Windows Vista or Windows 7 will have problems running some older versions of applications, just because so much has changed under the hood from Windows XP days. Thankfully there is a compatibility mode that can be easily set for each application.
To configure the compatibility mode for an application, locate the installation directory of the application and right-click on the program's .exe file then select 'Properties'. Now, select the 'Compatibility' tab then select which version of Windows you want.
