Microsoft Releases Install Notes Win 7 XP Mode

By Marcus Yam
published

Just in case you still have some applications that demand XP.

Running Windows 7? Missing the old familiar stench of XP? If you're running Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, you'll be able to get back the old-car smell with Windows XP mode – provided that you've got the right virtualization-supporting hardware.

Just in time for the release of Windows 7 worldwide, Microsoft has posted installation instructions and release notes for Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. You can download both right here.

Of course, after familiarizing yourself with the installation, you'll need the actual XP Mode or Virtual PC software. That can be had from Microsoft as a free download right here.

Let us know if you manage to get it running and how it feels to have some old inside the new!

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
29 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jaymz1977
    I have installed this and used this. Seems pretty basic and was a lot easier than the last time I tried a virtual machine when it came to setup. Also with changeable configurations for drive size and memory usage, I am sure a lot of businesses will get some good use out of this. My reason for using it was to try to solve my major lag issue with using WIN7 RDC to log into Server 03. So I was thinking the XP mode might fix this.. but no dice. So alas, I am stuck with keeping an XP partition so I can use RDC.
    Reply
  • uh_no
    wow

    you are perhaps one of the most unbiased reporters i've ever had the displeasure of reading

    while everything about apple is high praise, even something as cool as XP, you repeatedly refer to as a 'stench' and you take a not so subtle jab 'if you manage to get it running'
    Reply
  • bunz_of_steel
    Just don't use Windoze. If you must use windows in LINUX and remote a session from within windows or from LINUX itself.
    Reply
  • Chipi
    I have been waiting for this!
    XP Mode installs with absolutely no updates released after SP3 and Internet Explorer 6. Maybe someone should send those IE8 adverts to the development team...
    Reply
  • ssalim
    uh_nowowyou are perhaps one of the most unbiased reporters i've ever had the displeasure of readingwhile everything about apple is high praise, even something as cool as XP, you repeatedly refer to as a 'stench' and you take a not so subtle jab 'if you manage to get it running'
    Did you mean biased?
    Reply
  • captaincharisma
    i tried the beta of this months ago and its ok. just wish drivers were supported so i could use the video out function on my GPU again

    im talkin' to you Nvidia LOL :)
    Reply
  • Chipi
    I don't think it's about the drivers captain, as far as I know the GPU is very limited on Virtual PC (and VMWare also)
    Reply
  • njalterio
    uh_nowowyou are perhaps one of the most unbiased reporters i've ever had the displeasure of readingwhile everything about apple is high praise, even something as cool as XP, you repeatedly refer to as a 'stench' and you take a not so subtle jab 'if you manage to get it running'
    wow

    You are perhaps one of the most irritating commenters I've ever had the displeasure of reading.

    You can make anything sound like a jab against Windows with enough paranoia.
    Reply
  • madhumper69
    All my programs are compatible with windows 7 if not i figure out how to install them on the OS with some tweaks, no need for xp mode and i do install tons of stuff!
    Reply
  • papasmurf
    Some may find this difficult to believe but many of us have actually been running windows vista for a few years now, which means many of us have already replaced the incompatible XP only software. XP mode is too little too late it should have shipped with vista.
    Reply