You often read in forums that XP Mode is only available in the two more expensive versions of Windows 7 (Professional and Ultimate). This is only half right, to be able to use Windows XP Mode you need a Windows XP licence. This is the crux of the matter, as this is already included in the Professional and Ultimate versions of Windows 7. The smaller versions of Windows 7 do not, which is why you cannot use XP Mode. However, if you still have a Windows XP CD and licence lying around at home, you can install the mode. I will describe exactly how to do this in these instructions.

• Windows 7 (installed)
• </ignore>Windows Virtual PC
• Windows XP with Service Pack 3
• A pot of coffee and time.

Download Windows Virtual PC from the Microsoft website and install it. I will not go into the installation any further here. After the installation you will find the item “Windows Virtual PC” under “Start --> All Programs --> Windows Virtual PC”. Clicking on this opens the “Virtual Machines” location in Explorer. All virtual computers are listed and managed here.

To do this, click on “Create virtual computer” in the upper area below the address bar. This opens a wizard that guides us through the settings. We make the following settings there:

Name: = No matter Storage location: = A directory that you can easily find again (you will need it later). Click next

Ram: = 256 Use the computer's network connection: = Check in Click next

Create a dynamically expandable virtual hard drive Name: = WindowsXP Storage location: = You should already have the directory you selected previously. Activate undo disc:= No tick Click Create

The first hurdle has now been overcome. The computer you have just created should now be listed in the Virtual PC administration.

Select the virtual computer and click on Settings at the top. On the left-hand side of the menu you will see the item “DVD drive” and a letter next to it. The letter indicates the drive that is used as the DVD/CD drive in the virtual computer. This is the drive of your PC. Your PC is also called the “host”, the virtual PC guest. Now insert your Windows XP installation CD into the drive of your PC that is used as the DVD drive in the virtual computer. You can close the settings window and any autostart of the CD. Now click on Open in the Virtual PC administration. The installation of Windows XP should now start in the virtual PC. If you don't know how to install Windows XP then let me help you, I can't go into detail here because it would go beyond the scope. It is only important that Windows XP including Service Pack 3 and all patches are installed. Other programmes must not be installed in the virtual system!

Start the virtual computer and log into the system. First go to the Security Centre, which can be found in the Control Panel. On the left-hand side you will find the item “Change security centre warning settings” Here we uncheck Virus protection and click OK. This will make the red shield in the system try disappear. Next, we scroll all the way down and click on “Automatic updates”. Here we set “Notify, but do not download or install”. Now we can close the Security Centre. Next, we continue with the user accounts. Here we click on “Change account” and select the account we specified during installation. Make sure that a password has been set for the user account. Without a password the XP mode will not run later.

As you may have already noticed, your mouse is trapped in the virtual computer, change this with the key combination “CTRL + ALT + ->”. Now click on Extras below the Windows Virtual PC title bar. There you will find the item “Install integration components”, click on it and in the next window on “Continue”. This starts an installation in the virtual computer. At the end of the installation, make sure that the tick is set and click on Finish. Internet Explorer will then open and take you to a Microsoft page. There you only need to click on “Download” and in the next window on “Run”. Install the hot fix and restart the virtual computer. When the system has restarted, you will immediately notice that the virtual computer will no longer catch your mouse. Now shut down the virtual computer.

Open Windows Explorer on your PC and change to the directory that you specified as the “Storage location” under point 1. In this directory you will find a file with the extension .VHD. If not, set the Explorer so that the file extension is also displayed with the file extensions. Copy or move this VHD file to a safe place, in my case I have it under “C:\Windows\XP Mode\”. Now go to the directory “C:\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Roaming” and create a directory there with the name “XP Mode”. Now switch back to the Virtual PC administration and delete the virtual computer there. Now create a new virtual computer with the following settings:

Name: = XP Mode Storage location: = C:\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Roaming\XP Mode Click next

RAM: = 256 Use the computer's network connection: = Check in Click next

Use a virtual hard drive using advanced options Click next

Click to differentiate

Name: = XP Mode Location: = C:\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Roaming\XP Mode Click next

Storage location: = The directory where you copied/moved the VHD to. In my case, this is “C:\Windows\XP Mode\WindowsXP.vhd”. Click Create

Now start the virtual computer and log into the system. Once you have logged into the system, select “Extras” under the address bar and then “Settings”. First go to DVD drive and select “None”. Then switch to “Integration features” and make sure that the check mark in each field is ticked. For drives, remove the tick ( C: ) to be on the safe side. Now switch to “Auto Publish” and check whether the check mark is set. Click on Ok and shut down the virtual computer. When the window of the virtual computer has disappeared you can start it again. The start will take a little longer. Do not be frightened by the login screen that now appears. Click on “Use another account” and enter the user name and password of the Windows XP user. Make sure that the tick is set for “Logon data storage”. Then click on OK. When you are logged into the system, click on the close cross at the top right and select Shut down from the menu.

Congratulations, you are now in possession of XPMode. There are plenty of instructions on the Internet on how to use it. I will also write instructions on this in the next few days. If you like, you can proofread it here and send it to me as a PM. Thanks for the mention. I am always open to criticism and suggestions for improvement.

Copyright 2009 Marco Lennartz, Darkness-HS.de