Fix compatibility issues and other PC problems in Windows 8 ~ Hard and Software Plus

At first glance Windows 8 may seem like a radical upgrade, with its new Start screen, apps, Charms and more being very different to anything that’s gone before. Beneath the surface, though, the mechanics haven’t changed quite so much. So if your programs and applications were able to run under Windows 7, then there’s a good chance they’ll be compatible with Microsoft’s latest release, too.

There are no guarantees, of course. But if you do have problems running an older application then Windows 8 provides several tools you can use to try to get it working again, and we’ll be looking at these below.

The operating system can also help you understand and resolve many other annoying, intermittent problems, such as programs that crash or display error messages. And best of all, new troubleshooting tools can restore even some unbootable Windows 8 PCs back to full health at the click of a button.

Tip 1: Where’s my program?

With the Start menu no more, the first challenge in running any particular program under Windows 8 can be finding it. If you know the program’s name then you may be able to launch it from the Run box, just as before. To use Notepad, for instance, hold down the Windows key, press R, type Notepad and press Enter on your keyboard. The new Search tool is even more powerful, however. At the Start screen, simply begin typing the name of your application and Windows 8 will list all potential matches. Click the relevant tile to load your program. Alternatively, move your mouse cursor to the top-right corner of the screen and click the Search Charm (or hold down the Windows key and press Q). Again, just start typing the program name and Windows will list all your matches.

Tip 2: Run as administrator

What if you’ve tried to launch a program and it hasn’t worked? This sometimes happens with new versions of Windows. Low-level programs, such as security tools for instance, are most unlikely to run until they’ve been specifically updated to support Windows 8 (check the developer’s website for advice). And if the program performs some critical task – it’s a backup tool, say – you might not want to force it to run. If there is a subsequent problem, perhaps the backups don’t work, that could become a real disaster. If the program is something less vital, though, perhaps a game, one simple trick you could try is to run it as an administrator. This gives the program extra security rights and can solve many odd problems. Just right-click the application’s Start screen tile (or desktop shortcut), select ‘Run as administrator’ and see what happens.

Tip 3: Program compatibility troubleshooter

If your application still won’t launch, or a message appears that says it won’t run on this version of Windows, there is another option you can try: the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter. At the Start screen, type Control to launch the Search tool, and click ‘Control Panel’. Select ‘Category’ in the ‘View by’ list, click ‘Programs’ and ‘Run programs made for previous versions of Windows’. The troubleshooter will now appear, a clever wizard that can help you solve many problems. Click Next and it will start by listing your installed applications.

If your faulty program is listed, choose it and click Next. Otherwise, click ‘Not listed’, then Next, then Browse and navigate to the program’s executable file – the Program Files, or Program Files (x86) folders are good places to start looking. Highlight the program file and click OK to continue.

Tip 4: Test the program

Click ‘Try recommended settings’ on the next screen and the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter will choose the options most likely to make the program run. Will this work? Click ‘Test the Program’ to launch it. If the program starts and runs properly (test it carefully for a while) then the problem is solved. Return to the Troubleshooter, click Next, then ‘save these settings for this program’ and Windows 8 will now launch your application with these special settings. You should be able to run it from the Start screen (or anywhere else) without problems. If there are still issues, though, return to the Troubleshooter, click Next and then ‘try again using different settings’. Tell the wizard more about the problem you’re seeing and there’s still a chance it’ll be able to help.

Tip 5: Solve hardware issues

Sometimes compatibility issues extend beyond individual applications to your PC hardware. And if Windows 8 can’t work with a particular device – a graphics card, network hardware, whatever it might be – then this could affect your PC performance, cause crashes and all kinds of other odd behaviour. If that sounds familiar, then Device Manager may be able to help. Click Device at the Start screen, then Settings, Device Manager to launch it – or just hold down the Windows key, press R, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter. If all you see is a lengthy list of all the hardware attached to your PC, this should mean there are no driver issues. But if you see a device in an expanded section of the tree, highlighted with a yellow exclamation mark icon, that means there is a problem and more research is required.

Tip 6: Investigate Device Manager issues

If you’ve spotted a problem device on your PC, highlighted with the yellow icon, double-click it for more information. The best place to look for assistance is usually the Device Status box. Here, for instance, Windows 8 doesn’t just identify the problem (the device doesn’t have a driver), but it also tells you what to do about it (click the ‘Update Driver’ button). Follow the instructions to find, download and install a working driver. Once it’s finished, restart your PC and check Device Manager again to see if the problem is solved (the yellow icon should have gone). If this doesn’t work, though, or Windows doesn’t tell you anything useful, check with your device (or PC) manufacturer for more advice.

Tip 7: Use the Action Center

There are of course many reasons why your PC might be misbehaving at any one time. Microsoft understands this, and to help out it has provided a place that will list all your computer’s most significant problems: the Action Center. To locate it, type action at the Start screen, click Settings, then Action Center. And if your computer has any problems then you’ll see a message that ‘Action Center has detected one or more issues for you to review’, and scrolling down the window will tell you more. Here, for instance, the Action Center is complaining that our Microsoft account hasn’t been set up yet, and Windows hasn’t been activated – both listed as major issues. But in each case there is a button to click that will load the tool we need to resolve the problem.

Tip 8: Change the screen resolution

One new PC issue is that Windows 8 now requires you to set your display at a minimum of 1024x768 pixels for apps to run, and at least 1366x768 pixels to snap apps (run them side by side). Use anything lower and they won’t work. If you’re having app startup problems, hold down the Windows key, press R, type Control and press Enter to launch Control Panel. Click ‘Appearance and Personalization’, ‘Adjust screen resolution’. Ensure the resolution is set to at least 1024x768 (and as high as you can comfortably make it), then click OK. Finally, press the Windows key to return to the Start screen and your apps should now launch properly.

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