Fix This version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running
Windows is one of the most popular operating systems with more than a billion users. All this success is due to the many features that have been integrated into the operating system over the years. The latest and best version of Windows is the Windows 10 operating system, to which Microsoft has urged its users to upgrade.
However, the update is accompanied by some problems, most users are reluctant to update because there have been error reports “This version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you are running” with some applications and installers after an update from an older version of Windows. In this article, we will discuss the reason for this error and offer you a practical solution to eliminate it completely.
Error message:
The version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running. Check your computer’s system information to see whether you need an x86(32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version of the program, and then contact the software publisher.
How to correct this error:
Make sure you are using a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.
To find out if your computer is running on 32-bit or 64-bit Windows, do the following:
- Open the system by clicking on the Start Image button, clicking on Control Panel, then on System.
- Under System, you can see the type of system. This describes whether you have 32 bits or 64 bits.
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You can also try the compatibility mode.
If the program is not compatible, you can try to install and run the program in compatibility mode.
Perform the following steps:
1) Right-click on the program
2) Click on Properties
3) Click on the Compatibility tab.
4) Select Run this program in Compatibility mode and select Windows Vista or another operating system that has successfully run the program.
Changing compatibility settings
If the software is not compatible with the version of Windows you are using, this error will occur. Therefore, we will modify some compatibility parameters in this step. For that:
- Open the installation directory of the program you want to run.
- Right-click on the main”.exe” file of the program.
- Select “Properties” and click on the “Compatibility” tab.
- Click Run Compatibility Troubleshooter for Windows 10/8 and help me choose the settings for Windows 7.
- Click on the “Test recommended settings” option and click on the “Test” option.
- If the program is running, click on the “Yes, save these settings” option and if it does not select the “Test no other settings” option.
- Follow the instructions on the screen and repeat until the program works.
Run in compatibility mode
This option is a good choice if you know exactly under which version of Windows your program works well. For example, if your program was launched while Windows XP was the current version of Windows, it is a good choice to click on the Run this program in compatibility mode radio button and select Windows XP from the drop-down list.
Note that the compatibility mode offers many options, ranging from Windows 95 to Windows 8. Also note that you can even run your program in compatibility mode for different service packs on the same operating system.
Note that under Windows 10, there is a new option called Compatibility Troubleshooter that analyzes the program for you and automatically tries to find the best settings.
When you run it, you can try the recommended settings, which try to automatically select the correct settings, or you can choose the Troubleshooting program, which asks you about the problems and then recommends the settings.
There is no way to run 16-bit applications directly on 64-bit Windows. You need either a computer with 32-bit Windows (which is always backward compatible with 16-bit software) or a sorting or virtualization solution to emulate a 32-bit or 16-bit environment.
If your 16-bit application is actually a DOS application, you can use a DOS emulator such as DOSBox or vDos.
If it is a 16-bit Windows application, it is best to run it directly on a 32-bit Windows PC. If this is not possible, you can use VirtualBox or another virtualization solution to install the 32-bit version of Windows as a virtual PC. If you are using Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate, you can use Windows XP mode.
CCNA, Web Developer, PC Troubleshooter
I am a computer enthusiast and a practicing IT Professional. I have years of experience behind me in computer programming, hardware troubleshooting and repair. I specialise in Web Development and Database Design. I also have a CCNA certification for Network Design and Troubleshooting.
«This verison of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running. Check your computer’s system information to see whether you need an x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) verion of the program.
I seem to be having issues when trying to install a program on my Windows 7 that used to run on my Windows XP and Windows Vista. I have used the Troubleshoot Compatibility tool and selected these settings on the SETUP file but nothing seems to work the error message that i receive is as follows :
«This verison of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running. Check your computer’s system information to see whether you need an x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) verion of the program, and then contact the software publisher.»
Is there any way to adjust my computer’s setting to allow for this program to run properly? Any and all solutions would be greatly helpful.
The problem is software that was created for Windows 95, 98, and Windows XP has no way of properly working with an operating system that did not even exist when the software was written. However, the error message you are getting normally means you have a 32-bit software that you are trying to install on a 64-bit system.
To find out if your computer is running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows , do the following:
Open System by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel , click on System.
Under System , you can view the system type. This will describe whether you have 32-bit or 64-bit.
You can also try compatiblity mode.
If the program is not compatible, then you may try to install and run the program in compatibility mode.
Use the following steps:
1) Right click on the Program
2) Click on Properties
3) Click on Compatibility tab
4) Select Run this program in compatibility mode and select Windows Vista or whatever operating system the program was running successfully.
Refer to the link here: Make older programs run in this version of Windows
If you run Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate version, install Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP mode ( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/default.aspx ) and execute your software in Windows XP.
If you run Windows 7 Home Premium, try VirtualBox ( www.virtualbox.org ) or VMware Player ( www.vmware.com ) or any other 3 rd party virtualization software and install a separate copy of Windows XP (either Home Edition or Professional) for that purpose. You can find virtualization software free of charge that will run on Windows 7 Home Premium.
Marilyn
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
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How to Fix ‘This version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running’ Error on Windows?
Windows is one of the most popular operating systems out there with more than a billion users. All of this success comes due to the numerous features that have been made part of the operating system over the years. The latest and the greatest version of Windows is the “Windows 10” operating system that Microsoft has been pushing its users to upgrade to.
“This version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running” Error Message
However, the upgrade does come with some problems, most users are hesitant to upgrade because there have been reports of the “This version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running” Error with certain applications and installers after upgrading from an older version of Windows. In this article, we will discuss the reason due to which this error is triggered and also provide you with a viable solution to eradicate it completely.
What Causes the “This version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running” Error?
After receiving numerous reports from multiple users, we decided to investigate the issue and devised a solution to eradicate it completely. Also, we looked into the reason due to which it is triggered and listed it as follows.
Lack of Backwards Compatibility: The Error arises from a difference in the architecture of the application that you are trying to run and the architecture of Windows. It can either be caused if the program is too old or too recent for the version of Windows that you are trying to run it on. The problem can be solved if the issue is with backward compatibility, as all Microsoft operating systems do have backward compatibility integrated into them but it has to be manually triggered.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the nature of the problem, we will move on towards the solution. Make sure to follow the steps carefully and accurately to avoid conflict.
Solution: Changing Compatibility Settings
If the software isn’t compatible with the version of Windows that you are using this error is triggered. Therefore, in this step, we will be changing certain compatibility settings. For that:
- Open the installation directory of the program that you are trying to run.
- Right-click on the main “.exe” for the program.
- Select “Properties” and click on the “Compatibility” tab.
- Click on the “Run Compatibility Troubleshooter” for Windows 10/8 and “Help me Choose the Settings” for Windows 7.
- Click on the “Try Recommended Settings” option and click on the “Test” option.
- If the program works, click on the “YesSavetheseSettings” option and if it doesn’t select the “NoTryDifferentSettings“.
- Follow the onscreen instructions and repeat the process until the program works.
Running Compatibility Troubleshooter
Note: If you are using a “32-bit” operating system and are trying to install a 64-bit software it is recommended to either upgrade the operating system to a 64-bit one or search for a 32-bit version of the software. Also, if the problem is with Nvidia Graphics installer refer to this article.