If your old program, made for previous versions, does not work or run in Windows 11/10/8/7, or if it does not run the way it ran in Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can make it run using the Compatibility Mode. If you receive a This program doesn’t run on Windows 11 message, then this post will help you make your older programs work.
Run old Games and Software using Compatibility Mode on Windows 11/10
Make old programs and games work even now! Run old Games and Software on Windows 10 and Windows 11 using Compatibility Mode.
- Right-click on the program or program shortcut icon and select Properties.
- Select the Compatibility tab
- From the Compatibility mode section, check in the Run this program in compatibility mode for
- From the drop-down menu, select the version of Windows that you knew this program would work on.
- If you are running Windows 11/10, select an earlier Windows version, on which the program ran well.
- Click Apply > OK.
This should make the old program work in your version of Windows 11 or Windows 10.
Compatibility Mode in Windows 11/10
You can also use the Windows Program Compatibility Troubleshooter to help make the older programs run in later Windows versions.
Read next:
- How to Install Windows 7 Games on Windows 11
- How to change Compatibility Mode settings in Windows 11.
How to use Windows 11 compatibility mode to run older programs?
To use Windows 11 compatibility mode for older programs, right-click the program’s executable file, select ‘Properties,’ then navigate to the ‘Compatibility’ tab. Check ‘Run this program in compatibility mode for,’ and choose the desired Windows version from the dropdown menu.
How to make old games work on Windows 11?
To make old games work on Windows 11, download and install the DirectX 9 Runtime. After installation, restart your PC to apply changes. Windows 11 includes DirectX 12, but older games often require DirectX 9 for compatibility.
