The Hindu Business Line : Compatibility mode in Windows XP

I came across ‘Dual boot with Win XP and Win 98’ in eWorld’s Tip-Off column. However, all I want to do is use some old software and hardware that will run on Win 98 but not on Win XP. I really do not want to try to make a new FAT32 partition and install Win98. But a Win98 boot disk will not work because it only finds an NTFS disk. Is there any simple way to do this?

Richard Laval

Most applications that ran in the earlier version of Windows will work properly in Windows XP. But some applications will report an error, on the lines that it requires Windows 95/98/Me. These applications can be run in Windows XP using the compatibility mode. Compatibility mode applies small pieces of code that support these older programs to run in windows XP.

There are two scenarios. First one is installation error, where the setup.exe meant for earlier version of Windows (Windows 95, windows 98, Windows NT 4.0) does not start. Second one is after installation, where an error message appears when program is being executed. For the installation error, you can try running the setup.exe in program compatibility wizard. To start the program compatibility wizard, please click Start. Click Help and Support. The Help and Support centre window will open. In this window click “Fixing a problem”, and here, click “Application and software problems”.

On the right side of the window, click “Getting older programs to run on Windows XP”. In the page, click the link “Program compatibility wizard”. Follow the instructions in the wizard. Choose the right version of windows (Win 95, 98, Me). Browse and locate the setup.exe that failed when installed.

If you get the error message while executing the program, please follow these steps: It is recommended that you try running the program in compatible environment. To set the windows program compatibility mode, right-click the application or its shortcut. Click properties. Click on the compatibility tab. In the compatibility box, select the check box “Run this program in compatible mode for “and select the suitable OS version in the drop down. This drop down box will be highlighted only when check box is selected. The choices available in the drop down box are Windows 95, Windows 98 /Me, Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5) and Windows 2000. The display settings can be changed in the “Display settings” box found below the “Compatibility mode” box. Here check boxes are available to “Run in 256 colors” and “Run in 640 X 480 screen resolution”. If your program runs in compatibility mode, it can access data in your windows XP partition. There is no need to have a separate partition for this earlier version of Windows OS.

If the program does not run correctly even in this compatibility mode, please check windows update to see if a fix is available for this program. Check the program manufacturer’s site for any updates on the program. More information on the Windows XP compatibility mode is available at this URL: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/appcompat.mspx and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292533

Solution by P. Natarajan

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