Windows 7 Virtual Machine?

[TSE]

Hi guys, I am going to upgrade to Windows 7 sometime soon when it comes out. I have a question though. I know with Windows 7 Pro that one of the features is running XP seamlessly through a Virtual machine. I don't want to fork out an extra 100 bucks, so I am going to just go with Home Premium. My question to you guys is, is there a free third party way to run a Windows XP/Windows 2000 virtual machine with Windows 7? Thanks!

 

[steveza]

http://www.virtualbox.org/ ? Everything that runs on XP should be compatible with W7 - some apps need tweaking but most things do just work.

 

[Bill Gates]

http://www.virtualbox.org/ ? Everything that runs on XP should be compatible with W7 - some apps need tweaking but most things do just work.

I concur. Very few applications written in the Windows 2000/XP-era will have problems on Windows 7, and you shouldn't have too many issues with legacy Windows 9x programs as well. Windows 7's compatibility shouldn't be that much worse than that of Windows XP.

 

[hazmatzak]

with Windows 7 Pro that one of the features is running XP seamlessly through a Virtual machine. I don't want to fork out an extra 100 bucks, so I am going to just go with Home Premium. My question to you guys is, is there a free third party way to run a Windows XP/Windows 2000 virtual machine with Windows 7?

For that $100, you get a licensed, pre-packaged, magically integrated "Windows XP Mode". But even with Home, you (can) get Windows Virtual PC free, which will let you install your own virtual machines. So if you already have a valid XP to install, you don't have to get anything else, although VirtualBox should work. Virtual PC probably has better integration, though.

Everything that runs on XP should be compatible with W7 - some apps need tweaking but most things do just work.

If that was the case, they wouldn't have come up with Windows XP Mode.

 

[Bill Gates]

For that $100, you get a licensed, pre-packaged, magically integrated "Windows XP Mode". But even with Home, you (can) get Windows Virtual PC free, which will let you install your own virtual machines. So if you already have a valid XP to install, you don't have to get anything else, although VirtualBox should work. Virtual PC probably has better integration, though.

If that was the case, they wouldn't have come up with Windows XP Mode.

Steveza is mostly correct. Windows XP mode is primarily geared towards enterprises who are afraid to migrate to a new operating system without a fallback for legacy applications. Windows 7 has excellent compatibility with the vast majority of applications.

 

[steveza]

Windows XP mode is primarily geared towards enterprises who are afraid to migrate to a new operating system without a fallback for legacy applications. Windows 7 has excellent compatibility with the vast majority of applications.

Indeed - there are thousands (millions) of in-house applications used in corporations the World over that, probably due to IT management risk-aversion, haven't been tested on W7 yet. I have got my current client to use W7 as a production OS during the RC phase - they have not found any issues at all and will be upgrading to the RTM from tomorrow onwards.