There are some very common application installer issues developers run into due to UAC .  Most of the issues are easy to fix.  I’ll cover the most common issues in this post. Per Machine Installers Need Admin Privileges Unless you have a ClickOnce installer, your installer probably installs...

When a new OS is released, a high percentage of applications don’t install or don’t run because they check for a specific OS version. The application or installer checks for a specific version number and exits if it isn’t what is expected. I’ve heard claims of up to 50% of incompatibility...

In most cases, 32-bit applications execute with no issues on 64-bit thanks to WOW64 . However, there are a few cases that you may need to make modifications to your application in order for it to work on 64-bit. I’ll cover the common issues and possible solutions in this post. 64-bit OS Basics...

I had the opportunity to go to Berlin for TechEd Europe 2009 .  I delivered a presentation on Application Compatibility and the rest of the time I hung out in the “Test your app on Win 7” and “Win 7 Developer drop in center”. I got some great questions from attendees.  I thought I’d blog some...

If you have an existing application, you may be wondering if it’s going to work on Windows 7.  If it works on Vista, you have a good shot at it working on Windows 7. As a developer or a tester, you may be wondering if you have tested your application to uncover potential issues on the new OS. We...

I think there is always a nugget of information that inspires a blog. This is the idea that inspired my blog. By default, Windows Server 2008 has no server roles installed. This isn't intended to make you do more work (it's a feature). The goal is to be secure by default. After the OS installed, you...

When you work on a given subject for a while, you tend to jump right in and forget to start at the beginning. In the Application Compatibility lab, we kick off the week with an overview presentation and cover the basics of common compatibility issues. Those topics are probably a good place to start with...