Win7 XP Mode Drops Virtualization Hardware Need

One of the more interesting technologies inside Windows 7 that should ease all sorts of upgrade and application compatibility worries is XP Mode – a virtual Windows XP that can operate inside Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate.

Up until today, those who wanted to run XP Mode in their modern OS would be required to have hardware virtualization support through Intel VT or AMD-V. Now that requirement has been lifted, though those with virtualization hardware will still see better performance.

Microsoft announced the change in a press release dealing with new virtualization initiatives: "Windows XP Mode no longer requires hardware virtualization technology. This change simplifies the experience by making virtualization more accessible to many more PCs for small and midsize businesses wanting to migrate to Windows 7 Professional or higher editions, while still running Windows XP-based productivity applications."

Check out the updated software here.