How to Determine if a Computer Program should be Compatible with your Laptop or Desktop

It is often hard to be sure that a computer program will operate on your laptop or desktop pc. And then decide if it will just run at a slow speed or perform at full speed as its software writer intended.

Although most computers run Windows there are various versions of Windows and widely differing hardware configurations. These variations mean that software often does not operate correctly. In this article I will give advice on how to decide if a program is likely to operate correctly.

Software considerations

Check which version of Windows is required to run the software. Some programs run on most versions of Windows, however others require a specific version of Windows. Even then you may still need to upgrade the Windows with a specific service pack or extra Windows features. Windows update should allow you to load the latest service packs etc to be compatible with the software, however, if you need to upgrade your Windows version this will prove expensive.

Hardware considerations

Most software products indicate a minimum specification and preferred specification regarding hardware configuration. If you run a program on a computer that only meets the minimum requirement then it will probably run but may be slow or almost unusable. If your computer meets or exceeds the preferred hardware requirement then it should operate perfectly without hesitation or glitches.
1 The CPU speed is usually specified in GHz, it may be single, dual or quod core. Sometimes the manufacture’s name is specified. Generally, the faster the CPU and the more cores the better the software will perform. It is sometimes possible to operate a program where the CPU speed is below the minimum specified especially if the computer has lots of RAM but the performance is likely to be disappointing.
2 The RAM capacity is usually specified in Mb or Gb. RAM is very important regarding program speed, generally as a program runs out of free memory it starts to use the swap file of the hard drive for temporary storage which will slow the program execution as the hard drive is slower than the RAM. It is unlikely that a program will operate with less than the minimum RAM but will be slow.
3 Free space on the hard drive is usually specified in Gb. This is where the program is installed and is the source of a swap file. It would be unwise to try to use a program where the hard drive capacity is below that specified. Generally it is a good idea to always have plenty of free space on your hard drive to allow for a swap file to be created.
4 Graphics chip type and graphics memory are especially important for programs that make heavy use of graphics. Most programs benefit from the recommended graphics card and graphics RAM configuration. This usually allows smooth, high quality graphics, especially where games are to be played.
5 Sound is required for most programs and some require specific sound card types, so this must be checked although most software will operate without sound.
6 Miscellaneous hardware is required by some programs. They may require specific input devices such as a joystick, security dongle, special port etc, so this should always be considered for specialised programs.

Very often a program may be installed on a computer which meets or exceeds the requirements of the software only to find it does not operate correctly. This may occur due to programming errors or the author not allowing for a particular configuration of hardware. To correct this most software authors provide ‘patch’ files from their web site. It is always worth locating and installing a ‘patch’ file where available. Sometimes a faulty hardware component on a laptop or desktop pc can prevent a program from running in which case a laptop repair or desktop repair may be required.