Windows 11 Compatibility

• Jan 17, 2022 - 04:06

I downloaded the current MuseScore 3.6.2 version (it indicated Windows 10) on a new Windows 11 laptop. Although the software loaded okay, when I try to open a musescore file I get an error message about the file I'm trying to open being created on an 'older version' of MuseScore, the old being, I guess, because it's a Windows 10 version. (When I do an 'About' in Musescore on my new computer, it says the version is 3.3 even though I downloaded the 3.6.2 from the site). Anyway, I guess what I'm getting at is this: Will there be a full-blown compatible MuseScore version for Windows 11 anytime soon? Thanks in advance.

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• Jan 17, 2022 - 04:59

MuseScore 3.6.2 is available for and fully compatible with Windows 11.

The message you are seeing has nothing to do with Windows 10 vs 11. The current version of MuseScore - 3.6.2 - runs equally well on both systems. If you are seeing a message about a score being created with an older version, it means, something a version of MuseScore older than 3.6. You'd see the same message trying to open on 3.6.2 on Windows 10 or on Windows 11.

If you aren't using 3.6.2 on your new system, you should install it. The way to do that is from this website - see the Download menu above. I'm guessing you installed from the Microsoft store, but that tends to only have older versions. Remove that then download and install 3.6.2 from this site.

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• Jan 17, 2022 - 19:22

Hi, Marc, thanks for your quick response and input. In response to the download issue, I guess I'm at a loss since I did download from this (musescore) site. Despite doing that --- and watching in real time as it downloaded what it said was the 3.6.2 version --- I still end up with the older 3.3 version of musescore once the software is installed on my laptop (see my screenshot attachments).
NOTE: Regardless of what link I choose within Musescore it still appears that it's coming from the Microsoft Store. Not sure what's going on with that. Is there some link 'hidden' within Musescore that I'm missing for the correct download?
MuseScoreScreenShot1.jpg
MuseScoreScreenShot2.jpg
MuseScoreScreenShot3.jpg

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• Jan 17, 2022 - 21:12

I did. When the install failed to give me 3.6.2 the first time, I uninstalled Musescore, then went back and downloaded the file again from the Musescore site. Same failure, only 3.3. was installed even though the download indicated it was downloading 3.6. After install, only 3.3 was installed. I have performed the uninstall followed by the reinstall at least 6 or 7 times with the same results. I'm at a loss.

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• Jan 17, 2022 - 23:08

That's exactly where I've been getting this file, and I just not downloaded the file again by clicking on the Big Blue Download Button (i.e., NOT selecting the other link options beneath it, for instance, the Microsoft Store link). And, yet again - after watching it download the 3.6.2 version followed by an install - I STILL end up with version 3.3.3.9134 after the dust has settled. Wow. I don't know what else to do. : (

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• Jan 17, 2022 - 23:15

You need to be sure to uninstall that version. Very possibly you have both installed on your system right now, and you're accidentally running the wrong one. Once you uninstall that, you may well find 3.6. is already installed and now runs fine. If there is an issue, uninstall that too, then reinstall 3.6.2 only.

Bottom line, there is no way the 3.6.2 MSI file could possibly be installing 3.3, so once you verify 3.3 is gone from your system, it cannot come back unless you go back and get it from the Microsoft store.

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• Jan 18, 2022 - 22:50

I did all the things suggested by you and Jojo, but I still ended up with a failure. Trust me, I'm pretty computer savvy and I understand about starting from a clean state, doing uninstalls first, etc. Having said that --- and with reference to your last statement above --- actually, I think I discovered that in my particular case, yes, 3.3 version CAN be installed despite my having used the Musescore link (and not the Microsoft Store, which I've never used, as in ever) and despite the fact that I watched as the downloader downloaded the 3.6.2 version (trust me, I sat there STARRING at it) followed by an install only to end up with the 3.3 version instead.

That said, I think I've discovered the culprit: The notorious Microsoft S Mode! Apparently, they have put that back into Windows 11, hard and strong. So, even though I was grabbing the download for 3.6.2 from Musescore, somehow S Mode got involved and told me to talk a walk and installed (and KEEPS installing) the Microsoft-approved 3.3 version instead. UNFORTUNATELY, there is only one way to test my theory: I would have to turn off the S Mode feature on my new laptop, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that since this is a one-way street. That is, once you turn it off, that's it, you can't go back. And since the S Mode is significant when it comes to security in the MS world, I need to do more reading on this before I make that commitment to turn it off permanently just to get the newest version of Musescore at this time.

Anyway, that's where all this stands at the moment. I will provide an update after I find out more. At the same time, I'm thinking (or at least hoping) that the newest version of Musescore WILL had some point become MS approved. Can't imagine why it wouldn't.

NOTE: I've been using Musescore (and the latest version of course) on my (Windows 10) desktop for a long time. And since I have the latest version of Musescore installed, I'm thinking that if I decide to update my desktop to Windows 11 I'll be okay. But after what I'm going through now, I'm not ready to be a guinea pig just yet. (Besides, in using my current Windows 11 laptop, I have discovered missing features that didn't get carried over from Windows 10, and I'm not too happy about it. So, I'm going to wait a few months until they get the bugs worked out - not to mention putting back (hopefully) some of these features they removed. I can't imagine I'm the only one upset about that).

Anyway ...

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• Jan 19, 2022 - 04:21

I'm not too familiar with "S" mode, but I'm guessing what happened is, the download page detected you were on that version and thus redirected you to the Microsoft store version. Because again, if you literally have the 3.6.2 MSI file downloaded, there is no way it could have installed any other version. If I understand correctly, in S mode, it won't install at all (but maybe it also redirects you to the Microsoft store). Anyhow, almost certainly you are correct that S mode is preventing you from installing the version from this site. That's the main purpose of S mode - to prevent you from installing software you download from anywhere else

The issue with getting software into the Microsoft store is mostly one of resources, as I understand it - someone on the MuseScore team has to spend the time and effort jumping through the necessary hoops, and apparently they are some pretty gnarly hoops that no one has had time to deal with lately. I'm personally not expecting anyone will end up doing anything about 3.6.2, but will instead wait for 4.0. but I've been known to be wrong before :-)

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• Jan 20, 2022 - 04:55

I agree on all counts. And from what I've been reading, S Mode, while it kind of 'faded' over the course of Windows 10 updates, I guess it came back hard and heavy in Windows 11, and apparently a LOT of people aren't too happy about it. I have no problem with Microsoft helping to prevent possibly unsafe downloads. Still, sometimes that 'help' can be a bit obnoxious. The one thing that's bothering me about all this is that Microsoft WILL let you turn S Mode off in Windows 11, but once you do you can't turn it back on. That's one of the obnoxious things I'm talking about.

Anway, thanks to you (and Jojo) for sticking with me through all this. Your responses certainly inspired me to dig deeper. At least now I understand what's going on.

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• Apr 8, 2022 - 22:30

Wanted only by people who have a zero concept of what to download and install without doing some research first. For those who want to download things like MuseScore updates while knowing the site is trustworthy, we should be able to temporarily disable ‘S’ mode while being allowed to enable again ‘just in case.’ But Microsoft doesn’t allow you to enable it once you switch it off. That’s crap and pretty much a punishment for doing so and tells me Microsoft wants to hold you hostage and control every aspect of your computer experience.

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• Apr 9, 2022 - 00:04

It seems to me that S mode is Microsoft trying to control your computer. You can only do certain things and get software from Microsoft. Other than that, I know people who still got viruses and what not while in S mode. I do too many things that S mode won't allow. Sure, if all you do is some light word-processing, browsing, and email, S mode is fine. Even if you could "disable" to get updates, as soon as you "enable it you would get a virus warning and the computer locks up.
Besides, you don't switch off S mode. The computer loads the full version of windows and overwrites S mode.

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• May 24, 2023 - 23:17

I found that the shortcut link pointed to 3.3. I unpinned the shortcut from the Start menu, found 3.6 in C:\Program Files\MuseScore\bin (MuseScore3.exe), ran the program directly from there (double-clicked in the File Explorer), and repinned the shortcut from the taskbar to the Start menu. 3.6 then came up correctly.

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