How to Make older programs run in Windows XP in Compatibility Mode

Installing any software or application program in Windows XP or Windows Vista can be a major issue. There can be several reasons for this, for example drivers might not be compatible with the operating system or anything as such. But the most common reason for such issue is the compatibility issue. For example you have attached a web cam to your computer having Windows XP, and you try to install the drivers for that Web Cam, but you are not able to install that drivers for the same reason of compatibility issue.

The Compatibility mode of Windows XP does that for us, Windows XP support compatibility mode “Runs the program using settings from a previous version of Windows”. Try this setting if you know the program is designed for (or worked in) a specific previous version of Windows.

Run the Program Compatibility Wizard

We should run the Program Compatibility Wizard before you try other ways of updating your programs or drivers because it identifies compatibility fixes written specifically for Windows XP. If the wizard does not solve your problem, you can try other steps listed at the end of this article.
To run the Program Compatibility Wizard:
1. Click Start, and then click Help and Support (online computer support).
2. Click Fixing a problem, and then click Application and software problems.
3. Under Fix a problem click Getting older programs to run on Windows XP.
4. Read the instructions and then click the Program Compatibility Wizard.

Set Compatibility Properties Manually

As an alternative to running the program compatibility wizard, you can set the compatibility properties for a program manually
To set the compatibility properties for a program manually:
1. Right-click the program icon on your desktop or the shortcut on the Start menu for the program you want to run, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Compatibility tab, and change the compatibility settings for your program.

After selecting the proper OS is the compatibility mode we need to reset the three fields under “Display Settings” if an older program requires 640×480 resolution or 256 colors.
Click Apply.

Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-to-make-older-programs-run-in-windows-xp-in-compatibility-mode-937915.html