Microsoft released a software update Thursday that eliminates some of the hardware requirements for running Windows XP Mode on Windows 7 PCs. The goal is to make it far easier for small and midsize businesses to migrate to Windows 7 while retaining access to critical legacy applications that are unable to run on machines equipped with Microsoft’s latest operating system.
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Windows 7 Professional users will no longer need to deploy hardware-virtualization technology in order to run their PCs in Windows XP Mode, noted Microsoft’s in-house blogger, Brandon LeBlanc. This change makes it extremely easy for businesses to use Windows XP Mode to address any application incompatibility roadblocks they might have in migrating to Windows 7, LeBlanc wrote.
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Right from the Desktop
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Available on the professional and ultimate editions of Windows 7 introduced last October, Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC will enable business PC users to run multiple Windows environments from the Windows 7 desktop. This week’s upgrade also includes new features such as USB support as well as one-click launch of Windows XP Mode apps.
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The applications running in Windows XP look and feel like they are installed directly on Windows 7, said Microsoft Senior Product Manager Ran Oelgiesser. Users will see icons for their applications in the Windows 7 start menu, [and] they can even create shortcuts for them on the desktop.
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Windows XP Mode will continue to harness the power of CPU-based virtualization technologies such as Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT) or AMD-V if available, LeBlanc noted, though these and other hardware-based virtualization technologies are no longer an absolute requirement. For larger enterprise-class customers, however, Microsoft continues to recommend the use of Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), which is part of the software giant’s desktop optimization pack for software assurance.
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Windows XP Mode is great as long as you are OK…