Windows 8.1: The Missing Manual

Program Compatibility Modes

“You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.” If that’s not Microsoft’s motto, it should be. Each successive version of Windows may be better than the previous one, but each inevitably winds up “breaking” hundreds of programs, utilities, and drivers that used to run fine.

Microsoft is well aware of this problem and has pulled every trick in the book to address it. Here, for example, is the chain of second chances you’ll experience:

Warning When You Upgrade to Windows 8

In theory, you’ll know about incompatible programs well in advance. You’ll have run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant program (The Upgrade Assistant) before you even installed Windows 8.1, for example, and learned which programs will give you trouble. Even if you skip that step, the Windows installer is supposed to quarantine all incompatible programs.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: Really Ancient Apps

Will Windows 8 run my really old, really important app?

You’ll never really know until you try. And this chapter outlines all the tools available to help you make the old app run. But here are some specifics on what you can expect.

16-bit programs are so old, they were written when Windows 3.1 roamed the earth and the first George Bush was president. (Programs written for Windows 95 and later are known as 32-bit programs; Windows 8 can even run 64-bit programs.) But, amazingly enough, the 32-bit versions of Windows 8 (though not the 64-bit versions) can run most of these programs. They do so ...