Windows 7 & virtual Windows XP
Today, in the new position of explaining how the virtual Windows XP can also be downloaded separately for Windows 7 (Release Candidate). Download Windows XP virtual user to view the complete Windows XP environment to the virtual instance of Windows 7 It’s the question of compatibility with the Windows 7 major applications, and opened the way for Microsoft to innovate, and remove it the next version of Windows.
Inclusion in the “copy” from the old operating system and operating through virtualization is not new, this is exactly what Apple has, if they are from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X - it was a big change, and there is no way to can Apple OS 9 applications, that supports OS X.
Last year we predicted that Microsoft, finally, there is a virtual copy of Windows, if sometime in the future (possibly) will be switching to another kernel for Windows. The new kernel may Singularity, a research project Microsoft Research. Singularity is still very experimental, operating system, but from scratch, with its modern architecture and with respect to the heritage of architecture, frameworks, libraries or software. We can only speculate when it comes to such radical change is probably a long time in the future.
I did not expect my predictions come true, and the exit Windows 7 - The release of Microsoft is a virtual copy of Windows XP.
In what sense?
Even if not all of the challenges that Microsoft is lagging behind Windows XP virtual release, I know that this is a very useful feature for my father. It is based on a very old Java applet, which is based on the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine. This software is a virtual machine is not compatible and not always available. There is also a problem that the computer does not activate the Java Runtime Environment, so that when you install Sun Java Runtime time, stressed the Microsoft JVM. This resulted in a lot of headaches and problems in the configuration for the Java applet is working properly.
With this new virtual Windows XP, I managed to successfully install and configure an older version of Java Runtime to work and web applications, when my father was in the virtual environment. This is not just work seamlessly, the performance was not so bad. We did this on a notebook with 1.6 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM, Windows 7 will be automatically installed on a virtual Windows XP approx. 503 MB of RAM, as well as local and virtual machine, Windows 7 has been relatively mild. This is probably a bit slower than on the hard drive full of additional software.
Thus, one of the most important benefits you receive, is the backwards compatibility, and it may be safer. Running the old and outdated software can be problems in terms of security, but only if the virtual machine uses software from known and a few selective sites, the attack surface is much smaller than if you have an older version of Java for on the local machine can be used for all their web sites.
Installing Windows 7
Windows 7 Beta version of Microsoft Connect MSDN subscribers to download, and soon to the public (May 5). Boot from the Windows 7 DVD and install the operating system, this is a very challenging task, which is much faster than with Windows XP. If your computer is configured, we should be able to format and install a new copy of Windows in a clean, no files from the backup set, or boring.
It took me 19 minutes of first booting from the CD on the desktop was fully loaded in the Sahara Slate Tablet PC, along with my old external USB DVD player. Tip: Before you begin installation, I removed from my computer, the Windows Live sync Live Mesh. It also ensures that all devices are fully synchronized before.
You no longer need to get the product key during installation, you can later, after the installation is complete. You can also benefit from the network settings on your computer to the table. When my computer booted to the desktop for the first time after 19 minutes and was online and ready for use. Starts automatically download updates. To determine the update for Windows Defender, and updated drivers for my and my fingerprint reader chipset from Intel. Almost all drivers were loaded, and with Windows 7, which means my tablet digitizer pen is out of the box, worked as Bluetooth, wireless and wired network. After upgrading my finger print reader to work! I have never used it before the reader, as well as third party software, which never good, now I am using the integrated functionality of Windows and works fine. All the installer does not restart.

Installing Virtual PC for Windows
The program was previously known as Microsoft Virtual PC was renamed to Windows Virtual PC, and is now an integral part of the experience of the windows. There is a separate standalone application - it is compatible with the shell Windows Explorer. Windows Virtual PC allows you not only pre-configured virtual Windows XP, you can use any virtual machine you want.
Installation is an installer for Windows Update, and is about 5 MB file (Windows6.1-KB958559-x86.msu), which can be downloaded from the same place you get from Windows 7
After you install Virtual PC for Windows (a restart is required at two of my computer), you can pre-configured virtual Windows XP. This file is a large facility up to 445 MB (VirtualWindowsXP_32_en-us.msi), but it is a copy of virtual hard disk on your computer and create a copy of a virtual machine for defining low profile in the field. Files are available in several languages.
Virtual Windows XP
At the end of the installation, you can choose to run a virtual Windows XP. If you do this, Windows Virtual PC and setup a new virtual machine. For the first time, you can enter the password for the virtual machine.

In the first run installer some time …

To run it manually, navigate to the folder of your profile (eg, C:\Users\myusername) and then open the folder called “virtual machines. If everything is installed correctly, you should use a virtual machine is ready for Windows XP here. How can you to see if it makes a directory of virtual machines, there is a button code directly into the Windows Explorer shell with a new virtual machine. In the dialog box that appears in the bowl, not a separate program, as before. This makes the whole Virtual PC for Windows is an integrated experience, even my father could.

After the initial installation you have a window with your virtual Windows XP. You can change the window size to fit your desktop, and you can fullscreen mode, which allows a computer with Windows XP. There seems to be a better USB support than before, this is very much in the old Microsoft Virtual PC.

Launching an application
Now you can run and use Internet Explorer 6.0 or you can install third-party software is not compatible with Windows 7
In standard configuration, you will receive a link to your application in Windows 7 install these applications in virtual Windows XP. These applications can be launched from the Start menu in Windows 7, and when they begin to do in Windows XP automatically virtualized in the background and be able to apply directly to the desktop Windows 7
Here is a screenshot shows how I cast my WinRAR “Start” menu and open the WinRAR application in the style of Windows XP in a window.

Unfortunately, you can not be simultaneously in the virtual desktops and virtual applications simultaneously.

Optional: a biometric fingerprint sensor
Because Windows 7 now has better support for biometric sensor input and automatically find drivers for my tablet PC, I decided to write this small additional section of the configuration and use the Fingerprint Reader for Windows 7
Open link devices and printers in the Start menu. This is a fingerprint sensor, and if you have installed. Click the right mouse button and select the biometric. You can now start registering your sensor to your account Windows. Following are screenshots from my computer, AuthenTec sensor is probably little different depending on the brand and model.

If you have not tried Windows 7, but you should seriously consider downloading and installing (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx). Although it is not yet complete, but is very stable and performance is very good. Great work on older computers with less memory and even better if you have a lot of RAM. Do not forget to backup all important files before formatting the hard disk with a new copy of Windows. Enjoy!
You can now download Virtual PC and Windows, including Windows XP (Windows XP virtual) Beta: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx


