How to Add or Remove Compatibility Tab in App Properties in Windows 11

How to Remove the Compatibility Tab Using Group Policy Editor (for Pro, Enterprise, and Education Editions)

Local Group Policy Editor is a built-in Windows tool for managing system settings. It is included only in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education. Windows 11 Home does not have it, so on Home, skip ahead to the Registry Editor method.

Sign in with an administrator account before you start. This method uses one policy setting to hide the Compatibility tab for all apps on the PC.

Step 1Open the Local Group Policy Editor

The quickest way to open the editor is from the Run box.

1. Press Win+R on your keyboard. The Run box opens.
2. In the box, type gpedit.msc and press Enter or click OK.
3. If a User Account Control (UAC) window asks for permission, click Yes. The Local Group Policy Editor window should now be open, with a folder tree on the left and settings on the right.

If Windows says it cannot find the file, you are most likely on Home edition. Use the Registry Editor method below instead.

Step 2Find the Right Setting

The policy sits a few folders deep, so open them in order.

1. In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click Computer Configuration.
2. Under it, click Administrative Templates.
3. Click Windows Components.
4. Scroll down the list and click Application Compatibility. The right pane now shows the policies for this folder.
5. On the right side, find the setting called Remove Program Compatibility Property Page.

If the right pane looks empty, click the Standard tab at the bottom of the window, or click the folder name again.

Step 3Set the Policy to Remove the Tab

Group Policy settings control how Windows features behave and appear. This one decides whether the Compatibility tab is shown.

1. Double-click Remove Program Compatibility Property Page. A new window opens.
2. Look at the three choices: Not Configured, Enabled and Disabled. To remove the Compatibility tab, select Enabled.
3. Click OK at the bottom to save the change. The setting should now show as Enabled in the list.

Step 4Close the Editor and Test

Windows does not always apply a policy change to windows that are already open. Restarting is the most reliable way to be sure it has taken effect.

1. Close the Local Group Policy Editor.
2. Restart your🔄 computer, or sign out and sign back in. Sometimes the change applies straight away, but a restart or sign-out is the reliable route.
3. Find any program or app shortcut and right-click it.
4. Choose Properties. The Compatibility tab should be gone.

That’s it. The Compatibility tab is now hidden for every app on this PC, and the Properties window is shorter.

If the tab is still there, reopen the policy and confirm it says Enabled. Also check that you are looking at a .exe file or a shortcut to one, since other file types never show this tab.

How to Remove the Compatibility Tab Using the Registry Editor (for All Windows Editions)

Registry Editor is a tool for viewing and changing the low-level settings Windows stores in its registry, a database of system and app settings. Use this method on Windows 11 Home, which has no Group Policy Editor. It also works on Pro and the other editions. An administrator account is required.

Editing the registry incorrectly can cause serious problems with Windows, and in the worst case you might need to reinstall it. Change only the values this guide names. Back up the registry before you start:

1. Open Registry Editor (the next section shows how).
2. Click File › Export.
3. Under Export range, choose All.
4. Pick a location and a file name, then click Save.

If something goes wrong, double-click that saved file to restore the settings it holds.

Step 1Open the Registry Editor

Opening Registry Editor works much like opening the Group Policy Editor.

1. Press Win+R on your keyboard to open the Run box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
3. If a User Account Control (UAC) window asks for permission, click Yes. Registry Editor opens with a folder-like tree on the left.

Step 2Go to the Correct Registry Location

Registry keys are organised like folders, so you need to reach the right one. In Registry Editor, go to this path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppCompat

To find it by clicking through the left pane, follow these steps:

1. Click the arrow next to 🗝️HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEcopy to open it.
2. Open SOFTWARE in the same way.
3. Open Microsoft, then Windows.
4. Click AppCompat. Its contents, if any, appear in the right pane.

As a shortcut, paste the path into the address bar at the top of Registry Editor and press Enter.

Tip: If you do not see an AppCompat folder, create it. Right-click the folder one level above where it should be, select New › Key, and name it AppCompat. Then select the new key.

Step 3Create or Change the Value to Remove the Tab

Registry values are individual settings stored inside a key. You will add one value that tells Windows to hide the tab.

1. With the AppCompat key selected on the left, look at the right pane.
2. Right-click an empty space in the right pane.
3. In the menu that appears, select New › DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new entry appears with its name highlighted for editing.
4. Name the new value exactly DisablePropPage. Spelling and capitalisation matter.
5. Double-click the DisablePropPage value you just created. An edit window opens.
6. In the Value data box, type 1.
7. Make sure Base is set to Hexadecimal.
8. Click OK. The value should now show in the right pane with your data next to it.

Explanation: Setting the DisablePropPage value to 1 tells Windows to hide the program compatibility property page, which is the tab. To show the tab again, change this value to 0 or delete the DisablePropPage value.

Step 4Close the Registry Editor and Restart

Windows reads this setting when it loads, so the change will not show until you restart.

1. Close the Registry Editor window.
2. Restart your🔄 computer. A restart is required for this change to take effect.
3. After the restart, right-click any application or shortcut.
4. Select Properties. The Compatibility tab should be gone.

That’s it. The registry value is in place and the Compatibility tab is hidden for apps on this PC.

Tip: To get the tab back, return to the same registry location (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppCompat). Right-click DisablePropPage, select Delete, and confirm. Then restart your PC. If you made an export earlier, you can restore from that file instead, but deleting the value is quicker.

Summary

Removing the Compatibility tab from app properties in Windows 11 declutters the Properties window for standard users. Use the Local Group Policy Editor on Pro, Enterprise and Education editions, or the Registry Editor on Home. Both methods need a restart, or at least a sign-out, to take full effect, and both can be undone by reversing the setting you changed.

If you only want to run an old program, you do not have to show or hide the tab at all. The Program Compatibility Troubleshooter can apply compatibility settings to a single app. Open Settings › System › Troubleshoot, then look under Other troubleshooters for Program Compatibility Troubleshooter and pick the app you want to fix.