Windows is an operating system that there is more compatible. This is good for one side but can certainly be consequences: the development of the system is always limited to superficial changes. Inside Windows is basically the same for decades.
Domestic incompatibilities are thankfully rare - type problems are more common in the corporate market, where legacy applications are widely used. But if you encounter any mismatch, please know that Windows still brings a feature to ensure that old and that program is no longer designed to run on the latest version of the system. We are talking about the "Compatibility Mode".
In the steps below, we will explore every detail of the compatibility options of Windows 7.
Step 1. Access the compatibility options: click the right mouse button on the incompatible application and go to "Properties". That done, open the "Compatibility" tab. There you have the following options:
- Run this program in compatibility mode: Select this option if the application you want to run only work on a specific version of Windows. After that, a list of the versions of Microsoft operating system is enabled. Click it and select a version of the system (you can choose between Windows 95, versions for servers (2003 and 2008), Windows XP or Vista);
- Run in 256 colors: Some older programs do not support this multitude of colors we use today. When enabled, this option causes your monitor to display the pass only 256 colors before running the application. There is no little cute, but this may be the solution of a possible compatibility problem;
- Run at screen resolution 640 x 480: When enabled, this option causes the resolution of your monitor is set at 640 x 480 before running the program. If the problem is the high-resolution, this setting should solve it;
- Disable visual themes: As the name suggests, this option disables the use of themes while the program runs. This means that items in the application window will be all square and without visual cues, which should solve problems related to the use of themes.
- Disable desktop composition: When set, the visual effects of Windows are disabled. This option can be useful to run a program or game is heavy, it disables Aero, transparency and other frills while the application is running. This causes the computer to stop processing and memory to spend unnecessary effects and prioritize the execution of other applications - plus, of course, be the solution of some incompatibilities with Windows 7.
- Disable display scaling on high DPI settings: An accessibility feature of Windows allows programs and system texts are displayed in high DPI (dots per inch). Although this is a useful resource for anyone who has any vision problem, not all applications are designed to work that way.
- Run this program as an administrator: Some older programs are not compatible with the new permissions model introduced in Windows Vista and that, consequently, is present in Windows 7. If this is the case, simply check this option for the application to always run with administrative privileges.
Step 2. The second step is to select the options you see fit, as described above. Note that each setting works in isolation, that is, you can activate only one or all of the compatibility features.
Automatic configuration
An alternative to the steps described above is to perform automatic configuration. Basically it does the same as explained above, but using recommended settings or based on their answers to some questions.
In the steps below, you can see a friendly way to resolve compatibility issues.
Step 3. Right-click on the application problems and click "Troubleshoot" compatibility;
Step 4. Windows will analyze and offer some possible solutions compatibility. Click "Try to recommended settings" and check if the problem persists;
Step 5. If the previous step did not solve the problem, rerun the "step 3" and click "Troubleshoot program";
Step 6. Follow the wizard, answering specific questions about your problem. When finished, click "Start the program ...";
Step 7. Make sure that the incompatibility persists and click "Next." That done, if the problem was solved, click "Yes, save these settings for the program";
Step 8. Otherwise, click "No, try again using different settings" and is a little more specific about your problem;
Step 9. If the program still did not work as it should, unfortunately it can only click "No, report the problem to Microsoft and look for online solution" to seek help via the Internet.
