Program Compatibility Assistant scenarios for Windows 8 (Windows)Platforms. Clients - Windows XP . However, there are a small number of apps that can have trouble running without intervention. When it detects any issue symptoms, it provides the user an opportunity to apply a recommended fix that will help run the app better on Windows. PCA tracks the issues, identifies the fixes, and provides a dialog to the user with instructions to apply a recommended fix.
Monitor displaying 640 X 480 pixels and 256 colors This program will not open up, I get messages that my version of windows is not compatible. Windows 8 does have a compatibility mode similar to Windows 7 for this purpose. NOTE: This process may not work. I have software not compatible with Windows 8. Options Mark as New Bookmark Subscribe Subscribe to RSS Feed.
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The user can decide to apply the recommended fixes, or choose to do nothing and cancel out of the recommendation. If the user cancels out, PCA will no longer track that app. A glossary at the end of the document lists each of the compatibility modes that PCA applies and its description. If the app continues to fail in the same way even after a compatibility fix is applied, PCA revert the fix. PCA will then permanently stop tracking the specific app that failed. PCA recommends fixes only in situations where there is a high probability that the app failure is due to Windows compatibility reasons.
The sections below expand on each of the PCA scenarios developed in Windows. Each section describes the problem scenario and the recommendations that PCA provides to allow the app to continue working properly on Windows. Older Setup programs most commonly fail in two ways. The setup program is not aware of the User Account Control (UAC) features in Windows. PCA, with the help of various other Windows components such as UAC, detects Setup programs at launch and tracks them to the end of the install. If the Setup program either fails to add files or to add a valid entry in the .
The compatibility mode allows the setup program to run in the Windows mode it was designed for and also ensures that the app runs with administrative privileges. PCA applies the RUNASADMIN compatibility mode along with the appropriate Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows. The user, at the end of the failed install, will see a dialog with the PCA recommendation. The user can then choose to: Run the program using the compatibility settings (recommended option), after which PCA will apply the recommended setting (compatibility mode), restart the setup program, and track it till the setup completes successfully. Indicate that the program installed correctly, in which case PCA will not add any settings and will stop tracking the setup.
Click Close, in which case PCA will not add any settings and will stop tracking this setup. The same mechanism is used to help the app.
Many apps, upon launch check the Windows version; if they do not recognize the version, they block themselves even if the app could have run without issues. An example is below.
The app terminates immediately or crashes. If PCA identifies both of these conditions for an app, it will provide a recommendation to the user. PCA will allow the user to re- run the app with compatibility settings. PCA will apply the appropriate Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows. As in any of the scenarios, the user can tell PCA that the app ran correctly, or opt out of the recommended settings by clicking the close button. An example dialog is provided as below: App fails to launch or run due to administrative privilege. Some apps need administrative privilege to run and execute their functionality.
Newer apps designed for Windows Vista and above will generally declare the privilege level they need to run at using the EXE manifest. However, older apps generally fail in two ways. App displays a message to the user that it requires administrative privilege, as below example: App either terminates immediately or crashes. If PCA identifies both of these conditions for an app, it will provide a recommendation to the user.
PCA will allow the user to re- run the app with administrative privileges (PCA applies the RUNASHIGHEST compatibility mode). The user will get a UAC prompt when the app re- runs. As in any of the scenarios, the user can choose to re- run with the recommended setting, or opt out of the recommended settings by clicking Close. An example dialog is provided as below.
App crashes due to specific memory problems. Some apps crash due to a well- known memory problem. The app de- references a DLL from memory, and then calls a function to execute code in the same DLL. This causes an immediate crash of the app.
While this problem is not due to Windows. PCA tracks this issue to give users a chance to run their app more reliably. The compatibility mode invoked by PCA prevents the app from freeing the DLL from memory.
So, the function call into the DLL by the app will work, preventing the app from crashing and allowing it to continue to function properly. When such apps are installed, the app has both an older copy of the DLL in its own folder as well as the latest version of the DLL that is in the Windows system folders. Since the app is generally not aware of the newer versions of this DLL, it fails to work properly. While this exception was first introduced in Windows.
If they do not, they will crash. Apps designed for older Windows versions may not be aware of this exception, and hence may not handle this error (exception) properly. After the setting is applied at the end of the run, the user is notified as below.
The app will get the mode on the next run, and will be able to avoid this error. As a course of normal app behavior, they may try to delete protected non- Windows files (either in program files or Windows folders).
When the delete operation fails many such apps can crash. PCA will allow the user to re- run the app with compatibility settings. As in any of the scenarios, the user can tell PCA that the app ran correctly, or opt out of the recommended settings by clicking the close button. In this case PCA applies the VIRTUALIZEDELETE compatibility mode. An example dialog is provided as below. App fails while attempting to modify Windows files or registry keys. Some apps designed for Windows XP and prior assume that they usually run with full administrative privileges.
As a course of normal app behavior, they may try to modify, delete or write Windows protected files (either in program files or Windows folders) or Registry keys owned by Windows. When any of the write, delete or modify operation for a file or a registry key fails many such apps can crash or fail badly. PCA will allow the user to re- run the app with compatibility settings. As in any of the scenarios, the user can tell PCA that the app ran correctly, or opt out of the recommended settings by clicking the Close button. In this case PCA applies the WRPMITIGATION compatibility mode.
An example dialog is provided as below. App fails due to using 8- or 1. As part of reimagining Windows 8 for Windows Store apps, one of the key changes is that the Desktop Window Manager (DWM) will now support only 3. Windows. Lower color modes are now simulated.
With no mitigation, these apps could fail to execute on Windows 8. However, when these apps enumerate or try to use any of the 8- bit or 1. PCA immediately identifies the issue and with the help of DWM, ensures that the app will work properly with the simulated color mode. The user does not have to restart the app to get this mitigation because this fix is always needed to ensure that the app works properly. Among the common problems that can occur due to this mismatch in settings are clipped UI elements or text and incorrect font size.
For more details on the issues, see this link here. PCA will then inform the user about this as shown below. Application fails due to missing Windows features.
Some apps depend on Windows features that have been removed since Windows Vista. When these apps try to load the missing DLLs or COM components, they fail to work. The user can click on . If needed, the user can choose to do nothing by clicking Close.
However, older apps designed prior to the release of Windows Vista shipped drivers that were not digitally signed. In rare cases, it is possible that Windows will not start if such drivers are marked as boot- time drivers. Any device or app that tries to use this driver may fail or result in a system crash.
To prevent such a scenario, PCA detects apps when they install unsigned drivers, and disables the driver it is marked as a boot- time driver. The message is shown as a result of the installation of the driver, and as a result of the installation of the app. If another app installs the same driver, that app will get the same message as well. Once the installer succeeds with compatibility settings, PCA will track the shortcuts that the installer added. This is done to track if the apps that were installed may also need the compatibility settings applied to their installer. If the user answers, .
This is typically the case when an app tries to launch its updater software to check and install new updates to the app. When apps directly run such child programs, the child program can fail to launch because the app itself did not have administrative privileges, or because the child program was not properly marked for elevation with the UAC manifest. When the app launches the child app on subsequent runs, the user will see a UAC dialog for the child program. Windows (UAC) has detection logic to identify when an installer is run, and immediately prompts the user to provide administrative privileges through the UAC dialog. However, in some cases, this logic will not be able to determine that an app was indeed an installer, and may not get administrative privileges. These are generally custom made installers that do not use well known install technologies such as Windows Installer or Install Shield.
At the end if the failed install, PCA will provide a recommendation to apply compatibility settings. If the user chooses to click . If the user chooses to close, then no setting will be applied. An example PCA dialog is shown below. Legacy Control Panel applets that need to run with administrative privilege. Control panel applets generally change system settings and need the ability to run ad administrator.