Logo
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows Azure
Windows Server
Windows Phone
PREGNANCY
 
 
Windows 7

Planning for the Installation of Windows 7 : Virtualization Considerations (part 2) - Windows XP Mode

5/14/2011 4:17:56 PM

2. Windows XP Mode

Windows XP Mode is a virtualization technology that addresses a specific problem that prevented many people from moving from Windows XP to Windows Vista. Many applications worked well in Windows XP but would not work in Windows Vista.

Interestingly, this problem prevented people from moving to Windows XP from Windows 2000 in the early XP days. It seems to be a common problem, but Windows XP Mode may be a definitive solution for those considering Windows 7.

Microsoft spent a lot of time and effort on Windows XP Mode, and from everything I've seen it looks like it'll be a success. It's not uncommon for Microsoft to use test topics to amplify the importance of features they've added. If you're preparing for the 70-685 and 70-686 Windows 7 exams, make sure you understand the benefits and requirements for Windows XP Mode.


Windows XP Mode is a virtual instance of Windows XP running within Windows 7. Applications that won't run in Windows 7 can be installed in this instance of Windows XP. However, Microsoft has engineered a great solution that doesn't require the user to launch Windows XP. When Windows XP Mode is configured, the user simply launches the legacy application from their Start menu, and it appears as though it's running just as any other application would run.

Although Windows XP Mode is free with Windows 7, there are some requirements you need to worry about. These include the following:

  • The processor must be capable of hardware virtualization.

  • Virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS.

  • At least 1.6GB free hard drive space must be available.

If your system will support it, you can download and install Virtual PC for Windows 7 and then download and install Windows XP Mode for Windows 7.

2.1. Analyzing Your Existing Hardware Environment

Windows XP Mode originally required a processor that supports virtualization that needed to be enabled in the BIOS. However, Microsoft later released an update with KB 977206 that allows Windows XP Mode to work without hardware assisted virtualization (HAV). Intel refers to HAV as Intel VT, and AMD calls it AMD-V. Both companies include utilities you can download and run to determine if your processor has this capability.

NOTE

Windows XP Mode works best if your processor supports virtualization. However, if the processor doesn't support virtualization or it isn't enabled in the BIOS, you can still use Windows XP Mode. Check out KB article 977206 at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/977206.

Figure 1 shows the Intel® Processor Identification Utility with the middle tab selected. Notice that the Intel(R) Virtualization Technology is listed as Yes, verifying that Windows XP Mode can be used on this system. This utility can be downloaded from Intel's website here:

http://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/

Figure 1. Intel® Processor Identification Utility

I have an older AMD system that doesn't support virtualization. After running the AMD Virtualization Compatibility Check Utility, the screen shown in Figure 1.5 appeared. This utility can be downloaded from AMD's support site at this address:

http://support.amd.com/us/Processor_TechDownloads/AMD-V_Hyper-V_Compatibility_Check_Utility_V2.zip

Figure 2. AMD Virtualization Compatibility Check Utility

Next you'll need to enable the virtualization option in the BIOS. My experience is that this is not enabled by default, so you'll need to reboot your system, read the screen to see what key to use to enter BIOS, and then search for the virtualization option.

Many versions of BIOS are available, and there's no standard of how to access BIOS. Sometimes you're prompted to press F10, sometimes the Delete key, and at other times you're prompted just to press any key at the appropriate time. The only thing that is consistent is that a message will appear telling you what key to press to enter the setup mode that allows access to the system BIOS.

The virtualization setting can be called AMD-V or Intel VT or simply Virtualization Technology. Find the setting and enable it.

If the processor is capable, but the BIOS doesn't have the Virtualization Technology setting, it's possible you'll need to upgrade or flash the BIOS. Access the command prompt and enter SystemInfo. This takes a minute to complete, but it will list a significant amount of information about your system including the BIOS version. You can search the Internet using this information for a possible upgrade. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to complete this process.

2.2. Downloading the Software

Once you've verified your processor is capable and you've configured the BIOS, you can begin downloading the software needed for Windows XP Mode. You'll need at least 1.6 GB of free space. The space can be on any available partition.

The two files you'll need to download and install are as follows:


Windows Virtual PC

This is actually a Windows Update labeled as KB 958559. Both an x86 version (for 32-bit systems) and an x64 version (for 64-bit systems) exist. Make sure you install the one that's right for your system. This will require rebooting your system.


Windows XP Mode

This file is about 480 MB. It's a self-extracting executable that will add Windows XP Mode to your system and install the instance of Windows XP that can be used to run legacy applications. There is only one version of this file, and it will work for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

You can find both Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode at Microsoft's download site at www.download.Microsoft.com. Search for "Windows Virtual PC" and "Windows XP Mode."

You'll need the version of Virtual PC designed to work with Windows 7 and Windows XP Mode. If you have an older version of Virtual PC, you'll need to uninstall it first. An easy way to see if you have a compatible version is by the name; if you're running a version called Windows Virtual PC, it'll work because Windows Virtual PC was released with Windows 7. If you're running a version named Microsoft Virtual PC, you'll need to uninstall it first.


Exercise: Installing Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode

  1. Install Windows Virtual PC with the following steps:

    1. Launch Windows Explorer. Browse to where you downloaded Windows Virtual PC and double-click the executable. This actually installs update KB958559. If it is already installed, it will inform you that it is installed and you can continue with step 2.

    2. At the prompt to install the Windows software update, click Yes.

    3. Review the license terms and click I Accept. The installation will start and take a few minutes to complete.

    4. When the installation is complete, you'll be prompted to restart the computer. Click Restart Now.

  2. Install Windows XP Mode with the following steps:

    1. Launch Windows Explorer. Browse to where you downloaded the Windows XP Mode file and double-click it.

    2. When prompted by the Security Warning to run the file, click Run.

    3. On the Welcome screen, click Next.

    4. If your C: drive has at 1.6 GB of free space, you can accept the default location of C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode\ and click Next. Otherwise, choose another location.

    5. When prompted by User Account Control to continue, click Yes.

    6. The installation will complete, and the Setup Completed screen will appear. Leave Launch Windows XP Mode checked, and click Finish.

    7. Review the Windows XP Mode License Agreement. Click the check box I Accept The License Terms and click Next.

    8. You will be prompted to identify the installation folder and enter credentials for an XP Mode user account, as shown in the following graphic. Accept the default installation folder, and enter a password in the Password and Confirm Password text boxes. Make sure that the Remember Credentials (Recommended) check box is checked. Click Next.



      With Remember Credentials checked, users won't be prompted to enter credentials when using Windows XP Mode.

    9. Enable automatic updates by selecting Help Protect My Computer By Turning On Automatic Updates Now, and click Start Setup. It will take several minutes for the setup to complete. Once it completes, a window will open with the Windows XP Mode desktop.


Windows XP Mode is now installed on your system. However, it won't be of much use until you install some applications and configure them to run within your Windows 7 system. The next section leads you through this process.

2.3. Running Applications from Windows XP Mode

Although the previous exercise showed you how to install Windows XP Mode, the real value comes in using this to run applications in a virtual environment.

As an example, imagine that a user has a program she uses quite a bit, works well in Windows XP, but does not work at all in Windows 7. You can add Windows XP Mode to her Windows 7 desktop and then install the legacy application in the Windows XP Mode virtual environment.

NOTE

This feature is most valuable for applications that work in Windows XP but not in Windows 7. However, you can install any application in Windows XP Mode that will work in Windows XP. The point of the exercise is not what you install but instead how it's accessed after it is installed.

Exercise 1.6 will lead you through the steps to make an application available to end users. As preparation for this exercise, I downloaded IrfanView (a freeware image viewer) created by Irfan Skiljan. However, you can use any program and, if you want to install another program, substitute your program where I refer to IrfanView in the exercise.

Exercise: Publishing Applications from Windows XP Mode

  1. From the Windows 7 host machine, click Start => All Programs => Windows Virtual PC => Windows Virtual PC. This will launch the Windows Virtual PC console.

  2. Right-click the Windows XP Mode.vmcx file and select Settings.

  3. Select Auto Publish, and verify that Auto Publish is set to Automatically Publish Virtual Applications, as shown in the following graphic.



  4. Click OK to close the Settings page, and then double-click the Windows XP Mode.vmcx file to start the Windows XP Mode VPC.

  5. After Windows XP Mode starts, install the application you downloaded. Copy a shortcut for this program (many applications including IrfanView place a shortcut on the desktop that you can copy).

  6. Right-click the Start menu within Windows XP, and select Explore All Users. This will open Windows Explorer in this folder:

    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu

  7. Double-click Programs, and then paste the shortcut for the program that you installed into this folder. After a moment, this application will be available on your host system.

  8. Click Windows 7 and select Start => All Programs => Windows Virtual PC => Windows XP Mode Applications. You'll see that the program that you installed in Windows XP Mode is now available on the Windows 7 menu, as shown in the following graphic.



    While this shows how applications published from Windows XP Mode will appear, you can also publish applications from other Windows VPC programs. For example, if you install a virtual instance of Windows 7 and published an application from there, the published application will appear in a folder named Windows 7 Applications.

  9. Try to launch the application by selecting Start => All Programs => Windows Virtual PC => Windows XP Mode Applications => IrfanView (Windows XP Mode). It will fail and inform you that you must close Windows XP Mode first.

  10. Return to Windows XP Mode, and select Start => Log Off. After you are logged off, select Action => Close. This will cause Windows XP Mode to go into Hibernate mode.

  11. Once the system finishes hibernating, try to start the program from the Windows 7 Start menu by selecting Start => All Programs => Windows Virtual PC => Windows XP Mode Applications => IrfanView (Windows XP Mode).

    Windows XP Mode will awaken from Hibernate mode, and the application will launch in its own window. Note that the full Windows XP desktop does not launch but only the application.

  12. Browse to the Virtual PC console by clicking Start => All Programs => Windows Virtual PC => Windows Virtual PC. You'll see that the Windows XP Mode VPC has a status of Running.

  13. Close the IrfanView application.

  14. Click Start => All Programs => Windows Virtual PC => Windows XP Mode Applications. Right-click IrfanView PC, and select Copy to copy the shortcut to this program.

  15. Access the Windows 7 desktop. Right-click and select Paste Shortcut to paste the program shortcut.

  16. Double-click the shortcut on the desktop to launch it. You'll see that it launches the application just the same as it did from the Start menu.


This exercise shows you how easily you can integrate virtual applications into a user's desktop. Users don't have to know all the details of how the virtual applications are installed or how they work, and many end users don't want to know. They just want to be able to access an application when it's needed.

If an administrator configured the virtual application to run from a shortcut like this, the user will have very little indication that anything is different. They can still run their legacy application, and you are still able to migrate your older systems to Windows 7.

Using Windows XP Mode allows you to run legacy applications on a Windows 7 system easily. However, you can also use VPC to run other desktops that you create.

2.4. Running Applications from Other VPCs

The previous example showed you how to install applications in Windows XP Mode and make them available from the Windows 7 Start menu, but you aren't restricted to doing this with only Windows XP Mode.

Developers are notorious for crashing their systems. They develop applications and, during the test-and-debugging process, things sometimes go wrong. For example, an operating system that once worked now no longer works. Not only is the developer unable to continue the development of the application, but they can't even access email or do other day-to-day work. While you can't prevent a developer from crashing a development environment, you can isolate the problem by creating a virtual environment for development work.

You start with a regular Windows 7 desktop. You can then install another instance of Windows 7 in a virtual machine and install applications within the virtual machine. As long as the Auto Publish settings are set to Enabled, the applications will automatically appear on the host machine's Start menu for that PC once the shortcuts are copied to the Start menu on the virtual machine. Hibernate the VPC, and you can then launch the programs in the same manner as you did with Windows XP Mode.

The only pieces that are missing from this puzzle are the steps you need to take to create a Virtual PC image.

Exercise: Creating Other Virtual PC Machines

  1. Launch the Virtual PC console by clicking Start => All Programs => Windows Virtual PC => Windows Virtual PC.

  2. Click Create Virtual Machine in the title bar.

  3. Enter a name for your VPC in the Name text box. You can either accept the default location for the VPC or select another location. Your display will look similar to the following graphic. Click Next.



  4. Adjust the size of memory for the PC. For Windows XP, you can get away with 512 MB, but if you're running more applications, add more RAM. Similarly, you can start with 1 GB of RAM for Windows 7 and add more depending on the applications you're running. You can always adjust the RAM later when the virtual machine is turned off. Leave the networking check box enabled to Use Computer Network Connections unless you specifically don't want the VPC to have access to the network. Click Next.

  5. The Add A Virtual Hard Disk page appears. Since this is a new VPC, accept the default of Create A Dynamically Expanding Virtual Hard Disk. Leave Enable Undo Disks unchecked and click Create.

    You'll be returned to the Virtual PC console. At this point, you have a Virtual PC image, although it's empty. The next step is to load an operating system into it.

  6. Load the Windows installation DVD into the host system DVD drive.

  7. Double-click the VPC image you just created to start it. It will boot from the DVD.

Other -----------------
- Planning for the Installation of Windows 7 : Designing User State Migration
- Planning for the Installation of Windows 7 : Local Installation
- Planning for the Installation of Windows 7 : Choosing a Windows 7 Edition
- Wireless Networking (part 2) - Connecting to and Managing Wireless Connections
- Wireless Networking (part 1) - Installing and Configuring a Wireless Adapter
- Configuring Dial-Up, Broadband, Wireless, and VPN (part 3)
- Configuring Dial-Up, Broadband, Wireless, and VPN (part 2)
- Configuring Dial-Up, Broadband, Wireless, and VPN (part 1) - Creating Dial-Up Connections
- Making Your Computer More Accessible (part 2)
- Making Your Computer More Accessible (part 1) - Using the Ease of Access Center & Using the Magnifier
- Using Laptop and Tablet PC Extras (part 3) - Creating a Windows Journal
- Using Laptop and Tablet PC Extras (part 2) - Using Your Tablet PC Pen
- Using Laptop and Tablet PC Extras (part 1) - Navigating the Windows Mobility Center & Connecting to Projectors
- Making the Most of Windows’ Accessories : Getting Your Computer to Listen
- Making the Most of Windows’ Accessories : Creating Sticky Notes
- Capturing Screens and Windows with the Snipping Tool (part 2) - Editing and Saving Your Snips & Setting Snipping Options
- Capturing Screens and Windows with the Snipping Tool (part 1) - Creating Snips
- Managing Print, Fax, and Scan Jobs (part 2) - Working with Scanners and Fax Machines
- Managing Print, Fax, and Scan Jobs (part 1) - Working with Print Jobs & Working with Printers
- Configuring Printer, Scanner, and Fax Machine Properties (part 2)
 
 
Most view of day
- Sharepoint 2013 : Office 2013 and an Overview of Integration (part 2) - Opening and Saving to SharePoint
- Windows Server 2008 : Promoting and Demoting a Domain Controller - Demoting a DC with dcpromo, Using dcpromo with an unattend File
- Windows Phone 8 : Configuring Basic Device Settings - Date and Time (part 1) - Setting the Date and Time
- Microsoft Visio 2010 : Visualizing Your Data - Editing Data Graphics
- Microsoft Dynamic AX 2009 : Working with .NET Business Connector (part 1) - Processing Requests and Responses
- Maintaining Security : Restricting Content in Windows Media Center, Creating Trusted Contacts
- Communicating with Internet Email : Setting Up Mail Accounts
- Managing Windows 7 : Managing Multiple Monitors
- SQL Server 2008 R2 : Performance Monitoring Tools (part 10) - Creating an Extended Events Session
- SharePoint 2010 : Configuring Search Settings and the User Interface - Search Tabs and Pages
Top 10
- SQL Server 2012 : Understanding Latches and Spinlocks (part 3) - Latching Example - With Latching
- SQL Server 2012 : Understanding Latches and Spinlocks (part 2) - Latching Example - Without Latching
- SQL Server 2012 : Understanding Latches and Spinlocks (part 1) - Latching Example
- SQL Server 2012 : Latches and Spinlocks - Symptoms (part 2) - Measuring Latch Contention, Measuring Spinlock Contention , Contention Indicators
- SQL Server 2012 : Latches and Spinlocks - Symptoms (part 1) - Recognizing Symptoms
- Integrating SharePoint 2013 with the Office Applications (part 10) - Microsoft Outlook - Lists and Libraries
- Integrating SharePoint 2013 with the Office Applications (part 9) - Microsoft InfoPath - Customizing the Document Information Panel and List Forms
- Integrating SharePoint 2013 with the Office Applications (part 8) - Microsoft InfoPath -Deploying a Form Via Central Administration, Rendering a Form Using the InfoPath Form Web Part
- Integrating SharePoint 2013 with the Office Applications (part 7) - Microsoft Access - Access Services
- Integrating SharePoint 2013 with the Office Applications (part 6) - Microsoft Access
 
 
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows Azure
Windows Server
Windows Phone
2015 Camaro