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For a traditional desktop app, open Properties for its actual program file—usually the app’s .exe—and select Compatibility. Choose a setting, apply it, and test the app. To change or remove that setting, return to the same tab. If the tab is missing or you are unsure which setting to choose, run Windows 11’s Program Compatibility Troubleshooter instead.
Open Compatibility settings for the app
- Find the app’s installed program file, usually an
.exe. If you started the app from a shortcut, use the shortcut’s file-location option to locate the installed file. - Right-click the program file and select Properties, then open the Compatibility tab.
- Select a setting that addresses the problem, apply it, and test the app.
Microsoft’s compatibility guidance explains how to choose and apply fixes, but says the tab does not recommend which particular fix to use. Avoid selecting settings at random: make one relevant change at a time so you can tell whether it helped. Microsoft Learn: Compatibility Cookbook
Change or remove a compatibility setting
Return to the same program file’s Properties > Compatibility page. Change the selected setting or clear it, then apply the change and check the app again. Microsoft’s walkthrough describes revisiting the tab to modify or remove fixes; because that guide is from the Windows 8 era, exact control labels may differ in Windows 11. Microsoft Learn: Compatibility Cookbook
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Use the troubleshooter if you need help choosing a fix
- Open Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Find Program Compatibility Troubleshooter and select Run.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and test the app with the suggested settings.
This guided route is useful when you do not know which manual Compatibility setting to try. Microsoft Support recommends the troubleshooter when an app does not have updates. Microsoft Support: Make older apps or programs compatible with the latest version of Windows
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What to check when the Compatibility tab is missing
Confirm you opened the installed program file
Check that Properties is for the app’s actual executable, not just a launcher or store shortcut. In a Microsoft Q&A response about a missing tab, community advice for some Steam or Epic Games titles is to open the game executable. That is a troubleshooting lead, not a universal Windows rule. Microsoft Q&A: No compatibility tab?
Try the troubleshooter or contact the publisher
If the executable’s Properties still has no Compatibility tab, run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter using the Windows 11 path above, then check with the app publisher. Microsoft’s current support instructions explain the troubleshooter but do not establish every circumstance in which Windows 11 may omit the tab.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check for an app update if the problem continues
Look for updates in Microsoft Store for Store apps, or on the software publisher’s site for other apps. Microsoft also recommends updating device drivers in some cases where an app is glitchy or unresponsive. An update or publisher-provided Windows 11 guidance may resolve the issue without a compatibility workaround. Microsoft Support: Make older apps or programs compatible with the latest version of Windows
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