Windows 7 Feature Focus: Virtual Windows XP (AKA XP Mode)
Posted 07/14/09 at 01:30:00 PM by Mark Edward Soper
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Q. What are the benefits of using XP Mode instead of running Virtual PC 2007 and installing Windows XP as a virtual machine?
A. There are several advantages to XP Mode over VPC 2007+Windows XP, including:
When you install programs into XP Mode, they are automatically published to the Windows 7 Start menu, so you can run them in separate windows on the Windows 7 desktop, or in full-screen, or within the Windows XP VM desktop. Virtual PC 2007 must run Windows XP programs within the Windows XP VM desktop.
You must manually configure Virtual PC 2007 to run Windows XP - this is not necessary with XP Mode.
You can move your mouse freely between XP Mode and the Windows 7 desktop - with Virtual PC 2007, you must click within the window to capture the mouse cursor, then press the right alt key to release your mouse to return to the Windows 7 desktop
VPC 2007 cannot use USB mass storage devices – XP Mode can use USB mass storage devices.
VPC 2007 runs Windows XP as a VM very poorly (slow CD-ROM access, etc.) unless you install VPC 2007 extensions. XP Mode does not require you to install extensions.
XP Mode automatically integrates the Windows clipboard, printers, drives and smartcards at startup, and you can also also selectively disable and select whether to enable at start up (default).
Q. Is XP Mode designed for 3D gaming?
A. No. XP Mode does not support 3D graphics APIs such as DirectX. If you need to play 3D games that will not run in Windows 7, set up a dual-boot environment.
Q. Can I run Virtual PC 2007 and XP Mode on the same PC?
A. No. You must uninstall Virtual PC 2007 before you can use Windows Virtual PC and XP Mode.
Q. How do I get XP Mode?
A. There are two files you need to make XP Mode a reality:
First, download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows Virtual PC (choose the same version as your edition of Windows 7 supports). Second, download Windows XP Mode.
Both are available from the Microsoft Virtual PC website.
Installing Windows Virtual PC and XP Mode
To get started with XP Mode, download Windows Virtual PC (WVPC). Then download Windows XP Mode (XPM). After installing WVPC, you must restart your computer before you install XPM.
During installation of XPM, you must configure Windows Update to provide automatic or manual updates, and you must enter a password. To save yourself frustration, click the checkbox to Remember Credentials, and you won't need to remember the password to start XPM.
During installation, you must also select the location for the VHD file used by XPM. By default, the location is C:\Program Files\Virtual Windows XP\, but you can browse to other locations as desired. The target drive must have about 1.6GB of free disk space.
Using XPM in Desktop Mode
XPM supports two modes. These modes, as described in Microsoft's "Running Windows XP Mode with Windows Virtual PC: A How-to Guide for Small Businesses" (PDF link) are Desktop Mode and Seamless Mode.
In Desktop mode, you start XPM from the Windows 7 Start menu:
In Desktop mode, all programs that use XPM run from within the Windows XP VM:
In Desktop Mode, XPM works about the way you'd expect a standard Windows XP installation to run. After you start XPM in Desktop mode, wait a few seconds after the desktop appears before the desktop fully initializes. During the startup process, progress bars inform you of what's going on:
Once XPM starts, you'll note that, because of its support for hardware virtualization, it's fairly peppy on a system with 4GB of RAM or more, even with the default XPM virtual machine (VM) memory size of 256MB.
However, there are some significant differences between XPM and a standard non-virtualized Windows XP installation. These include:
Autorun on CDs doesn't work - you must manually run the program referred to in Autorun.
AutoPlay on CDs, DVDs, and USB devices doesn't work. You can manually run the program you prefer to use with the media's contents, or open the media with Windows Explorer
Accessing drives connected to the host PC. XPM uses Remote Desktop Connection to work with these drives, which is why they're listed as network drives by XPM's My Computer.
XP Mode problem - Help Please
Submitted by AzMonguse on Sat, 10/24/2009 - 8:02am
I just installed Win7 and XP Mode - yet when I try to run XP Mode I ger this error: "Cannont start virtual pc while another virtualization software is running. Please close the other vistualization software and try again."
I have uninstalled both files needed to set-up XP Mode searched the hard drives for any other copy and I cannot find any. Can anyone help me out with this problem?
Submitted by dcutter on Sun, 10/11/2009 - 10:40am
In 64 bit Win 7, does Virtual XP also run 64 bit so that my older 32-bit drviers will not work? Thanks.
Submitted by Shalbatana on Wed, 07/15/2009 - 6:54pm
Okay I apologise for being a max PC reader and having to say this, but I haven't tried Windows 7.
That out of the way, my big question that needs answering is "what are the issues in windows 7 that makes programs/hw not work? From 98 to XP it was the 8bit programming limitation. But no one has yet to say what criteria we should look for in our current HW/SW to say "this probably won't work", or "I'm ok, none of this applies to me".
If I don't know what the issue is, then I'm afraid to even try upgrading.
Column anyone???????
_______________________________
"There's no time like the future."
Submitted by Founck on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 10:03pm
Just so you know, XP mode will only recognize one optical drive. This disappointed me and I thought I'd let you guys know.
Submitted by aviaggio on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 8:40pm
I guess if you have a lot of XP programs that won't run in Win7 this could be useful. But it just seems to me it has so many limitations. You must have the professional or better version (an extra $50 for the pre-order; an extra $70 later) and have a processor that supports HV.
And I have to question some of the "cons" presented in the article about generic VPC. I've been using it for many years now, and it works flawlessly once the additions are installed (and why on earth wouldn't you install them?). I can drag and drop from VPC to my desktop, share all my USB devices (even use devices that don't have Vista or Win7 drivers like my scanner and Skype box), print to my printer, connect to the Internet -- pretty much do anything and everything I need to do except things that require Direct3D.
I don't understand why we should have to pay for the more expensive version of Win7 AND be limited by the hardware when the free version of VPC works just fine without either of those things. Ok, you don't get the "seamless integration", but from what I just read it's not all that seamless anyway.
I just don't get it. Why bother? If you've got that many XP programs you need to support, stick with XP.
Virtual PC 2007 doesn't support USB storage devices
Submitted by Marcus_Soperus on Wed, 07/15/2009 - 8:32am
Aside from being stuck inside the Windows XP desktop, the biggest limitation I see with Virtual PC 2007 + Windows XP is the lack of support for USB storage devices. The inability to access card readers, flash drives and backup drives that use USB ports with VPC2007+Win XP is a big limitation for many users.
I'm glad Virtual PC 2007 + Windows XP is working well for you, but a lot of business users need a more powerful virtualization solution.
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It's amazing how illogical a business built on binary logic can be.
Submitted by jimgreig on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 5:56pm
siginter
And I was soooo hoping to be able to run Vista in Windows 7. I hear tell they are going to take the ease-of-use of NT, the stability of Me, and the mobility of Ce to release Windows CeMeNT ! All hail the brick!
Now that is a mashup worty of release
Submitted by Havok on Thu, 07/16/2009 - 3:37am
I soooooo wish that coud be released, if not for usability, just for fun!!! LOL CeMeNT.....
OMGWTFBBQ
Submitted by Havok on Thu, 07/16/2009 - 3:38am
n/a
Submitted by bose2009 on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 5:33pm
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Submitted by FRAGaLOT on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 5:28pm
I've been running Windows 7 since it came out on beta.. so where IS this XP mode located? Using serarch in Win7 is tottally pointless looking for this.
Submitted by Marcus_Soperus on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 6:09pm
Take a look at page 2:
Q. How do I get XP Mode?
A. There are two files you need to make XP Mode a reality:
First, download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows Virtual PC (choose the same version as your edition of Windows 7 supports). Second, download Windows XP Mode.
Both are available from the Microsoft Virtual PC website.
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It's amazing how illogical a business built on binary logic can be.
Submitted by Vegan on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 4:40pm
Q. Is XP Mode designed for 3D gaming?
A. No. XP Mode does not support 3D graphics APIs such as DirectX. If
you need to play 3D games that will not run in Windows 7, set up a
dual-boot environment.
Crap. Looks like I wasted 50 bucks. Oh well, maybe it'll come in handy for REALLY legacy games that Win7 flat-out won't run.
Submitted by ebeale on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 12:43pm
Thanks for the tips. I was having trouble getting it to shut down so I could increase the memory
Submitted by tehR0XX0Rz on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:21am
Sounds as though the best thing to do is just keep an XP rig around. Problem solved.
XP mode doesn't work in
Submitted by ZayLay on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:09am
XP mode doesn't work in virtual windows 7. I haven't wanted to install the beta on a computer and have been testing in virtual pc, but xp mode won't work. Virtual PC won't work within a Virtual PC, aww man that sucks.
Submitted by Zoomer on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 2:47pm
I heard you like windows so we tried putting Virtual XP in your Virtual 7....but now you just fail while you fail. Sorry about that.
Hardware virtualization!!
Submitted by wk on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 10:59am
so if processor doesn't support HV like mine (T5800). is that means XP mode will not run on my laptop?
Great!! i had just bought this lap few months ago.
MPC is my home page
Submitted by Marcus_Soperus on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:16am
XP Mode requires hardware virtualization (HV), and I find that Intel's "some have it, others don't" attitude about HV pretty frustrating. Although Intel's fastest CPUs beat AMDs, virtually all recent AMD desktop and laptop CPUs except for the ultra-cheapo Semprons support HV. That's one of the reasons my next laptop will probably be an AMD-based model. For more information about HV support in Intel and AMD processor families, see the end of this early story on XP Mode: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/some_windows_7_editions_offer_free_virtualized_windows_xp
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It's amazing how illogical a business built on binary logic can be.
Submitted by arch-chancellor on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 10:30am
XP Mode does work, mostly, where Compatibility Mode never has, despite what some nationally syndicated talk show hosts say. However, XPM is extremely slow to start, and even just using the apps pinned to the Win 7 start menu take forever. I can't just copy from desktop to desktop, I have to find the file on the networked 7 host drives within XPM and copy it to the XPM drive. Is anybody still following me? I have corporate version of Norton. It doesn't work with Vista or 7, but it does work with XPM. However, it only protects the XPM drive, not the 7 host. Pretty much, I'm going to keep an XP box running on a network for those one or two occasional XP only apps while running teh latest and "greaty-est" Win 7 stuff.
Submitted by tkddan87 on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 8:56am
i can deffinatly see VWinXP being usefull. i can think of more than a few apps i would like to run..
I am curious though how MS is dealing with the resources with each instance of a XP program running in its own VM. it is not hard to see 3-4 gb being used by a few apps. better make sure you have alot of RAM and no limit on the virtural memory size
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