I just installed windows 8 over windows 7 and I am having trouble getting my old apps to work. Help please?

Question

Hello. I just did an install of windows 8 on my computer, and Im having trouble getting my apps from windows 7 to work. You see, I got this OS from MSDNAA since I am a student at Keene State College in the computer science major, and I just installed it today. The programs are Kaspersky 2012, a bunch of programming ones including eclipse 4.2 classic, Visual Studio Pro 2012, Microsoft Office Suite, Remote Desktop Connection, and many others. The ones I just listed are in the windows.old folder, and I did the advanced option for installation. Whenever I double click on them, they just sit there and do nothing. I know how to do environment variables, but I do not know how to get these programs to work. Can I have some help with my problem please?

Answer 1

You probably need to reinstall your programs from an original disk. In the case

of Remote Desktop Connection, you need to set it up on your new installation of Windows 8.



If you did not install the operating system as an upgrade, then windows 8 simply installed the OS

and did not connect your old programs to the new Windows 8 operating environment. You need to

use each of these programs installation programs to get them set up to work on the new operating

system. IF it is possible, you could try to remove your windows 8, rename windows.old to windows

then use your WINDOWS 7 disk to repair windows 7, or better yet, restore windows 7 from a

backup. { If you don't have a backup, you now know why you computer teacher says BACKUP,BACKUP, BACKUP! until you get tired of hearing it.



Then, once you have windows 7 up and running properly, you can try to install windows 8 as an upgrade.



You may find that Windows 7 is actually better. Windows 8 removed that START BUTTON and

replaced it with the "Metro" interface where you have to click on a desktop ICON to get the ordinary desktop {minus the start button} you were used to in Vista and 7.

Answer 2

You should have checked before itself if the programs were compatible with Windows 8 or not.

Find out the compatible versions of programs for Windows 8. You will some upgrades for sure.

For programs which ain't upgradable, find other programs which do similar tasks as the ones which ain't working in Windows 8. Install similar programs but ensure this time around that newly installed programs are compatible or not.

Answer 3

Despite Microsoft's best efforts the upgrade install of Windows 8 Pro still causes some computers problems.



My advice is to backup your personal files, copy down any product keys, then do a clean install of Windows 8.



After installing run Windows Update, install any missing drivers, then reinstall your programs and restore your personal files from your backup.



- Dominic

Answer 4

You should have made sure all of your programs were compatible with Windows 8 BEFORE you updated. Right now, what you need to do is go to each of your programs' manufacturer websites and see if there is a Win 8 driver update that you can install to make your program work on Win 8. If not, you'll have to buy an updated version of the software program (if there even is one available) and install it. Otherwise, you're out of luck. This is one of the problems with operating system updates. Sometimes software manufacturers will release driver updates to make their software run on the new operating system. But sometimes they won't update old versions and instead will release brand new versions that you have to buy...it's how they make money. Good luck.

Answer 5

They are called programs, not apps