Program Compatibility Assistant Service

The Program Compatibility Assistant Service (PcaSvc) provides support for the Program Compatibility Assistant. If this service is stopped, the Program Compatibility Assistant does not function properly. The Program Compatibility Assistant Service attempts to find software and driver updates that improve the compatibility of applications with Windows 7. The Program Compatibility Assistant Service runs automatically when it detects that an older program is attempting to run in Windows 7 and is encountering problems. Then it makes changes to the computer's configuration so that the program can run better.

This service is installed by default and its startup type is Manual.

When the Program Compatibility Assistant Service in started in its default configuration, it logs on by using the Local System account.

The Program Compatibility Assistant Service is dependent upon the following system components:

  • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
  • DCOM Server Process Launcher
  • RPC Endpoint Mapper

Related content