Compatibility Mode??
Why does Steam not have a "Compatibility Mode" available in their short Cuts, or do they somewhere? Now that I have WOS 10, I run into problems with older games. Thanks
Setting compatibility mode isn't that hard - (in library) right click on the game and choose Properties and then Local Files then Browse .
After that examine the properties of .exe file to alter the compatibility to whatever you want. If I think I need compatibility mode - I usually pick either windows xp or windows 7.
If in doubt - check what the store page says is recommended...
Date Posted: 2 Sep, 2021 @ 11:26am
Posts: 14
Posted byu/[deleted]7 years ago
So after the latest steam update, Steam runs in compatibility mode for me exclusively.
It is not set to do so. I have checked the privileges myself. It just does.
Anybody else having this issue and is there a work-around?
level 1
This seems to be happening if you have the "run this program as an administrator" box ticked under the compatibility settings. The only way I've found to fix it is to untick the box and just right click on the program or shortcut and just tell it to run as an administrator every time until Steam does something about it in one of their future updates.
level 2
Yeah, that's what another user said. Thanks!
Pretty ridiculous we have to do that.
level 1
I'm getting this issue as well, not sure on a fix yet.
level 2
If you didn't see it I commented just below on how to run steam as admin without the compatibility mode:
the other way you can make it work is to untick run as admin then right click the executable and select "run as administrator" in the drop down box.
level 1
Having the exact same problem, zero solutions found.
level 2
User /u/crawfs42 may be on to something..
I think they fucked up and if you tick the box in the "compatibility" tab to run as administrator it detects as being in "compatibility mode" kind of a ridiculous mistake to make.
level 1
I just updated to the newest patch for Steam & all my games keep crashing. I was on Windows 10 when the first crash happen. After the 4th one I switch computers thinking that maybe windows 7 will work better nope Portal 2 crash on the load in screen. I have played all my games on windows 7 for months some years they never crashed. So I uninstalled Steam & City Skylines & reinstalled Steam with City Skylines CD (only steam game CD I own). I never updated Steam after installation the game. Now no more bugs. What sucks is that now I can`t play online games.
level 2
Check the properties of the steam EXE. Make sure the "run as admin" box isn't ticked. If it is, steam is thinking that's compatibility mode. Uncheck box, and then right click the icon to start as admin if you wish.
Once that admin box was unchecked I was non longer getting the compatibility errors.
level 1
I just ran into this problem, but the "run program as an administrator" area of my steam.exe (which is checked) is greyed out so I can't uncheck it. Any suggestions?
level 1
Check the properties of both the EXE and the shortcut you're using to launch it.
by Kazim Ali Alvi
Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows. And at times, unscrewing the device to take... read more
Published on March 6, 2022
- The Steam compatibility mode error arises due to a bunch of reasons and prevents you from launching the app.
- To fix it, you can try disabling compatibility mode, updating the OS, modifying the registry, amongst other methods listed here.
- Also, find out what to do if games don't launch in Steam.
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Steam is one of the most popular cloud-gaming libraries out there and offers users a plethora of titles to choose from. But, the Steam compatibility mode error has been driving users crazy.
This error is generally encountered when you have compatibility mode turned on in the launcher properties. And honestly, it’s quite simple to fix the error and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
But before we walk through the fixes for the Steam compatibility mode error, it’s imperative that you understand how the compatibility mode works.
How does the compatibility mode work?
Compatibility mode is a feature that allows you to run applications that were built for a previous version of Windows. This helps users if they encounter an error saying that the installed version of the OS can’t run that particular app.
So, if you see that a particular program is not running on the current version, simply switching to compatibility mode and choosing an earlier version that supports the program should work.
But, making the switch often leads to issues, as is the case here with the Steam compatibility mode error. Also, the Steam support recommends against running their program in Windows compatibility mode.
Now that you have a basic understanding of how compatibility mode works, let’s see how can eliminate the error.
How can I fix the Steam compatibility mode error?
1. Disable compatibility mode for Steam
- Press Windows + E to launch the File Explorer, paste the following path in the address bar at the top, and hit Enter to navigate to
it.C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
- Locate and right-click on the steam.exe file, and select Properties from the context menu. Alternatively, you can select the file,
and hit Alt +
Enter.
- Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
- Now, untick the checkbox for Run this program in compatibility mode for and click on OK at the bottom to save the changes. Also, make sure that all the other checkboxes here are
disabled.
This is the simplest and most direct fix since the error here is with running Steam in compatibility mode, and disabling it should most likely eliminate the issue.
2. Update Windows
- Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and select Windows Update from the list of tabs in the navigation pane on the
left.
- Next, click on Check for updates on the right to scan for a newer version of the
OS.
- If any updates
are listed after after the scan, click on Download &
install.
Running an outdated version of Windows is just as likely to cause the Steam compatibility mode error. So, it’s recommended that you always keep up-to-date with the latest version.
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Also, with each update certain new features, performance enhancements, and patches for previously known bugs are introduced, which are bound to make your system do a lot better.
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3. Modify the registry
- Press Windows + R to launch the Run command, enter regedit in the text field, and either click on OK or hit Enter to launch the Registry
Editor.
- Click Yes on the UAC (User Account Control) prompt that pops
up.
- Now, paste the following path in the address bar and hit
Enter.HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers
- Look through the various items in the navigation pane on the left, until you locate an entry with the path to the Steam launcher (steam.exe), and then right-click on it and select
Delete.
- Now, click Yes in the confirmation prompt that pops up.
- Restart the computer for the changes to come into effect.
Since the method requires making changes to the Registry, we recommend you be extra careful here, since a minor lapse could damage the OS. Also, in case things go wrong, you can fix broken registry items by using specialized software like Restoro.
After making the changes, check if the Steam compatibility mode error is fixed. In case it persists, head to the last method.
4. Reinstall Steam
- Press Windows + I to launch
Settings, and select Apps from the tabs listed in the navigation pane on the
left.
- Click on
Apps & features on the
right.
- Now, locate the
Steam app, click on the ellipsis next to it, and select Uninstall from the flyout menu.
- Again, click Uninstall in the prompt that pops
up.
- Once done, you can now download and reinstall Steam.
If there’s a problem with Steam itself, you have no option but to reinstall it, since you are unable to launch the app. And after you have reinstalled it, the Steam compatibility mode error should be fixed.
What do I do if Steam games are not launching?
Most users are not likely to face any issue launching games on Steam, but if that happens, the issue is easily fixable.
You can try reinstalling the game that’s not launching, updating the Steam app and the OS, running the app as administrator, or updating DirectX on your computer.
We have a dedicated guide to fix it when Steam games are not launching, so do check it. Though it’s for Windows 10, the methods listed there should work just as well on the latest iteration as well.
That’s it! By the time you reach this part of the article, the Steam compatibility mode error should be long gone, and you can start playing your favorite games on the platform.
In case your games don’t run smoothly, check what to do if games lag or run slow on Steam.
Tell us which fix worked and your favorite game on Steam, in the comments section below.
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