Most XP users hate Windows 7!!!

jimbo45 said:

SOME 8 year old hardware will run W7 quite happily -- I've got an old PENTIUM IV computer from circa 2000 running W7 32 bit just fine -- although it's only got 512GB RAM and a 60 GB HDD. Not even USB slots.

Running Windows 2000 on that computer is actually faster -- that's basically due to the MUCH smaller size of the OS and W2K was designed as a SERVER OS (its the basis for the STILL excellent Windows 2003 Server) but you would be surprised at what W7 will work on.

Hi Jimbo, yes, I have a 2001 Dell Dimension 8200 with P4 3.06GHz, 2GB RAM, ATI AIW X800XT and Win7 runs very smoothly, even with Aero on, it feels maybe even faster than XP, but that might be because it's a fresh install whereas my XP installation is already over 2 years old with many programs on it.

jimbo45 said:

I have some legacy PERIPHERALS where the original manufacturer is no longer in business --quite specialized and EXPENSIVE gear still perfectly serviceable so I'm keeping XP for these (running XP as a Virtual Machine --no more dual booting for me).
For this type of gear XP will still be around for several years yet -- not because it's a better or worse OS - but due to the fact that people who USE this type of gear will still need it.
Cheers
jimbo

I thought that was not possible. I also have some peripherals that are not Win7 compatible (an old USB HP printer and scanner), they only work in XP, and if I run XP within Win7 as a virtual machine they will not work either. So, maybe I did not understand what you're explaining...??

antares said:

jimbo45 said:

SOME 8 year old hardware will run W7 quite happily -- I've got an old PENTIUM IV computer from circa 2000 running W7 32 bit just fine -- although it's only got 512GB RAM and a 60 GB HDD. Not even USB slots.

Running Windows 2000 on that computer is actually faster -- that's basically due to the MUCH smaller size of the OS and W2K was designed as a SERVER OS (its the basis for the STILL excellent Windows 2003 Server) but you would be surprised at what W7 will work on.

Hi Jimbo, yes, I have a 2001 Dell Dimension 8200 with P4 3.06GHz, 2GB RAM, ATI AIW X800XT and Win7 runs very smoothly, even with Aero on, it feels maybe even faster than XP, but that might be because it's a fresh install whereas my XP installation is already over 2 years old with many programs on it.

jimbo45 said:

I have some legacy PERIPHERALS where the original manufacturer is no longer in business --quite specialized and EXPENSIVE gear still perfectly serviceable so I'm keeping XP for these (running XP as a Virtual Machine --no more dual booting for me).
For this type of gear XP will still be around for several years yet -- not because it's a better or worse OS - but due to the fact that people who USE this type of gear will still need it.
Cheers
jimbo

I thought that was not possible. I also have some peripherals that are not Win7 compatible (an old USB HP printer and scanner), they only work in XP, and if I run XP within Win7 as a virtual machine they will not work either. So, maybe I did not understand what you're explaining...??

Hi there
A Virtual machine is almost like running a physical XP machine except that it runs as an application on your Host machine say W7.

Forget XP mode for the moment -- that's a specialized case -- however if you run say Virtual Box or VMWARE on your W7 installation you can create a "Virtual Machine".

In this case 99.99% of Legacy hardware WILL run. XP mode IMO is a waste of time but running a Full Virtual machine under vmware or Vbox will give you what you want.

When creating this you perform an installation of the OS just like you would as if you were installing it on your physical computer.

The advantage is you DON'T need to dual boot and the old drivers will keep legacy hardware running indefintely.

Look at the virtualisation tutorials on the forum fore more info on this topic.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Hi there
A Virtual machine is almost like running a physical XP machine except that it runs as an application on your Host machine say W7.

Forget XP mode for the moment -- that's a specialized case -- however if you run say Virtual Box or VMWARE on your W7 installation you can create a "Virtual Machine".

In this case 99.99% of Legacy hardware WILL run. XP mode IMO is a waste of time but running a Full Virtual machine under vmware or Vbox will give you what you want.

When creating this you perform an installation of the OS just like you would as if you were installing it on your physical computer.

The advantage is you DON'T need to dual boot and the old drivers will keep legacy hardware running indefintely.

Look at the virtualisation tutorials on the forum fore more info on this topic.

Cheers
jimbo

So that means that if I install Windows XP in VMware running in Windows 7 as host OS then any peripheral that is not compatible with 7 (old USB HP printer and scanner in my case) will be recognized and working by using the virtual XP? Does this also include the PC's internal hardware? (my sound card is not 7 compatible). I posted this question some time ago in another forum and I was told that the virtual OS (XP in this case) can not override the host OS (7 in this case) drivers, and that therefore any windows 7 non compatible hardware would not run from the virtual XP.

Well I hated vista and when I first saw Win 7 I did not care for it, but I did get used to it and start to like ot (I don't really miss XP much)

Although there still is a few things from XP I do miss

1: Win 7 changes where options are located (say to switch things in the control panel and such) So I needed to relearn where everything it, but that is not such a big deal anymore

2: I miss the Xp search. I thought it was easyer to find what I was looking for when there was check boxes to limied the file search to say video, pictures or audio. I don't use the search much now because I hate having to type "Type:mp3" when I want to find something

So that means that if I install Windows XP in VMware running in Windows 7 as host OS then any peripheral that is not compatible with 7 (old USB HP printer and scanner in my case) will be recognized and working by using the virtual XP? Does this also include the PC's internal hardware? (my sound card is not 7 compatible). I posted this question some time ago in another forum and I was told that the virtual OS (XP in this case) can not override the host OS (7 in this case) drivers, and that therefore any windows 7 non compatible hardware would not run from the virtual XP.

Sound and networking should work mostly well, the sound hardware in virtual machines is fairly basic so don't expect any super fancy sound features. You don't have access to your machines /actual/ sound card, but to a generic virtual sound interface that is then piped through your actual host OSes sound drivers.

Anything USB should work fine if you allow the virtual machine to take over control of the port. The easiest way to so this is to run the virtual machine and while it is focused, plug in the USB device. I.e. in VMWare, if you have windows 7 focussed and you plug in a thumb drive, Windows 7 takes control of it, if VMWare is focused when you plug it in then the Guest OS gets control of it.

The actual method of allowing one VM or anther have acess to one USB port or another probably varies.

fseal said:

Sound and networking should work mostly well, the sound hardware in virtual machines is fairly basic so don't expect any super fancy sound features. You don't have access to your machines /actual/ sound card, but to a generic virtual sound interface that is then piped through your actual host OSes sound drivers.

Anything USB should work fine if you allow the virtual machine to take over control of the port. The easiest way to so this is to run the virtual machine and while it is focused, plug in the USB device. I.e. in VMWare, if you have windows 7 focussed and you plug in a thumb drive, Windows 7 takes control of it, if VMWare is focused when you plug it in then the Guest OS gets control of it.

The actual method of allowing one VM or anther have acess to one USB port or another probably varies.

Will installing specific drivers for my XP devices (USB scanner, printer, internal sound card) in the virtual XP OS make any difference? Or they will be ignored and VMWare will use its own drivers?

With Microsoft providing XP support until 2014 and XP downgrade rights until 2020, XP will probably remain in history as the most successful OS ever.

Microsoft Pledges Windows XP Support Through 2014 -- Microsoft -- InformationWeek
Microsoft extends Windows XP downgrade rights until 2020 - Computerworld