Summary: Here's what to do when you see appcompat.txt.
This is another case of Windows being particularly obscure. You see (and I'll say this several times), appcompat.txt is not the problem.
I can hear a crowd of people saying "Yes it is! It's right there in this error message!". That's what I mean by Windows being obscure. Read the error message carefully and you'll see what I mean. Appcompat.txt is not the problem, it's not the error, and it's not the cause of the error ... it's information about the error.
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Appcompat.txt is simply a reporting file used when uploading error reports to Microsoft. You've seen the message asking you if you would like to "report this error to Microsoft"? Appcompat.txt is a file that is uploaded if you say yes.
Appcompat.txt is not the problem. It contains information about the problem. Open it up in Notepad, and you'll see what I mean. When you get an error message that references appcompat.txt, it'll usually give you the full path to the file. So click on Start, Run and enter:
Notepad C:\DOCUME~1\username\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER7b4e.dir00\appcompat.txt
Where "C:\DOCUME~1\username\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER7b4e.dir00\appcompat.txt" is replaced with the actual information that was presented in the error message. You'll see a lot of technical information that begins with this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?> <DATABASE>
Followed by information about the program that was running at the time an error occurred. Note: it's not meant that you understand this. It's meant for the engineers back at Microsoft to use to analyze failures and hopefully provide fixes over time. I point it out here, simply to drive home the point:
Appcompat.txt is not the problem. It contains information about the problem.
So what do you do when you get an error message that references appcompat.txt? In my opinion, a) allow Windows to report the error to Microsoft, if it asks you to, and b) forget about appcompat.txt. Unless you're technical enough to understand what's inside of it, it will not help you. Focus instead on what you were doing when the problem happened. We all know that programs can crash for many, many different reasons. The problem could be due to a bug in an application, a problem with your machine, a bug in Windows, a security issue, or any number of other things. Just saying "it's appcompat.txt" tells you exactly nothing about the problem.
The steps to take then will depend on what you were doing and what applications were involved. A fix could be as simple as a configuration change, a virus scan, a system file check, or as complex as a complete rebuild and reinstall of Windows. But without more information, there's simply no way to know.
As a final note I want to be clear that appcompat.txt and appcompat.exe are two completely different things. Appcompat.exe is discussed in this other article: Appcompat.exe - What is Appcompat.exe?.
Article C2367 - June 12, 2005
Simply put, the only real solution to this problem is to dump Windows and buy a Mac. This problem isn`t fixable because Microsoft doesn`t want it to be fixable... It`s the same thing technique they`ve been using for years in order to push products, patches and faulty OS` on the unsuspecting public... "appcompat.txt" is pretty much just a file that tells you what they`ve successfully managed to break on your PC so that they know how well their bugs and viruses affect different applications on different PCs and systems.
Once you Send the "Error report" to them, they use this information to make patches and fixes for whatever product or OS they are currently trying to push so that it works properly enough for a short enough time that people will buy it. Then a few years later, they use this same information to break the new product again so that you`ll have to buy an even newer model. Microsoft could easily roll out a patch or an update of some kind to fix an issue like this. They do it all the time and within days of "worm" and " big virus infections". They just choose not to do so with this because it keeps people right where they want them to be... Trapped and completely reliant on them.
You`ll notice the trend whenever they announce that they will no longer be providing support for a previous product (like Windows XP). A few months later something like this happens or a "virus" breaks out that requires extensive troubleshooting (with little promise of a permanent fix other than "buying the newer / upgraded version"). Of course they don`t want it to look like it`s completely their own OS`s fault so they write code to sabotage other applications on your PC which they roll out on via Internet Explorer and Windows Upgrades or whenever you visit the Microsoft homepage for troubleshooting tips. Take a look back through time and you`ll see that the same thing happens over and over again. If Microsoft DIDN`T want this to happen all the time, then that@s still a good reason for you to consider switching to a Mac because that basically means that they have no control or security over their own products (much less your personal information submitted to them via various means)....
This is all staged so Microsoft can make more money off of you with their defective products. Witch to Mac and your life will be a whole lot easier with less application crashes and more reliable performance. Or... you can keep posting blogs like this 5 years from now when they`ve decided to "discontinue support of Windows Vista".
That`s my conspiracy theory of the day!
Posted by: Wfire3 at June 7, 2009 8:04 AMHi, I wanted to ask you about the appcompat.txt. What would cause this error report to appear instead of the standard application mini dump created when an app crashes? Thanks, because as you say, this file is useless. At least I can look into a crash dump and establish which thread caused the crash!
I disagree that it's useless. If people would simply look inside appcompat.txt - even in a text editor - there is information therein that can often help identify the source of the error.
04-Aug-2009
Posted by: Collin Willis at August 3, 2009 8:56 AM
I get the following error message when I open my computer, an Asus netbook: C:\DOCUME~1\Asus\LOCALS~1\Temp\1c93_appcompat.txt. I'm asked to report to Microsoft about it. I find no such file in my computer (I have searched both C and D drives). Why am I getting the error? Do I just ignore it, as you seem to say in your article "How do I resolve my problem with appcompat.txt?"?
Posted by: Rajiv Shah at June 2, 2010 7:37 AMSo...the solution is, live with it, or buy myself a MAC. Hmmm, Tough call.
Posted by: Alf Lönn at June 9, 2010 4:01 AMI am not a patient guy, pretty stupid to and getting old as well. Not the richest around, either. Not much of a choice, if You ask me. A. Lönn 2010.
I have a game called SPORE, and sometimes, when the computer gets slower, it gives an error. But then I open it and it gets ok. Well, yesterday I've turned it off and today I've turned my computer on. When I clicked SPORE, I waited for it to charge, but instead of appearing the menu with the galaxy and the planets, it appeared an error with this thing on the final report: C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\DEFINI~1\Temp\6219_appcompat.txt
What is the problem??
Posted by: Gabriel Costa at September 8, 2010 4:06 AM