Microsoft Application Compatibility Analyzer

Related Links • Application Compatibility Analyzer Frequently Asked Questions Download Application Compatibility Analyzer setup.exe 6.72 MB

Available as either a separate download or as part of the Application Compatibility Toolkit, the Microsoft Application Compatibility Analyzer makes it much easier for you to gather an inventory of all the applications running on your network, and then analyze that list for compatibility with the Windows operating system you are deploying. By helping you identify and prioritize the applications running in your organization, the Application Compatibility Analyzer helps reduce the hours required for application testing.

The Application Compatibility Analyzer is a two-part tool that first uses a Collector tool to gather application data from client computers into a central database that you can review and update using the Analyzer tool. You can check the entries against an online compatibility database maintained by Microsoft. This database is continuously updated with compatibility testing results for all of the applications that have undergone testing.

The Microsoft compatibility database also cross-references compatibility information in the Windows Catalog to provide dynamic links to the latest support information from application vendors. Because the data is continuously updated, please check back frequently for the latest information.

On This Page

	Tool Overview
	Supported Operating Systems
	Support Options for the Analyzer

Tool Overview

The Microsoft Application Compatibility Analyzer consists of two separate pieces:

The Collector tool gathers a list of applications present on a computer and logs the data in an XML file to be used by the Analyzer tool. It is a command-line tool that you can distribute through a variety of methods, including: as a logon script, by running from a floppy disk or network share, or in conjunction with a software management system. The Collector tool will identify every application on each targeted computer (and on mapped network drives if that option is specified).

The Analyzer provides a graphical interface to the list of application data, and lets you compare the information with application compatibility data stored in an online compatibility database at Microsoft.

Information in the Microsoft database has been provided by data from the Windows Catalog, and from Microsoft internal testing. If your internal application testing returns results for applications that do not have an entry in the Windows Catalog, you can modify your own private compatibility database to reflect those results.

The end product of the Application Compatibility Analyzer is a local database containing a list of every installed application in your enterprise and the compatibility results for those applications. These results can significantly reduce the amount of time required to create an inventory and prioritize your mission-critical applications for compatibility testing with Windows.

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Supported Operating Systems

The Collector tool (client-side) application can be run on the following platforms:

The Analyzer tool application is supported on the following platforms:

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Support Options for the Analyzer

Microsoft Help and Support site provides product support for the Microsoft Application Compatibility Analyzer.

To send feedback or questions regarding the Application Compatibility Analyzer that cannot be answered through Microsoft Help and Support, please send e-mail to aeassist@microsoft.com.

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