Using Windows XP mode in Windows 7, you can run programs specially made for Windows XP on computers running Windows 7 Enterprise, Professional, or Ultimate editions.
With the help of this article, you’ll learn, How to install and activate Windows XP mode in your Windows 7 computer to use it just like Windows XP. For your kind information, Windows XP mode is not supported in Windows 8.
Important Note: As of April 8, 2014, technical support for Windows XP and Windows XP Mode is no longer available, including updates that help protect your PC. This means that if you continue to use Windows XP or Windows XP Mode on a Windows 7 PC after support ends, your PC might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Therefore, to keep your Windows 7 PC secure after support ends, we recommend that you only use Windows XP Mode if your PC is disconnected from the Internet. Read more about Windows XP End of Support.
Before You Begin, Check Certain System Requirements
In order to use Windows XP Mode on a computer running Windows 7, you have to make sure about the two following system requirements.
- Make Sure that you’re running Windows Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate. You can check it in My Computer properties.
- Another thing to find out that whether your computer’s CPU is capable of hardware-assisted virtualization. To check it out, you’ll have to download and run the Hardware-Assisted Virtualization detection tool.
Installing and activating Windows XP Mode
Now, the time has come to install and activate Windows XP Mode on your Windows 7 computer. So, to use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7, you need to download and install Windows XP Mode, and Windows Virtual PC, the program that runs virtual operating systems on your computer.
One by one I’ll tell you about downloading and installing both of these software.
Download & Install Windows XP Mode
To activate Windows XP mode in a Windows 7 environment, you’ve to download and install Windows XP mode on your PC. Have a look at the following simple steps to download and install Windows XP mode on your Windows 7 computer.
- Go to the Windows XP Mode Page and download it.
- After downloading, double-click on the installer and follow the instructions to complete the installation. Finally, when the setup is completed, click on Finish.
Download & Install Virtual PC
As I already mentioned, it is also a must-have part of using Windows XP mode on Windows 7 PCs. So, look at the following steps to download and install a virtual PC on your Windows 7 computer.
- Go to the Windows Virtual PC Page and download it on Windows 7.
- After downloading, double-click on the downloaded package and follow the instructions to complete the setup.
- Finally, click on Restart Now to reboot the system to work Virtual PC properly.
Activate Windows XP Mode in Windows 7
To activate Windows XP Mode in Windows 7, you’ll have to set up Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 for first use. Here are the steps to do so.
- Go to the Start button, click on All Programs, open the folder “Windows Virtual PC” and then click on Windows XP Mode.
- Now, accept the license and terms and click on Next.
- Choose a default location or new location for Windows XP Mode files to be stored.
- Now, type the password twice and click on Next.
- On the Help protect your computer page, decide whether you want to help protect your computer by turning on automatic updates, and then click Next.
- Finally, start the setup.
That’s all, when the setup is completed, Windows XP Mode will open in a separate window. So, now you can install and use programs in Windows XP Mode.
