Microsoft Virtual PC is a free application that helps you create your own virtual machines inside your current operating system, so you can test software, or learn a new environment easily. Here’s how to get started.

Using Windows Virtual PC

Windows 7 Pro Download

First, you need to download Virtual PC from Microsoft’s web site. You’ll want to make sure to select the right Windows 7 edition from the drop-down menu and then select Windows Virtual PC.

Direct Download Links Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC for Windows 7. Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC are special programs available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions which allow you to run multiple Windows environments such as Windows XP Mode, etc from your Windows 7 desktop.

It will ask you to install Virtual PC as a Windows software update.

You will need to restart after the installation is done.

After rebooting, you can find Windows Virtual PC in your start menu and select it to open the program.

Click on Create virtual machine in the new window that opened.

Now, you can write the name for your new Virtual Machine and the location to store the virtual machine file.

In the next window, you can select the amount of RAM memory to assign to your virtual machine.

Free Windows 7 Pro

In the next window, you will create a virtual hard disk where you will install your virtual operating system. You can select between a dynamically expanding virtual hard disk (it will grow according to your virtual machine space requirements), use an existing virtual hard disk or use advanced options.

In the advanced options window, you can select to create a dynamically expanding hard disk (the hard drive will grow as your virtual machine needs), a fixed sized hard drive (you assign the amount of storage for it) and a differencing hard drive (the changes will be stored in a different hard drive so the original hard drive can be intact)

We will use a dynamically virtual hard drive for this example.

You can now select the location for your virtual hard drive in your computer and the name for it.

As we selected the dynamically expanding virtual hard drive, we will specify the maximum storage space for it to grow in the next window.

And that’s pretty much it!

You have created a virtual machine and only need to install the operating system.

You can go to Virtual PC again, and will find your new Virtual Machine. Right click on it to select the settings or click on the Settings menu.

In the settings windows, you can specify where the installation disk for your new operating system is located to install it in your new virtual machine.

Go to DVD Drive and select Access a physical drive if you loaded the installation CD / DVD in the computer’s Rom.

Or select Open an ISO image to select an image with the installation files to install an operating system on your new virtual machine.

Once you’ve started up the virtual machine, just follow through the normal installation prompts to create your virtual operating system.

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So far, Windows 7 has proven itself to be a good overall operating system. It has brought several needed improvements, and even some new technological features.

However, Windows 7 can have some problems with backwards compatibility, which is to be expected with any new operating system. Microsoft anticipated this and decided to add XP Mode to Windows 7.

XP Mode allows you to run Windows XP inside a virtual machine within Windows 7. In turn, you will be able to run older applications and programs if need be. The following tutorial will guide you through adding XP mode to your Windows 7 installation.

Install XP Mode on Windows 7

Before you get started installing XP Mode, you should first check to see if your computer supports virtualization. Use this tool, directly from Microsoft, to check your computer’s compatibility.

The file is only 1MB max (depending on selected components), so it should not take much time to download. After you get it downloaded, install the file and run the check. If it say’s that you’re good to go, than continue on.

Now, you can download the actual XP Mode file here. After the download has completed, go ahead and double click the installer file to install XP Mode to your computer.

Install Windows Virtual PC

Now that you have the XP Mode file ready, you need to install the Windows Virtual PC framework. Jump back to this page and click on the Download button.

Virtual Xp On Windows 10

Save the installer file to your computer, and double click to run it. Install Windows Virtual PC and any updates to your computer. You will need to restart your computer after the installer finishes.

After your computer gets done restarting and installing the new files, you should be able to launch Windows XP Mode. Click the Start Menu and use the path Start > All Programs > Windows Virtual PC > Windows XP Mode.

Type a password into the pop up box to use for your virtual machine, type again to verify, and click next. On the second screen, select the option to turn automatic updates on, and click next. Windows Virtual PC will now set up your XP Mode machine. This could take a couple of minutes to complete.

Windows 7 Pro Iso

After setup completes, Windows XP will startup automatically within the virtual machine window.

Win 7 Pro Virtual Xp

From here, you can setup your XP Mode virtual machine the same way that you would setup an actual computer with a normal XP install on it. You can add or delete accounts, add or remove programs, change desktop themes, etc.

Virtual Xp Mode Windows 10

You can make your virtual machine full screen by hitting the maximize window button (the same button that you would use to maximize any window). Alternatively, to go back to normal view, just click the restore down button.

That’s all there is to it. You now have Windows XP Mode installed and ready to use within Windows 7. Now, you can simply install any older programs that do not work with Windows 7, into your XP Mode virtual machine.