PC Doctor October 11, 2013

Have your computer questions answered here! Search the PC Doctor archive or submit a question of your own at info@athollibrary.org

Dear PC Doctor:

I had to switch to Windows 7 because my XP machine died.  I use Corel Draw every day for my work, but Corel 6 (which is what I have) doesn’t get along with Windows 7 very well.  Is there anything I can do to make this program that I need more compatible with this operating system that I can’t avoid?

        Thank you, Leonard

Dear Leonard:

According to the Microsoft website, most programs written for Windows XP also work in Windows 7, but there are some older programs that might run poorly or not at all.  If a program written for an earlier version of Windows doesn't run correctly, use the Program Compatibility Wizard to change the compatibility settings for the program.  To change settings for a program manually, use the individual program's Compatibility tab.

To run the Program Compatibility Wizard

Open the Program Compatibility Wizard by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then clicking Use an older program with this version of Windows.

Follow the instructions in the wizard.

If you cannot install a program, insert the installation disc for the program and, using the wizard, browse to the program's setup file, usually called Setup.exe, Install.exe, or something similar.  The wizard is not designed to work on programs that have an .msi file name extension.

To change compatibility settings manually for a program, right-click the icon for the program, click Properties, and then click the Compatibility tab.

If changing the settings does not fix the problem, go to the program manufacturer's website to see if there is an update for the program.

Note: Do not use the Program Compatibility Wizard on older antivirus programs, disk utilities, or other system programs because it might cause data loss or create a security risk.

Until next time… Happy Computing!

          PC Doctor