How to fix the Compatibility Mode Issue (Error / Start-up crash)

Automatically setting a program in compatibility mode without telling user is supposedly a windows “feature” starting with Windows Vista and can't be turned off. Windows will sometimes automatically set a program to run in compatibility mode if the program crashes, for whatever unspecified reason Windows decides that a program is using too much resources or taking too much time to respond.

This guide will show you how to fix this issue and let you (hopefully) play with no other issues. at least, not this one anyway.

All Credit/Source: http://sergiuhelldragoon.com/uncategorized/company-heroes-2-fix-compatibility-mode-issue/

1.) Checking steam.exe & RelicCOH2.exe

• Ensure Steam and Company of Heroes 2 is closed (completely exit steam)
  
• Go to the steam folder, this is usually located in C:/Program Files/Steam
  
• Right click on the steam.exe file select properties from the menu
  
• Go to the compatibility tab
  
• Make sure everything is unchecked, if anything is checked uncheck it and click apply (don’t close the dialog yet)
  
• Click “change settings for all users”
  
• On the new dialog make sure everything is unchecked, if anything is checked uncheck it and click apply, then click ok to close the dialog
  
• Click ok to close the steam.exe properties dialog
  
• Go to the COH2 installation folder (usually under your steam folder: steamapps\common\Company of Heroes 2)
  
• Select the RelicCOH2.exe file (click once)
  
• Right click on the RelicCOH2.exe file select properties from the menu
  
• Go to the compatibility tab
  
• Make sure everything is unchecked, if anything is checked uncheck it and click apply (don’t close the dialog yet)
  
• Click on the “change settings for all users” button”
  
• On the new dialog make sure everything is unchecked, if anything is checked uncheck it and click apply, then click ok to close the dialog
  
• Click ok to close the steam.exe properties dialog
  
• Start Steam
  
• Run COH2

If you are still erroring or crashing at launch, please continue to step two otherwise, enjoy.

2.) Registry Keys

If you are still getting the compatibility mode warning / crash then it means windows set the compatibility mode in a registry key that can’t be toggled off with the UI. In that case the only way to stop the game or steam running in compatibility mode is to delete the corresponding registry entries.

To remove the Steam and Company of Heroes 2 compatibility mode registry keys manually follow the below:

• Completely exit COH2 and Steam
  
• Run regedit (start menu -> run -> regedit )
  
• Back up your registry just in case you delete or change the wrong key (use export)
  
• Check the following locations for any entries mentioning RelicCOH2.exe or Steam.exe and delete the keys inside this locations that mention these programs (in the right panel of regedit right click on the line with the .exe and select delete )
  
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers
  
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers
  
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Persisted
  
• Exit regedit
  
• Start Steam
  
• Run COH2

The game should run properly and not warn about being in compatibility mode anymore, if later on at some point you get the compatibility mode warning again start from step 1.

Unfortunately automatically setting a program in compatibility mode without telling user is a windows “feature” starting with windows Vista and can’t be turned off. Windows will sometimes automatically set a program to run in compatibility mode if the program crashes, or iffor whatever unspecified reason windows decides that a program is using too much resources or taking too much time to respond.

Credits / Source

All Credit/Source: http://sergiuhelldragoon.com/uncategorized/company-heroes-2-fix-compatibility-mode-issue/

[dammien29]

wrong executable version. please restart steam and update i have this issue when plying mutliplayer. i dont have this problem before.. any body know why or how to fix it..

[MatroVska]

do you know why my coh2 doesnt even pop up? i start the game and it did nothing, the profile stats just blinking from playing coh, back to online again.

[Ema]

Some one have a problem whit a " FILE DUMP " ?
how to fix it?

[LeffeSTFU]

Thank you a lot. I've been having trouble for some time now with this problem and the steam suport site that you are directed to doesn't tell you about the other files that needs to be checked.

Really helped me.

[Tezza48 - MTG Adventures]

This fixed a problem i have had for a few years now lol. (probably since i started to use Big Picture). now that steam throws an error at compatability mode i am glad that it's fixed.

[TEMPLAR1177]

Before I go ahead and do this to my computer, just to make sure;
I play a game like Borderlands 2, NFS Undercover or something, it runs as normal for about 3 - 5 minutes, freezes for 1 second and then crashes. BUT!!! Only "Skyrim" works no problem!
Is this thread the right one troubleshooting this error??

[x]

DOESN T WORK

[Octavian Augustus]

I made it worse than it was. I deleted the steam register from the last location and now when i launch the game once it keeps launching it like every 5 seconds again. Help please !

[Scoria]

If this does not work run it as admin

[LordofWar]

had this game since day 1 launch still unable to play pllzzz help a brother