Windows XP Mode for Windows 7

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freitasm

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#32855 25-Apr-2009 12:17

This is one of the coolest things: Windows XP as a licensed OS virtual environment running on a Windows 7 desktop - or "Windows XP Mode for Windows 7".

XP Mode consists of the Virtual PC-based virtual environment and a fully licensed copy of Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). It will be made available, for free, to users of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions via a download from the Microsoft web site. (That is, it will not be included in the box with Windows 7, but is considered an out-of-band update, like Windows Live Essentials.) XPM works much like today's Virtual PC products, but with one important exception: As with the enterprise-based MED-V (Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization) product, XPM does not require you to run the virtual environment as a separate Windows desktop. Instead, as you install applications inside the virtual XP environment, they are published to the host (Windows 7) OS as well. (With shortcuts placed in the Start Menu.) That way, users can run Windows XP-based applications (like IE 6) alongside Windows 7 applications under a single desktop.

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Adamal

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#209223 25-Apr-2009 13:31

I've seen this done on Linux, but this is a fantastic move from Microsoft. It essentially eliminates application incompatability that may exist in the move to 7 and makes people more accepting of it.

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#209227 25-Apr-2009 13:38

But what about driver compatibility? Will the hardware seen by XP be exactly the same as seen by 7?

freitasm

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#209228 25-Apr-2009 13:41

It's a hyper-v kind of thing... Most hardware should be ok. It is great for example because then I can have a couple of virtual machines running on my Windows Home Server just for a few applications as direct apps on my desktop. Very handy stuff!

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#209234 25-Apr-2009 14:41

If it can play AOEII and DiabloII, I'm sold! :)

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#209263 25-Apr-2009 17:47

freitasm: It's a hyper-v kind of thing... Most hardware should be ok. It is great for example because then I can have a couple of virtual machines running on my Windows Home Server just for a few applications as direct apps on my desktop. Very handy stuff!

hmmmm. Mauricio do you have some VM software on your windows home server? If so what?

I amd just about to pull my machine apart and replace the inards with new modo, cpu and 8gb ram and making it into an ESXi server. Of which a WHS server will be one of the vms.

Having WHS as the base OS would be quite nice.

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freitasm

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#209272 25-Apr-2009 18:01

I am running Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 without problems on my Windows Home Server.

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#210228 28-Apr-2009 15:04

d3Xt3r: But what about driver compatibility? Will the hardware seen by XP be exactly the same as seen by 7?

It's just a fancy version of a VM, there are no driver issues because it's just like using a Virtual Machine, but outside of a window.

VMWare Workstation actually has a feature called 'Ubiquity' that can do this with Linux and XP already. But it's much better if it's native.

I'm more worried about folder/drive sync if it's in a VM

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#211832 3-May-2009 07:37

Apparently the folder/drive sync thing is not an issue. They seem to have done it quite nicely, if you save something to My Docs in the XP VM, Windows 7 puts it in your Docs folder. Look at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/01/windows_7_xp_mode_review/

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#211833 3-May-2009 07:40

I have this installed and running for a few days now. Very nice indeed. The most interesting thing is that Virtual PC is a 5MB download only - all the virtualization stuff is already in the OS.

The Windows XP guest machine comes with a dynamic 130GB HDD. It comes with IE7 though and needs some updates.

Also it is by default set to 256MB RAM, so I've changed that too. And yes, it supports USB from the host now.

All in all a very nice implementation. Review in my blog later.

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#211867 3-May-2009 13:15

if i can play bioshock I'M sold. it is buggy on vista and works on XP. anyone knows if this will mean i can play bioshock properly?! hmm ...

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#211873 3-May-2009 14:15

joker97: if i can play bioshock I'M sold. it is buggy on vista and works on XP. anyone knows if this will mean i can play bioshock properly?! hmm ...

I doubt it. The VM most likely won't have 3D acceleration support.

BTW, I've played Bioshock on vista and didn't have any problems at all.

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#212430 5-May-2009 11:17

d3Xt3r: If it can play AOEII and DiabloII, I'm sold! :)

It's not really designed for games so it may not respond as quickly as you'd like. Additionally as it's targeted at business customers this will only be available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. So Home Premium users won't be able to use it

The other point to make is it relies on Hardware virtualization capability in the CPU (Intel-VT, AMD V) which also needs to be enabled in the BIOS. It may not be by default.

You can read into it more here http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=946

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#212435 5-May-2009 11:39

d3Xt3r: If it can play AOEII and DiabloII, I'm sold! :)

Unlike the earlier builds, the RC plays Diablo II fine without using XP mode and doesn't have the huge delay when opening the game

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