How to Run Old Programs on Windows 10 [Full Guide]

Can I run old programs on Windows 10?

"I have an old licensed design program that is from/for Windows 98...is it possible to run this on my current Windows 10 version in some way ? If not what are my options or possibilities (if any) to use this program in today's PC world? Thanks!"

These days, people find that applications designed for Windows XP and older system are struggling on modern PC. For example, if you upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10, you most likely find you cannot run old programs on Windows 10.

Why can't old programs run on Windows 10?

The reason why you fail to run old dos programs on Windows 10 depends on many factors. Here, we list the main reasons for the failure of Windows 10 running old software.

Dependencies on old software versions: Some old programs rely on old libraries that are no longer provided in the installation of Windows 10.

16-bit software: The built-in compatibility layer needed by 16-bit applications is not contained by 64-bit versions of Windows.

DOS software: Windows 10, like all versions of Windows since Windows XP, doesn't run on top of DOS anymore. Some DOS programs still work, but most of them, especially games, simply stop running.

DRM: The shortage or deprecation of DRM solutions is another issue faced by old Windows programs.

But is there no hope to run old programs on Windows 10 and higher editions at all? Luckily, there are quite a few methods to get old software run on the new Windows systems. Keep reading.

How to run old programs on Windows 10 (3 ways)

In this part, we will share three useful and practical methods to make your old programs operate on Windows 10. Let’s check out how to get old programs to run on Windows 10.

Way 1. Run as Administrator

If you wish to run a Windows XP program, you can make it available on Windows 10 when running as administrator. This is because the majority of Windows XP users typically used their PC with an Administrator account while Windows 10 users do not. Thus, running old programs as administrator can mostly fix the issue.

And the steps are very easy, just right-click the old application, whether its shortcuts or .exe file, and select "Run as Administrator".

Way 2. Use Windows 10 compatibility mode

How to run old programs on Windows 10? Windows 10 compatibility mode is a good option to help your old programs run on the current system. It works by allowing the old applications to perform as if they were on the old version of the Windows operating system. It also offers a lot of options for display colors and resolutions, which gives you the best experience when operating older programs.

Step 1. Navigate to the desktop shortcut of your program or its .exe file, right-click it to bring up a menu, and click on "Properties".

Step 2. Go to the Compatibility tab on the upper side of the window and find the "Compatibility Mode" section.

Step 3. Tick "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select from the drop-down menu which OS you want to run this program.

Step 4. Click on "Apply" and "OK" to save the changes.

If you need to change compatibility settings like color mode, resolutions, etc. You can click “Settings” under “Compatibility mode”.

Way 3. Install unsigned drivers

The 64-bit and 32-bit (with UEFI boot mode) versions of Windows 10 use driver signature enforcement that requires all drives have a valid signature before they can be installed. Enforcing signed drivers helps with the security and stability of the system, keeping malicious or unstable drivers away.

In some cases, your old programs won't use the newest drivers. That's why Windows stops the program to be installed or run. However, you can disable driver signature enforcement to run old programs on Windows 10. Please note that this step will let your system become vulnerable afterward. But don't worry, disabling the enforcement is not permanent, it will be enabled the next time you reboot Windows 10.

Step 1. Click Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, and select Restart now under Advanced Startup.

Step 2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.

Step 3. Select 7 or press F7 to activate the "Disable driver signature enforcement" option. Press Enter to boot your system. You're now free to install your unsigned drivers.

Workaround: Create a "Portable" old OS environment to run old programs

Apart from the above three methods, there is another effective way to help you run old programs on Windows 10. That is to create a portable old OS environment. For instance, if you are long for operating a Windows 7 program, you can install Windows 7 on a removable USB drive. Then, plug the Win 7 bootable USB into your Windows 10 computer and boot from it, you can enter Windows 7 system and run the program flawlessly.

The satisfying point is that you can get two systems at the same time and they are independent of each other. Besides, you can carry this portable old OS environment with you and run old programs on any device anytime and anywhere.

To create a potable old OS disk, you can employ AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, a free yet powerful disk manager for Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7/XP/Vista systems. It brings a practical feature named "Windows To Go Creator" that enables you to deploy a full old system environment with ease.

▶ Before you do:

1. Prepare a 13 GB or larger USB drive. If there is important data on USB, please back up in advance because it will be erased completely.
2. Not only a USB 3.0 drive but also a computer with a USB 3.0 port is recommended due to a faster read and write speed.
3. Download Windows 8, 7, XP, and Vista ISO installation file from Microsoft official website (Depending on what programs you want to run).
4. Download AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard on your Windows 10 computer.

▶ Stepwise tutorial:

Step 1. Connect the prepared USB with your Win 10 PC, launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, click “Tools” in the top toolbar, and choose “Windows To Go Creator”.

Step 3. Choose the first option "Create Windows To Go with system disc/ISO" and click "Next" to continue.

Tip: If you want to boot Windows from USB on Mac computer, you can choose the second option.

Step 3. Click the folder icon to select ISO manually and click "Next".

Step 4. Choose the prepared USB drive to install Windows To Go and click "Proceed".

Step 5. Finally, click "Yes" to start the creation.

After that, you can reboot your PC and enter the BIOS settings to change the boot order so that you can boot from the portable old PC USB drive. When you enter the old Windows system, you can get the program from the Internet and begin to run it.

Conclusion

Windows 10 is not always compatible with all programs, particularly those Windows 7, 8, XP, and Vista programs. So, you may seek modern workarounds for old programs. Luckily, one of the several methods we described above will let you run old programs on Windows 10, just give them a try!

With AOMEI Partition Assistant, you can perform old programs not only on your Windows PC but even on your Mac PC. In addition to Windows To Go feature, this tool can also convert MBR to GPT without deleting partitions, clone HDD to SSD, wipe hard drive, move apps/folders to a different drive, and more.