Xp mode how does it work

Microsoft offers sample instructions for Dell, HP and Lenovo. At first, I couldn't find an option for virtualization support, but after nosing around, I finally discovered it in a very odd place -- in the POST behavior area. I enabled it and let the PC boot.

It's also good idea to get back into the BIOS when you reboot and see whether the new setting took. You won't have to pay for a separate license for XP. At the end of the installation process, you'll go through the usual setup routine for a new copy of Windows, including questions such as how to handle Automatic Updates and so on. And you're done. Here are the latest Insider stories. More Insider Sign Out.

I like Windows Virtual PC, but you can definitely tell that you are taxing the system resources and things can get sluggish. Windows XP Mode is fast.

Lightning fast. It works, and it works well. I found installing and working with the Windows XP Mode to be significantly easier and more satisfying than any other virtual computing environment I have used. Millions of consumers still rely on Windows XP and Microsoft is banking on them making the switch to Windows 7.

It is bad enough that there is no seamless upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7. Technically, it's a virtual machine VM powered by a brand-new version of the Windows Virtual PC virtualisation engine. Virtualisation may be old hat, but the novelty of XP Mode is that Microsoft is giving you a completely free extra operating system.

Normally you'd need a separate licence to install and run XP in a virtual PC. You'd also have to create the virtual machine yourself. Installation takes only a few minutes.

A virtual PC is a bog-standard PC that's emulated in software. The virtual PC in effect 'borrows' your real PC's hardware, but has no direct access to the physical components -- that's all handled by the virtualisation software. But any Windows 7 user can download the Windows Virtual PC engine and create their own virtual machines if they have the necessary licences.

Note that XP Mode isn't included 'in the box' with Windows 7. Apart from that there are no major showstoppers in terms of hardware requirements, but the more memory you have the better, as the VM uses MB by default you can increase this if you want, and Microsoft recommends at least 2GB of RAM. You can change this behaviour for each device at any time from the Virtual PC toolbar.

XP Mode has a new 'seamless' integration mode long featured in rival virtualisation engines that lets you run XP Mode applications direct from the Windows 7 desktop without firing up the full VM. Virtualised apps run in special windows with a characteristic blue XP border to distinguish them from normal windows. Because the XP Mode VM is totally isolated from the host PC, it needs its own separate anti-malware programs, which also need to be separately maintained with updates.

All relevant Windows XP updates also need to be regularly downloaded and applied.