Force an app to be "compatible" with windows 8

1

there are a lot of programs that check upon running if you are running the right version of windows (specifically for me the uninstall program for my Brother Printer software).

Having windows 8 the installer tells me it will not run because I have the wrong version of windows. However the software installed just fine and runs just fine so it should in theory just be able to uninstall.

Compatibility mode set to Windows 7 does not do the trick.

Is there a way to tell the installer that I am using windows 7?

Thanks for your ideas and suggestions guys :).

EDIT: This is the specific error code: IS015- GetOsVersion - 1

cmplieger

Posted 2012-10-25T12:32:32.197

Reputation: 698

1

Do you get a specific error message? And what model printer exactly. Maybe there are compatible drivers you could install over the top, then uninstall. Maybe you could try something like this: http://drivers.softpedia.com/get/Other-DRIVERS-TOOLS/Brother/Brother-MFC-8710DW-Printer-Uninstall-Tool-10100.shtml

– George Duckett – 2012-10-25T12:34:02.070

@GeorgeDuckett Added the error to the post. Also unfortunately that is not for my printer and just remove the drivers not the software. – cmplieger – 2012-10-25T12:47:45.500

If it uses an MSI for install or uninstall, you could possibly use ORCA the MSI editor to remove the check, though the tool is no longer supported and may not work with the latest msi files. – Graham Wager – 2012-10-25T13:28:47.193

@GrahamWager nope no .MSI, only setup.exe :( – cmplieger – 2012-10-25T13:37:45.423

Some installers may have a --force type option available from the command line – Earlz – 2012-10-25T15:06:40.590

Answers

6

Chances are good that what is happening is that you are setting the compatibility mode for the wrong thing. In the old days, installers were a single, simple executable file that runs to install and/or uninstall the software, but these days, installers are elaborate frameworks (e.g., Windows Installer, InstallShield, etc.) As such, what might be happening is that the uninstall executable you set the compatibility mode for may be running another file somewhere else which is causing the problem.

What you need to do is to find out the actual executable that is giving you the wrong OS error and set that file’s compatibility mode. This may or may not be easy depending on what installer method is being used.

For starters, let’s assume a simple exe⇨exe architecture:

  1. Re-run the uninstaller
  2. When you are confronted with the error, bring up the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shfit+Esc)
  3. Switch to the Applications tab
  4. Locate the installer in the list
  5. Right-click it and select Go To Process

    (What file is being indicated? Hopefully it is a specific file as opposed to msiexec.exe because that would make it a harder to fix/hack.)

  6. Right-click the process name and select Properties
  7. Set the compatibility settings in the Compatibility tab
  8. Re-run the unisntaller

If you do not see the uninstaller’s window in the Applications tab, then you will need another tool like Process Explorer to find out the executable file giving the error (on the bright side, ProcExp makes it easy to see the chain of processes by showing them in a tree).

If it turns out that the program in question is using Windows Installer, then you will need to modify its .msi file to edit the OS dependency. Microsoft’s tool Orca is useful for this.

Synetech

Posted 2012-10-25T12:32:32.197

Reputation: 63 242

it only references setup.exe unfortunately... there aren't any other executable files around. Even running it without any arguments (uninstall instructions) does not get it to run... – cmplieger – 2012-10-26T00:46:59.093

I'll have to wait for an update I guess... Anyway, thanks for your ideas! – cmplieger – 2012-10-26T00:47:38.580

What references setup.exe? Which setup.exe? Are you sure setup.exe isn’t launching another file? – Synetech – 2012-10-26T02:08:41.073

I launch setup manually. No other files are executed or referenced – cmplieger – 2012-10-26T06:24:38.463

> I launch setup manually.   You mean you navigate to the folder and double-click setup.exe? Then that may be your problem; the uninstaller may not work like that and require command-line arguments or shared-memory variables or something. – Synetech – 2012-10-26T18:06:46.350

I know, "unninstall" in the start menu adds arguments but in both cases the problem remains the same. – cmplieger – 2012-10-26T22:17:14.310

Asked: 2012-10-25T12:32:32.197

Viewed: 8 579 times

Active: 2013-11-26T09:27:45.763