MORE INFORMATION
Apcompat.exe passes a different version number back to a
program when the program queries for the current operating system version. This
tool may be helpful for general programs, but may not work with programs that
are operating system-specific.
Typical error messages that you may
receive may include:
This program requires Windows 95 to
run.
This application requires Windows NT
Service Pack 3 or higher.
Apcompat.exe does not help with the
following issues:
- Programs that are written for Microsoft Windows 98,
Microsoft Windows 95, or Microsoft Windows 3.x that attempt to access hardware
directly.
- Windows 95-based or Windows 98-based programs that use
virtual device drivers (VXDs) to run under Windows 2000.
Apcompat.exe may help with the following issues:
- Programs that were written for Microsoft Windows NT and
require a particular service pack.
- Windows 95-based or Windows 98-based games that are written
to run only under Windows 95/Windows 98 because of DirectX issues. (Windows
2000 includes DirectX 7.0; Windows NT 4.0 includes DirectX 3.0.)
NOTE: Apcompat.exe simply reports a different operating system version
number for the installation of a program. It does not modify a program so that
it can run under Windows 2000. If you have problems with a program running
under Windows 2000, contact the manufacturer of the program to determine if
they have a Windows 2000-compatible version.
The Apcompat.exe tool is
located in the Support folder on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM. Note that the
Help button does not work unless you install the Windows 2000 Support
Tools. Full documentation is available by installing the Windows 2000 Support
Tools located on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM in the Support\Tools folder.
For additional information about how to use this technology with
Windows 2000 Service Pack 2, click the article number below to view the article
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
279792 How to Enable Application Compatibility-Mode Technology in Windows 2000 Service Pack 2
Support Tools Documentation
The following information about Apcompat.exe is copied from the
Support Tools documentation:
Application Compatibility Program (Apcompat.exe)
This program is designed to overcome the most common causes of
application incompatibility with Windows 2000. You can use this tool with a
Windows interface by running the Application Compatibility program, or you can
run this program as a command-line tool.
To use the Application
Compatibility program,
- Click Browse and specify the executable (.exe) file for the program you want
to run.
- Specify any of the Application Compatibility settings, and
then click OK.
Operating System Version Checking
While installing or running, some programs check which operating
system version you are running. If the program is designed to run on only
certain operating systems, and Windows 2000 is not one of them, you are
prevented from installing or running the program.
If you encounter
such a problem, try installing or running the program from the Application
Compatibility program. Under Operating system, specify the operating system on
which you previously ran the program.
When the program checks the
version of the operating system, the operating system you specified is
returned. If the program installs successfully, verify that the program also
runs successfully.
If the original error occurs again, the program is
incompatible and cannot be run on Windows 2000. Contact the maker or vendor of
the program and inquire about an upgrade version.
Memory Management Conflicts
Some programs use memory in ways that can conflict with Windows
2000 improved memory management. If errors occur while running a program on
Windows 2000 that did not occur on your previous operating system, try
disabling the Heap Manager for the portion of memory reserved for the
program.
Select the
Disable Heap Manager on Windows
2000 check box. A program running with the Heap Manager disabled can
avoid conflicts with Windows 2000 memory management, but also uses memory less
efficiently.
Temp Folder Path Incompatibility
Some programs allocate a limited number of characters to store
the path and name of the Temp folder. If the number of characters used to
identify the Temp folder on Windows 2000 is greater than the length allowed by
a program, select the
Use the pre-Windows 2000 temp path check
box to specify a non-Windows 2000 Temp folder.
The specified program
then uses \Temp for the Temp folder. If this folder does not exist, it is
created.
Correct Disk Space Detection
Some applications use a different data type than Windows 2000 to
store the amount of free disk space available on your computer. This can result
in an application determining that there is not enough disk space to run or
perform an operation.
To resolve such a discrepancy in disk space
detection, select the
Correct disk space detection for 2-GB+
drives check box.
Store Application Compatibility Settings
If you resolve a compatibility problem by using any of the
options in Application Compatibility, you can make these settings permanent.
Then you can run the specified application without using the Application
Compatibility program.
To save the Application Compatibility settings
for the specified application, select
Make the above check box settings
permanent. This saves the settings in the registry.
Product Compatibility
To view the Product Compatibility List, see the following
Microsoft Web site:
For information about writing programs that run under Windows
2000, see the Microsoft Windows 2000 Development Center at: