The Microsoft Compatibility Monitor tool is installed as part of the runtime-analysis package. From the computers in your test environment, you can use Compatibility Monitor to submit compatibility information to the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) database for your organization.

To automatically monitor applications on your computer for compatibility issues

  1. Start the Compatibility Monitor tool.

  2. In Compatibility Monitor, click Start Monitoring.

  3. Leave Compatibility Monitor running, and use the applications that you want to test for compatibility issues.

    Compatibility information is automatically detected during monitoring, and is silently submitted to the ACT database at regular intervals.

  4. After you finish testing applications, click Stop Monitoring to stop the automatic monitoring and submission of compatibility information.

To submit your compatibility rating for an application

  1. Start the Compatibility Monitor tool.

  2. In Compatibility Monitor, click Give Compatibility Feedback.

    You can enter and submit compatibility ratings whether monitoring is on or off. The process of submitting your compatibility feedback is entirely independent of the monitoring process.

  3. Find your application in the list, and then select your compatibility rating for the application.

    You can select ratings for one or more applications.

  4. Click Submit to submit your compatibility ratings to the ACT database.

    A copy of your ratings is kept on your computer so that you can review and modify the ratings later.

To submit a description of a compatibility issue for an application

  1. Start the Compatibility Monitor tool.

  2. In Compatibility Monitor, click Give Compatibility Feedback.

  3. Find your application in the list, and then click the Add Details link.

  4. In the Title box, enter a title for the compatibility issue. The title is typically a phrase that briefly describes the issue. Check with others in your organization to verify your organization’s preferred style for issue titles.

  5. In the Description box, enter a description of the compatibility issue.

  6. Optionally, attach a screen shot or a step-by-step recording of the compatibility issue.

  7. Click Submit to submit your compatibility issue to the ACT database.

    After submitting your compatibility issue, you cannot edit it later. To submit further compatibility issues, you will need to submit a new issue.