Platform Application Compatibility

Microsoft Professional Advisory Services is a support option that provides short-term, proactive, consultative support beyond break-fix product maintenance needs. This includes working with the same technician for assistance with issues like product migration, code review, or new program development and is a remote, phone-based support option. This service is typically used for shorter engagements, and is designed for developers and IT professionals who do not require the traditional onsite consulting or sustained account management services that are available from other Microsoft support options.

For additional information on Microsoft Advisory Services, including on how to engage, refer to this Microsoft web page:

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/AdvisoryService (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/AdvisoryService)

The third-party application you try to install does not behave as expected on a system running Window Vista or Windows 7. Microsoft engineers will use this Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) to remediate.

Each Advisory Services engagement will begin with some questions designed to scope the project and determine your exact needs. For this scenario, the scoping questions include:

1. What application(s) do you need compatibility assistance with?
   1. Is the application 16, 32 or 64bit?
   2. Does the application utilize one .exe file or multiple .exe files?
   3. Is this a client-server application?
2. Are you engaging Microsoft for interactive assistance with a support engineer or are you explicitly looking for Microsoft to provide general documentation on best practices?
3. What operating systems are you migrating to and from?
4. What compatibility issues have been observed?
   1. Is the application performing poorly?
   2. Does the application experience installation issues?
   3. Does the application return unexpected results?
   4. Is the application hanging or crashing?
   5. Are the error messages?

As part of the Microsoft Advisory Services engagement for this scenario, Microsoft Support Engineers will use one or more of the following options to gather information and provide remediation:

Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)

The third-party application you try to install does not behave as expected on a system running Window Vista or Windows 7. Microsoft engineers will use this Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) to remediate

Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool

The Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool (IECTT) collects your Web-based issues from Windows Internet Explorer 7 and from Windows Internet Explorer 8. IECTT uploads the data to the ACT Log Processing Service, and shows your results in real time. The results include the following:

• Details about discovered compatibility issues
• Links to more information about each compatibility issue

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Setup Analysis Tool

The Setup Analysis Tool (SAT) automates the running of application installations while monitoring the actions taken by each application’s installer. The standalone version of SAT can monitor any Windows installers and third-party installers. However, the Virtual SAT tool can only monitor Windows installers and third-party installers that run unattended.
The SAT detects the following potential issues:

• Installation of kernel mode drivers
• Installation of 16-bit components
• Installation of Graphical Identification and Authentication (GINA) DLLs
• Modification of files or registry keys that exist under Windows Resource Protection

Compatibility Administrator Tool
The Compatibility Administrator tool enables you to resolve many of your potential application-compatibility issues before deploying a new version of Windows to your organization. This tool helps your deployment in these ways:

• Providing individual compatibility fixes, compatibility modes, and AppHelp messages that you can use to resolve specific compatibility issues.
• Enabling you to create customized compatibility fixes, compatibility modes, AppHelp messages, and compatibility databases.
• Providing a query tool that enables you to search for installed fixes on your local computers.

Standard User Analyzer Tool and Standard User Analyzer Wizard
The Standard User Analyzer (SUA) tool and the Standard User Analyzer Wizard (SUA Wizard) tool enable you to test your applications and to monitor API calls in order to detect potential compatibility issues due to the User Account Control (UAC) feature in the Windows 7 operating system.

Below is a list of self-help resources or this scenario. These resources may also be used by Microsoft Support Engineers during an Advisory Services engagement.

ACT 5 Step by Step Guides

These guides provide detailed instructions on Configuration and Troubleshooting, Collecting Data, Analyzing Issues, Testing and Mitigating Issues and an overview of the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0 for Windows Vista.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bc931bfd-d279-4060-b370-08fa52f97a8d&DisplayLang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bc931bfd-d279-4060-b370-08fa52f97a8d&DisplayLang=en)

Be ready for Windows 7: Application Compatibility Video demo

Video demonstrations on how you can prepare for Windows 7
http://edge.technet.com/Media/Be-ready-for-Windows-7-Application-Compatibility/ (http://edge.technet.com/Media/Be-ready-for-Windows-7-Application-Compatibility/)

Application Compatibility and User Account Control

Get tools and resources to reduce the time, cost, and complexity of addressing application compatibility:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/aa905066.aspx (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/aa905066.aspx)

TechNet Webcast: Application Compatibility Toolkit (Level 300)

In this webcast, we provide an introduction to the major sources of application compatibility issues in the Windows Vista operating system, and show you how the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) can be used by enterprise customers to migrate applications to the new operating system. We cover the phases of the application migration process and include a demonstration of the ACT tools and features. Beyond migrating to a new operating system, ACT also helps enterprises assess the impact of Windows updates.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032374428&EventCategory=5&culture=en-us&CountryCode=US (http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032374428&EventCategory=5&culture=en-us&CountryCode=US)

Inside the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.5

The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) helps you manage the process to determine whether your applications are compatible with a new version of Windows before you deploy them. It can also help you determine how an operating system update will impact these applications. There have been a number of articles and white papers written on how to use the ACT 5.5. What we want to do in this article is go under the hood and explore how each of the tools in this toolkit works.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd797545.aspx (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd797545.aspx)

Windows 7 Application Quality Cookbook - Compatibility -Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)

The Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.5 is a lifecycle management tool that assists in identifying and managing your overall application portfolio, reducing the cost and time involved in resolving application compatibility issues, and helping you quickly deploy Windows Vista and Windows updates.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd562082(vs.85).aspx (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd562082(vs.85).aspx)

Windows Vista Compatibility Center

Wondering if your favorite stuff works with Windows Vista? Here's where you can find out if it already does or if you just need a software upgrade or a new driver. You'll get details on thousands of software programs and devices and benefit from users' feedback.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/ (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/)

Windows 7 Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.5: Interview with Jeremy Chapman

A big component of any operating system deployment project is knowing what applications, hardware and devices your users have and whether they will work on the new OS. With Windows 7 approaching fast, Windows Senior Community Manager Stephen Rose sat down with Jeremy again and discussed the latest with the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.5.
http://blogs.technet.com/springboard/archive/2009/04/03/windows-7-application-compatibility-toolkit-5-5-interview-with-Jeremy-Chapman.aspx (http://blogs.technet.com/springboard/archive/2009/04/03/windows-7-application-compatibility-toolkit-5-5-interview-with-Jeremy-Chapman.aspx)

Large 2 day training for Download Vista Application Compatibility Training (Must be Connect.Microsoft.com member):
https://connect.microsoft.com/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?SiteID=364&DownloadID=8073 (https://connect.microsoft.com/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?SiteID=364&DownloadID=8073)