Troubleshooting compatibility issues

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Troubleshooting compatibility issues

What problem are you having?

  • An application stops responding, quits, or behaves improperly.

  • Hardware does not function properly.

An application stops responding, quits, or behaves improperly.

Cause:  The version of the application is not compatible with this version of Windows.

Solution:  Start the Program Compatibility Wizard to detect and test compatibility settings. To start the Program Compatibility Wizard, click Start, click Run, and then type hcp://system/compatctr/compatmode.htm.

See also:  Accessing information about compatibility; Troubleshooting specific Stop messages

Cause:  The display settings are not correct.

Solution:  Some older games and applications may require a 256-color quality or 640 x 480 screen resolution to function properly. Use the Display Properties dialog box to change the display settings. To open Display, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Display.

Note

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
Hardware does not function properly.

Cause:  The hardware is not compatible with this release, or it needs to be updated to work with this release.

Solution:  To confirm that your hardware is designed for the Windows Server 2003 family, see the compatibility information in Support resources.

See also:  Hardware compatibility

Notes

  • For the latest information about products that are designed for the Windows Server 2003 family, see Hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at the Microsoft Web site.

  • For more information about the Designed for Windows logo program, see Designed for Windows at the Microsoft Web site.