How can I set compatibility level 80 in SQL Server 2012?

Question

When I try to set compatibility level to 80 in SQL Server 2012:

ALTER DATABASE database_name SET COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL = 80;

I get the following error:

Msg 15048, Level 16, State 1
Valid values of the database compatibility level are 90, 100, or 110.

Are there any workarounds?

Answer 1

What you are asking for is simply not possible; SQL Server 2012 does not support a compatibility level of 80. You need to use 90 or higher.