Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit

The Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT), developed by Microsoft, is an invaluable tool for understanding and navigating application compatibility issues. The latest version, 20.0.0713, comes packed with features to help users assess the compatibility of applications with various Windows XP, XP Professional, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11 operating systems.

Key components of this toolkit include various executable files: ACM.exe, APCOMPAT.EXE, appverif.exe, Compatadmin.exe, and testtool.exe. These files collectively help in identifying which applications are compatible and prioritizing applications for quick deployment of Windows.

The program supports the ".adq" extension and has a modest file size of just 2.1 MB. Users have the added benefit of participating in the ACT Community for sharing risk assessments and collaborating on compatibility issues. Besides, it is a free download from Microsoft, making it very accessible for users looking for system utilities under the benchmark subcategory.

Beyond the current version, older versions such as 20.0, 5.6, and 5.5 are also available. Users searching for "verify an application's compatibility with a new version of Windows" or "test web applications and web sites for compatibility" will find this toolkit particularly useful.

Pros:

• Strong support for a wide range of Windows operating systems.
• Built-in community feature for sharing insights.
• Focuses on application prioritization for efficient Windows deployment.
• It's completely free to download.

Cons:

• Requires Microsoft .NET Framework, version 3.5.
• Supported database components are limited to older SQL Server versions (2005, 2008).

By addressing compatibility efficiently, the Microsoft Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit strengthens the reliability and deployment speed of Windows applications.

You may want to check out more software, such as Microsoft Visio Compatibility Pack, Microsoft Interop Forms Toolkit or Microsoft Windows Performance Toolkit, which might be related to Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit.