Windows 7 XP Mode – One More Gift of Microsoft
Microsoft has introduced the virtualized version of Windows XP called “XP Mode” through which Windows 7 users can run programs that are not compatible with the new operating system. The company has finalized the code for the software and it will be made available from 22nd of October as a separate download for general public, which is the general release date for new Windows 7-based PCs.
The new software “XP Mode” will be a feature of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate. It has hit release to manufacturing (RTM) status signifying the time in which original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can begin adding the bits to their Windows 7 RTM distribution packages.
XP Mode
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Windows XP Mode is specifically designed to help small businesses as it offers to users to run many older productivity applications on Windows 7 based PC.
Benefits of Windows XP Mode:
• Easy to use set-up.
• Provides one click launch of Windows XP Mode applications having USB support.
• It is a desktop virtualization supplement that works with Microsoft Virtual PC in Windows 7.
• It lets users run a complete copy of Windows XP Service Pack 3, along with associated XP-based applications, right on the Windows 7 desktop.
• XP Mode provides great convenience to corporate users, who can direct the technology through standard Microsoft administration and management technologies like Active Directory and Group Policy.
Majority of AMD’s processors like Phenom, Phenom II, Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 X2 chips of the F and G families with AMD-V technology will support the XP Mode. XP Mode is not a Hyper-V (Microsoft’s server-side virtualization platform) for the client, instead it is a host-based virtualization solution like Virtual PC.
XP Mode
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Microsoft has also permitted its prospective owners of Windows 7 to downgrade the software to Vista, Windows XP or all the way back to Windows 95 with downgrade license. The company expects with the XP Mode, Windows 7 will have almost 100 percent compatibility with all currently running Windows applications.