Troubleshooting Windows Compatibility Evaluator (WCE) Issues

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Vista

The new version of the Windows® operating system might introduce compatibility issues for some applications due to changes in Graphical Identification and Authentication (GINA), Session 0, or deprecated functionality. This section provides an overview of the specific features that the Windows Compatibility Evaluator (WCE) can test for and identify the recommended ways to address the issues.

Fixing the Application

Fixing the application by changing the code itself is most often the recommended way to address a compatibility issue uncovered by the WCE. Although this option might involve higher initial costs or additional development time to deploy, this fix has the advantage of permanently solving the problem, and it results in no long-term maintenance or ongoing operational costs. After you change the code to eliminate the issue, all of your users will be able to use the application without experiencing a WCE issue. However, if you do not have access to the code or if your time and resources do not permit taking advantage of this option, an alternative fix is to deploy a workaround.

Deploying a Workaround

A workaround involves applying alternative registry settings to address a compatibility issue. Although deploying a workaround might seem quicker and easier than rewriting the code, this option does involve some long-term maintenance requirements. For example, you must ensure that all new users have the correct set of features disabled on their workstations to avoid experiencing issues with the application. A workaround is also a less preferable option because it might result in a reduction in security for that particular issue. However, a workaround might still be more preferable than going without the overall security enhancement that you receive by deploying a newer version of the operating system. You might consider changing registry settings as a good short-term solution while the long-term solution of changing the application code is in development.

In This Section

See Also

Concepts

Troubleshooting ACT
Windows Compatibility Evaluator (WCE) Technical Reference