How to run old app in compatibility mode on Windows 11

• To run an old app in compatibility mode on Windows 11, open Start search for the app, right-click, and select “Open file location,” right-click the executable and choose “Properties,” and in the “Compatibility” tab, check “Run this program in compatibility mode” and select the mode (Windows 95, 98, XP, Vista, 7, or 8).

On Windows 11, you can run old applications designed for the previous version of the operating system using compatibility mode, and in this guide, you will learn how.

Although you can install and run virtually any application on Windows 11, sometimes, a program designed for an older version of Windows may refuse to run correctly for various reasons. If you have an old application that has compatibility problems with Windows 11, you can use the “compatibility mode” feature to mitigate the issues and get the program running.

“Compatibility mode” is a feature that emulates an older system’s environment to run applications designed for an earlier version of the operating system. Usually, a newer version of Windows is built with backward compatibility in mind. However, if the program had poor development or relied on specific components or technology, it may not work on Windows 11 or higher releases.

This guide will teach you the steps to run an old program in compatibility mode on Windows 11.

Run old programs on Windows 11 using compatibility mode

On Windows 11, you can enable compatibility mode for an old program in at least two ways, manually and automatically.

Manual compatibility mode

To configure an old app to run on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start on Windows 11.

2. Search for the old application, right-click the top result, and select the “Open file location” option.

3. Right-click the app (executable) and choose the Properties option.

   

4. Click the Compatibility tab.

5. Check the “Run this program in compatibility mode” option in the “Compatibility mode” setting and select the compatibility mode, including Windows 95, 98, XP, Vista, 7, or 8.

   

6. (Optional) Check the “Reduced color mode” option and choose one of the available options, 8- or 16-bit. Quick note: You would only use this feature if the problem is related to graphics.

7. (Optional) Check the “Run in 640 x 480 screen resolution” option if the program was designed for old technology displays.

8. (Optional) Check the “Run this program as an administrator” option if the application doesn’t work with standard permissions.

9. Click the Apply button.

10. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the app should be able to run normally without problems or crashes.

Automatic compatibility mode

To use the compatibility troubleshooter to make an old program compatible with Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for the old application, right-click the top result, and select the “Open file location” option.

3. Right-click the app (executable) and choose the Properties option.

   

4. Click the Compatibility tab.

5. Click the “Run compatibility troubleshooter” button.

   

6. Click the “Try recommended settings” option.

   

7. Click the “Test the program” button.

   

8. Confirm whether the old program works as intended on Windows 11.

9. Click the “Yes, save these settings for this program” option. Or click the “No, try again using different settings” option if the app still doesn’t work correctly.

After you complete the steps, the old program should be able to operate normally on Windows 11.

Alternatively, you can also run the troubleshooter from Settings > System > Troubleshoot> Other troubleshooters, click the “Run” button for the “Program Compatibility Troubleshooter” option, select the program, and continue with the wizard to enable compatibility mode.

Although this feature should make virtually any application compatible with the operating system, it’s not always the case. If you must continue running an application designed for an old version of Windows, consider creating a virtual machine with the required version of the operating system and then installing the old program for better compatibility.