "Apply" and "OK".
These items help, if there is an additional load on the graphics, problems with displaying fonts, unrecognizable colors (in the old "OSes" a register of 256 colors was used), to stabilize the size of the application window.
In this case, you can combine both methods of troubleshooting compatibility problems by selecting the checkboxes selectively, depending on what kind of accompanying problems are observed.
Method 3: use the features of Windows 7
A few more effective methods that help in cases where there is an incompatible Windows 7 application. How to fix this problem? We are talking about a special set of tools to ensure the normal functionality of old applications.
Under the Windows 7 version, developers released a special ACT package, which is designed to automatically configure programs for the current version of the system. An important fact is that this package is perfectly adapted to the current security components of Windows 7, so that blocking old applications can be circumvented in an absolutely legal way.
And finally, do not forget about the virtual OS, which is also an innovative solution of Windows 7. To implement this method, there is Windows Virtual PC technology that creates a shell for earlier versions of the operating system. It is noteworthy that it starts from an ordinary shortcut on the computer desktop and does not affect the system performance in any way.