The error “The version of this file is incompatible with the version of Windows you are using” may appear when launching an application or installer. Often this message appears after a user has migrated from an old version of Windows to the “10” version. In today’s article we will tell you about the causes of this error and how you can get rid of it as soon as possible.
Why is it “the version of this file is incompatible …”?
After a brief investigation of this problem, we came to the conclusion that the error “the version of this file is incompatible …” occurs due to the lack of compatibility of the application being launched and the version of Windows. The application is either too old for the system on which it runs, or, conversely, the system is outdated and can no longer work with the application. This situation is solved using the compatibility mode.
Solution: Using Compatibility Mode
To get rid of the error “the version of this file is incompatible …”, you need to do the following:
- go to the directory where the executable file of the application being launched is located;
- right-click on the .exe file and select “Properties”;
- go to the “Compatibility” tab;
- click on the Run Compatibility Troubleshooter button;
- wait until the tool finishes working and click on the “Use recommended parameters” button;
- click on the button “Check the program …”;
- if the application has started, click “Yes, save these parameters for the program”;
- if the application does not start, then click “No, use other parameters”;
- follow the instructions in the window until the application starts without error.
The note: if you are using a 32-bit operating system and try to run / install a 64-bit application, then you will fail. To run / install 64-bit applications, you must have 64-bit Windows.
We hope this article was helpful in resolving the “version of this file is incompatible …” error.