How to troubleshoot issues that may prevent a program from being installed correctly on a Windows Vista-based computer

This article describes how to troubleshoot issues that may prevent a program from being installed correctly on a Windows Vista-based computer.

If a program cannot be installed correctly, the steps that you must take to troubleshoot this problem depend on how the installation has failed.

The installation is stopped by the Program Compatibility Assistant

If the program installation is stopped or blocked by the Program Compatibility Assistant, Microsoft has already determined that the program will not work correctly with Windows Vista. The Program Compatibility Assistant may generate either a "soft block" or a "hard block."

A hard block occurs if the Program Compatibility Assistant identifies an issue with the program that would leave Windows Vista in a damaged state if the Setup program were allowed to continue. When a hard block occurs, the Setup program cannot continue. For information about the next steps to take to troubleshoot this problem, click Check for solutions.

A soft block occurs if there is a known issue with the software when it is running with Windows Vista. When a soft block occurs, you are notified that the program may not work as expected with Windows Vista. You can click Run Program to continue the Setup program. However, the program will probably not function correctly when the Setup program is finished. To obtain information about the next steps to take to troubleshoot this problem, click Check for solutions.

If you receive a warning from the Program Compatibility Assistant about the program, we recommend that you contact the Independent Software Vendor (ISV) to determine whether the ISV has either an update or an upgrade for the program that will make it compatible with Windows Vista.

The Setup program cannot install the program

If the Setup program cannot install the program successfully, follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue.

Step 1: Run the program installer in compatibility mode

A program may not be installed if the program installer cannot detect a supported version of Microsoft Windows. For example, if the program installer supports Microsoft Windows XP, the program installer may not run with Windows Vista. If this behavior occurs, you may be able to run the program installer in compatibility mode. For example, configure the program installer to run in compatability mode with Windows XP. When the program installer is run in compatibility mode, Windows Vista reports to the program installer that it is actually the operating system that you have selected. For example, Windows Vista can report to the program installer that it is Windows XP so that the program installer will run. To run the installer in compatibility mode, follow these steps:

1. Locate the Setup program that will be used to install the program.
2. Right-click the Setup program, and then click Properties.
3. On the Compatibility tab, click to select the Run this program in compatibility mode for check box.
4. In the list, select the operating system that the program ran on previously, and then click OK. If you are unsure with which version of Windows the program previously worked, you can start by selecting the option for Windows XP Service Pack 2.
5. Try to install the program.

If the program is still not installed, go to step 2.

Step 2: Run the program installer as an administrator

To run the program as an administrator, follow these steps:

1. Locate the Setup program that will be used to install the program.
2. Right-click the Setup program, and then click Run as administrator.
3. Try to install the program.

If this problem still occurs, the program installer may be incompatible with Windows Vista. In this case, contact the ISV for support.

For information about your hardware manufacturer, visit the following Web site: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

For more information about Windows Vista and program-compatibility issues, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: