INTRODUCTION

The Windows Application Compatibility Update is a software update that improves the compatibility experience in the following Microsoft Windows operating systems:

• Windows Vista
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows 7
• Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft regularly releases application compatibility updates for these Windows operating systems.
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MORE INFORMATION

The kinds of problems that are resolved by application compatibility updates

When you try to install and run certain legacy games or applications in Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2), in Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2), in Windows 7, and in Windows Server 2008 R2, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• The game, the application, or the firmware is installed incorrectly.
• The game, the application, or the firmware causes system instability.
• The primary functions of the game, of the application, or of the firmware do not work correctly.

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Applications that experience a change in behavior after you install this update

The following table lists the applications that were added to the cumulative update package. This table also describes the behavior of these applications after you install the update.

Application compatibility updates trigger several changes in Windows Vista SP2, in Windows Server 2008 SP2, in Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2. The following are the three most common:

• Hard block
  
  The update puts a hard block on the application. A hard block prevents an application that is incompatible with Windows 7 and with Windows Server 2008 from running on the system.
  
  Note Microsoft enables Windows to put a hard block on a non-Microsoft application only if the manufacturer of the application gives its consent.
• Soft block
  
  The update puts a soft block on the application. A soft block notifies you when an application that is incompatible with Windows 7 starts to run.
• Update
  
  The update improves the application's functionality in Windows Vista SP2, in Windows Server 2008 SP2, in Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

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Applications that are included in the February 2010 update

For Windows 7 or for Windows Server 2008 R2

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For Windows Vista SP2 or for Windows Server 2008 SP2

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Update information

You can install this update from Windows Update or from the Microsoft Download Center.

Windows Update

To immediately install this update, click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Update. In the navigation pane, click Check for updates, and then follow the steps to install all recommended updates.

Microsoft Download Center

The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
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Operating system	Update
All supported x86-based versions of Windows Vista	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=359f60ba-c901-4fbf-9273-142877eb2083)
All supported x64-based versions of Windows Vista	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4ccd1f1c-4b50-46b7-ba05-b5b7e442dfee)
All supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=bd73f6d6-f7c5-42ab-89e5-f3ea27364b1b)
All supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3ec6b3c8-b47b-4e91-8bf7-b36d95643412)
All supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=36ec682b-f59c-49ba-95e9-d9abc15d3ea0)
All supported x86-based versions of Windows 7	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=8afc3bc9-48e8-4657-95cb-6deae98f85c4)
All supported x64-based versions of Windows 7	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=d200161e-c7bc-4bd9-8593-20d068e0ceeb)
All supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4383500b-204e-4f29-8411-7e9a2e56d57c)
All supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2	Collapse this image Expand this image Download the update package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=82b368b8-4080-4f38-8080-c489172c3508)

For more information about how to download Microsoft support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 119591 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/119591/ ) How to obtain Microsoft support files from online services Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must be running one of the following operating systems:

• Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows 7
• Windows Server 2008 R2

For more information about how to obtain a Windows Vista service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 935791 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935791/ ) How to obtain the latest Windows Vista service pack For more information about how to obtain a Windows Server 2008 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 968849 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968849/ ) How to obtain the latest service pack for Windows Server 2008

Registry information

To use the hotfix in this package, you do not have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Update replacement information

The update in this article supersedes the updates that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

929427 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929427/ ) The Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update 932246 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932246/ ) March 2007 Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update 935280 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935280/ ) July 2007 Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update 943302 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943302/ ) December 2007 Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update 947562 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947562/ ) May 2008 Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Application Compatibility Update 954366 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954366/ ) The August 2008 Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Application Compatibility Update is available 957388 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957388/ ) December 2008 Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Application Compatibility Update

File information

The global version of this hotfix installs files that have the attributes that are listed in the following tables. The dates and the times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The dates and the times for these files on your local computer are displayed in your local time together with your current daylight saving time (DST) bias. Additionally, the dates and the times may change when you perform certain operations on the files.

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 file information notes

Important Windows Vista hotfixes and Windows Server 2008 hotfixes are included in the same packages. However, only "Windows Vista" is listed on the Hotfix Request page. To request the hotfix package that applies to one or both operating systems, select the hotfix that is listed under "Windows Vista" on the page. Always refer to the "Applies To" section in articles to determine the actual operating system that each hotfix applies to.

• The files that apply to a specific product, SR_Level (RTM, SP n), and service branch (LDR, GDR) can be identified by examining the file version numbers as shown in the following table. Collapse this table Expand this table

  Version	Product	SR_Level	Service branch
  6.0.600 2 . 22 xxx	Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008	SP2	LDR, GDR

• Service Pack 1 is integrated into the release version of Windows Server 2008. Therefore, RTM milestone files apply only to Windows Vista. RTM milestone files have a 6.0.0000. xxxxxx version number.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

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For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

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For all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008

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Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 file information notes

Important Windows 7 hotfixes and Windows Server 2008 R2 hotfixes are included in the same packages. However, hotfixes on the Hotfix Request page are listed under both operating systems. To request the hotfix package that applies to one or both operating systems, select the hotfix that is listed under "Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2" on the page. Always refer to the "Applies To" section in articles to determine the actual operating system that each hotfix applies to.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows 7

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For all supported x64-based versions of Windows 7 and of Windows Server 2008 R2

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For all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2

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For more information about Shims, visit the following Web site: Understanding Shims (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd837644(WS.10).aspx) For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 824684 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824684/ ) Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates
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APPLIES TO

• Windows Vista Business
• Windows Vista Enterprise
• Windows Vista Home Basic
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Windows Vista Ultimate
• Windows Vista Business 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition
• Windows Server 2008 Standard
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems
• Windows 7 Enterprise
• Windows 7 Home Basic
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Windows 7 Professional
• Windows 7 Ultimate
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter

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Article ID:
976264

Last Review:
March 10, 2010 - Revision: 2.2