Joan,
I read your post and felt like you- very frustrated and really mad at Microsoft !!! I have also used Microsoft Digital Image Suite 10 for many years and rely on it as it works better than anything I've ever used and it is user friendly. I had the same problem where I couldn't reinstall Windows Digital Image Suite 10 after I wiped my computer clean and installed Windows 10. I have used Digital Image Suite for many years and loved it - I was so frustrated it no longer worked. When I tried to reinstall Image Suite 10 I got an error message that it isn't compatible with 64 bit - but it had worked on 64 bit in previous versions of Windows..... After searching online I found this information from someone else. I tried it and it worked !!! The following bypasses the problem you were having where you can't try compatibility mode because the program is stopped before it is loaded.
I think this works because it tricks your computer into thinking it is already installed and just modifies it to be compatible with Windows 10.... Here is the info from some other very smart and computer savvy person:
Install Microsoft Digital Image Suite on Windows 10
* First close all running programs and open documents.
* Double click on the Digital Image Suite setup file from you original disk.
* If the User Account Control prompts you to give permission, just authorize it.
* Select a few options available. When it says “The Windows Update: Internet Explorer and Internet Tools cannot be installed on this computer. This product does not install on 64-bit platforms.” message, click OK button to continue.
* You will get the second usual error “Setup has detected that Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 installation was not completed. The installation may have been cancelled, or you may not have enough free space on your disk.” Don’t click it.
Return to your desktop, press the Win+X (Windows symbol on your keyboard +X) from your keyboard, click on Shut down or sign out > Sign out.
* Window 10 wait for intervention and cannot carry the operation. Wait a few seconds to sign in again, click on Cancel button > OK. Now the installation runs well.