How To: Download & Install Windows XP Mode Beta & Virtual PC Beta

If you are not aware of Windows XP Mode, Windows XP Mode is a new feature of Windows 7 that lets you run Windows XP compatible applications in Windows 7.

After the release of Windows 7 RC to public this morning, Microsoft now announced the availability of Windows XP Mode beta and Virtual PC beta for Windows 7 RC users.

Windows Virtual PC is a new optional component that you can use to evaluate and migrate to the Windows 7 operating system while maintaining compatibility with applications that run on older versions of Windows. This component is available as a downloadable update package for Windows 7.

If you run Windows XP and want to maintain compatibility with applications that run on that operating system, Windows Virtual PC provides an easy way for you to do this. You can use Windows XP mode to access a virtualized instance of Windows XP that is ready for you to customize with your own applications.

You can even use Windows XP mode and Windows 7 to run applications seamlessly in Windows 7 when the applications are actually installed in Windows XP. Windows XP mode is available for the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, and Windows 7 Ultimate.

Note: Before downloading these features, make sure that your PC supports Windows XP Mode. Your processor has to have hardware virtualization technology to run Windows XP Mode for Windows 7. If you are not sure, please check our post Which Intel CPUs Support Virtual XP Mode?

How to install & run Windows XP Mode in Windows 7:

1. Download the Virtual PC beta from Microsoft Virtual PC page and also Windows XP Mode beta from here.
2. Install the Windows virtual PC beta by following the simple on screen procedure and reboot your machine to see Virtual Windows XP entry in your Start menu.
3. Now, Double-click on VirtualWindowsXP.msi package to start Virtual Windows XP wizard and click Next to continue.
4. Select the installation destination for the XP mode. By default it will select the right one. So, simply click Next button.
5. You will see the XP mode installation process. It may take few minutes to complete the installation.
6. Once you complete the installation, Virtual Windows XP starts for the first time. Here you will see Virtual Windows XP license agreement. Accept the license agreement and click Next to continue.
7. In the following window, you need to enter a password for the account. You cannot leave the password field blank. In case, if you don’t like to enter the password each time, you can check the option Remember credentials to store the password.
8. Next you need to configure Windows XP for automatic updates.
9. Once you are done with the configuration, Windows XP mode is ready to use.