This app can’t run on your PC

Windows 10 is quite different from all previous versions of Microsoft operating systems. Many of the differences are obvious, and they are visible to any user, but some are hidden “under the hood”, so one is normally facing them in quite unexpected situations. One of the problems that Windows 10 user may encounter when trying to run an application is “This app can’t run on your PC” error. Operating system is not offering any tools to fix this problem, allowing only closing the error and informing that “To find a version for your PC, check with the software publisher”. In this article, we will tell you where this error comes from and what can be done to fix it.

Table of contents:
1. This app can’t run on your PC: reasons  
2. What can you do if it is not possible to run the app on a PC

THIS APP CAN’T RUN ON YOUR PC: REASONS

The reasons for the Windows 10 error in question to appear are not that much. Here are the main ones:

• The program is created for a 64-bit version of the operating system, and the computer uses a 32-bit system;
• The application was created for the old version of Windows, for example, for Windows XP or Vista.

These are the most common causes that are leading to this problem. But it is not necessary to reinstall Windows or to search for an analogue of the program for Windows 10, if this kind of error occurs. Most often, you can fix the problem with the regular means of the system.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO RUN THE APP ON A PC

The first thing that is recommended to do when such an error occurs is to visit the official website of the application developer. If the program is up-to-date and is supported by the creator, the official website will provide you with a new version of the application, so you can just simply download it to your computer and install it.

If the program is installed on your computer, and it is not possible to find its updated version, it is recommended to check if there is a shortcut in the system files for the application to work with the specific operating system of your bit depth. Often developers add two executable files to the application files – for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. If you are trying to run the program from an incorrect file, there will be a “This app can’t run on your PC” error appearing. Go to the folder with the installed program and see if there is another executable file.

When none of the above methods solves the problem, you should try to run the application in compatibility mode:

1. Right-click at the application’s executable file (or shortcut) and select the “Properties” option from the drop-down menu;

2. At the top, switch to the “Compatibility” tab, set the check box in the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” and select one of the available operating system options from the drop-down menu;

3. Apply the changes made to the executable file and run the application.

Most likely methods described above will make it possible to get rid of a “This app can’t run on your PC” error. If none of the above actions helped, here are a few more tips on what you can do to run the application:

• Try downloading another version of the application (it does not matter if it’s older or newer). It is quite possible that specifically you have a “broken” version of the program installed on your computer;
• Run the application as administrator. To do this, right-click on the app and select the appropriate item in the drop-down menu;
• Enable UAC (User Account Control) if it is disabled;
• Check your computer for viruses; they may also be a reason for this kind of problems.

Having tried all the options described above, you will probably get to run the application without errors, and if nothing worked out, you will have to look for its analogs.