XP Compatibility (Windows 2000, too)

OK, normally I don't run XP only type tips, but this one is a must-have for XP users (oh, it also applies to win 2000).

One of the biggest problems people have with XP is getting older programs to run. I can usually get 90% of the software I test on XP to run without any problem. I can trick most of the remaining 10% into running.

How do you do it?

First, make sure XP is completely up to date. By default, XP asks you to check for updates when you're online from time to time. It usually communicates this through a little dialog box by the system tray. Make sure you download and install your updates! Some of these updates are compatibility updates. I can get programs to run on my computer that won't run on other XP machines simply because my computer is up to date.

If you want to manually update your computer (or if it isn't asking you about updating), you can do so by clicking the Start menu, Help & Support . It's usually the first item in the "Pick a task" area.

OK, now for my next trick.

Windows XP has a compatibility option for programs. It can make a program "think" it's running under a different version of Windows.

If you have installed a program and find it's not working, right-click its icon under the Start button, select Programs then Properties from the resulting menu.

On the next window, click the Compatibility tab and then check the "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" box. You should now be able to select what version of Windows you want to trick the program into thinking you're running from the little drop box.

Note you can also adjust the display settings if your program needs to run in a lower color mode / resolution (the program will usually tell you this information if you try to run it in the wrong mode).

OK, that's all well and good, but what happens if you try to install a program and it won't even install?

Well, we found out that you can do the same compatibility trick with setup programs!

To do it, put your CD into the drive. If XP brings up the "what do you want to do with this CD?" window, tell it you want to "Open folder to view files" (If it autoruns, cancel out).

If you don't get the option to "Open folder to view files" that's OK. Just hit the Start button, My Computer . Right-click the CD-ROM drive, Explore .

OK, you should be looking at the CD-ROM's files. Look for a file called Setup.exe (you may not see the .exe). Right-click that file and select Properties .

Next, click the Compatibility tab as described in the first part of the tip and pick an older version of Windows from the drop box. Hit OK .

Now, double-click the Setup.exe program and setup should run. With any luck, you'll be able to install the software now.

Posted in: System Management