Windows comes with a compatibility mode feature which allows the users to run programs made for older versions of Windows on newer versions of Windows. For example, if you have a program that was designed for Windows XP, and it is causing problems on Windows 11, then you can run it in the Windows XP compatibility mode.
We use the compatibility mode mainly for the older applications that would otherwise not run or if they run, they would crash after some time. This is why Microsoft also offers another feature within the compatibility mode that allows for the applications to restarts automatically if they become unresponsive, encounter a memory address problem, or end up dealing with errors for which the application has no mechanism.
Here is how we can make any application to be restarted automatically in the event of an application crash:
- Right-click on the application binary (EXE) and choose Properties from the right-click context-menu.
- In the properties window, select the Compatibility tab.
- Under the Settings section, select the checkbox labeled Register the program for restart.
- Click on the OK button to save the settings and close the Properties window.
This setting is useful when you are running a program that was designed for very old versions of Windows like Windows 95 or Windows 98. These old application used a much more liberal approach to the memory access on the stack. They often end up showing memory access violations or unhandled exceptions when run on newer versions of Windows like Windows 10 or Windows 11.
According to the Microsoft documentation, the feature works only when the said application has been running for at least 60 seconds. If it has been closed before 60 seconds are complete, then the application will not restart. If the application crashes after it has been running for more than 60 seconds, then you can see it launched by Windows again.