Windows Compatibility Mode

Windows Vista Compatibility Settings

Newer versions of Windows sometimes have trouble running older games. Compatibility settings can fix some problems. To change compatibility settings right-click the .EXE or shortcut for the game and choose the Compatibility tab.

Compatibility settings will not fix problems such as Missing DLL errors or Rainbow Colors. Refer to those pages for details about those problems.

Compatibility mode

Try enabling this setting and choosing a Windows version that the game was originally designed for. The versions listed will vary somewhat depending on the version of Windows you are currently using.

Settings

Run in 256 Colours (XP/Vista/7)

Try this when running 256-color games. This is also useful for 256-color games that run correctly without this setting but warn about too many colors; enabling this setting will skip the warning.

Reduced color mode (Windows 8)

Try choosing the appropriate mode when running 256-color and 16-bit games. This is also useful for games that run correctly without this setting but warn about too many colors; enabling this setting will skip the warning.

Run in 640x480 Screen Resolution

This sets the Windows resolution to 640x480 before launching the game.

Disable Visual Themes

Stops visual themes built in to the operating system from affecting the game. This setting is not available on Windows 8.

Disable Desktop Composition

Disables Aero, the default theme and and graphical user interface. This setting is not available on Windows 8.

Disable Display Scaling On High DPI Settings

This stops large monitors increasing the DPI (dots per inch) to a size too large.

Privilege Level

This setting makes the game run as an administrator, which is required for some games. This setting is automatically set when the compatibility mode is set to Windows XP or earlier, so if you are using one of those modes you do not need to set this option as well.

See Also

• Missing DLL errors
• Rainbow Color Problems In Older Games