Nikolai Krukov
Addict
Some old programs simply won't run on Windows 7, and XP Mode is Microsoft's answer. It runs a preinstalled copy of Windows XP SP3 in a virtual machine on top of Windows Virtual PC, so the old program thinks it's on XP. This download has XP Mode and the Windows Virtual PC update for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7, which together are about 500 MB.
Download:
Download Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC
Needs: Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate, and a processor with hardware virtualisation (Intel VT or AMD-V). If it's switched off, enable it in the BIOS, because plenty of PCs ship with it disabled.
Tip: programs you install inside XP Mode can appear in the Windows 7 Start menu and open in their own windows. Treat the virtual machine as a proper XP PC, with its own antivirus.
Update: Microsoft later released an update that removes the hardware virtualisation requirement, and has since withdrawn both downloads.
Download:
Download Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC
- Unzip it and install the Windows Virtual PC update that matches your Windows 7: Windows6.1-KB958559-x86-RefreshPkg.msu for 32-bit, or the x64 one for 64-bit. Restart when it's done.
- Run WindowsXPMode_en-us.exe and finish its setup. That creates the Windows XP Mode virtual machine.
- Start it from Start > Windows Virtual PC, and install your old programs inside it.
Needs: Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate, and a processor with hardware virtualisation (Intel VT or AMD-V). If it's switched off, enable it in the BIOS, because plenty of PCs ship with it disabled.
Tip: programs you install inside XP Mode can appear in the Windows 7 Start menu and open in their own windows. Treat the virtual machine as a proper XP PC, with its own antivirus.
Update: Microsoft later released an update that removes the hardware virtualisation requirement, and has since withdrawn both downloads.
