Windows 7: Access XP Mode files from Windows 7

I'm new to this so I apologize for sounding like an idiot. I just got a new computer and am a novice in Windows 7.

I have an old program that I had to install in XP Mode. It works fine. It's an old medical billing program (Medisoft) that won't run in Windows 7

I use MS Access 2007 (and ODBC drivers) to access and manipulate some of the database tables of Medisoft.

Do I have to install Access in XP Mode to do this?

Or can I use the Access 2007 that I installed in Windows 7 to directly access the files on Virtual Windows XP??

If so, where the heck are they? I can't figure out how to see the files on the virtual windows XP from Windows 7 (using windows explorer).

I'm so frustrated. This upgrade to a Windows 7 computer is taking me way way too long.

Thanks,
Jill

Hi Jill, we meet again

File sharing between XP mode and its host (Windows 7) is like file sharing between two physical computers. I found this nice tutorial for you to read. It explains the main principles in file sharing.

Not being familiar with Medisoft, I don't know where it stores files. A good place to start looking is My Documents, Medisoft might have created a folder there to store user files.

Kari

Thanks. You rock. I'll check out the article right now.

I know where the files are on the XP machine. I just couldn't locate them from Windows 7.

Jill, here's even better tutorial, this time one of our own: File Sharing - Between XP and W7 (and vice versa)

Kari

Kari (and anybody else)

I'm still having trouble. Here is the situation:

On my home network I currently have:

1. An XP machine named JILL-VAIO. My user name is Mayer. My workgroup is JELLY.
2. A Windows 7 machine named JILL-DELL-PC. My user name is Jill. My workgroup is JELLY.
3. An XP Mode installation on the Windows 7 machine named JILL-DELL-XPMOD. My user name appears to be XPMUser. My workgroup is JELLY.

I have a few directories on each computer that I shared. On the Windows 7 machine I figured out how to share with Everyone.

JILL-VAIO can see all the shared files on JILL-DELL-PC.
JILL-DELL-PC can see all the shared files on JILL-VAIO

But JILL-DELL-XPMOD can not see the other computers at all. From Windows Explorer on JILL-DELL-XPMOD, I've gone into My Network Place ... Entire Network ... Microsoft Windows Network ... Jelly. From there I can only see JILL-DELL-XPMOD (and the directories I've shared under there).

From the other two computers, I can not see JILL-DELL-XPMOD either.

The weird thing is that for a while, I DID see JILL-DELL-XPMOD from both of the other computers. But when I clicked on it I got a message similar to "JILL-DELL-XPMOD is not accessible ...". I can't remember it exactly. But it wouldn't let me open the folder.

Now I don't see JILL-DELL-XPMOD at all.

For what it's worth, I can not ping JILL-DELL-XPMOD from either of the other two computers either.

I also just remembered that when I start XP Mode, I have to enter a password for the user XPMUser. I don't have passwords on the other computers.

Any advice?

Additionally, I just realized I can't find my network printer.

I have a printer network printer plugged into a router. JILL-DELL-XPMOD can't see it.

Let's try two things: install integration features, and change the NIC (network adapter) XP Mode is using.

First integration features, read this post if you don't have integration installed and enabled.

Second, change the XP Mode network adapter 1 to that of your host i.e. choose your host's NIC from the drop down list in XP Mode settings > Network > Adapter 1:



Kari

You are my hero!!

That worked beautifully. Thank you thank you thank you.

I had integration tools already. But changing the network adapter was the key!!


Do you know of a central location for information like this? I.e., a manual on XP Mode??

Thanks Jill

There's surprisingly little documentation available for Virtual PC and XP Mode. When you search the net, search rather Virtual PC than XP Mode, for XP Mode is nothing but a normal Virtual PC machine.

I find these two sites very useful::

• Windows Virtual PC: Documentation and Videos
• Browse by Tags - Virtual PC Guy's WebLog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

In our Tutorials section you can find some quite good Virtual PC and XP Mode tutorials. To see what's available, go to Tutorials index page and search from V as Virtual PC and W as Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode.

This PDF by Microsoft is not much, showing the level of VPC and XPM documentation, but at least it tells about some basic principles: Windows Virtual PC Tips.pdf.

Never been too humble , so I have to mention my tutorials:

• Virtual XP Machine - Copy
• Virtual PC XP Mode - Add Limited User Accounts
• System Image - Extracting Files from using Virtual PC

You have some limited options to increase XP Mode, or any other virtual machine's, performance. Read this to learn why and how to modify options.xml file. Here's a bit long post, somewhere near the end you'll find how to increase the RAM assigned to your XP Mode.

My XPM Tip #1: I have created a folder called XPM files in my host's C:\Users\Kari. In XP Mode, I have redirected My Documents to this folder, meaning that all my XPM documents are always available from the host, even when XPM is not running.

And of course, posting issues and questions in our Virtualization section usually gives you an answer.

Kari

Awesome. As soon as I finish getting my computer set up, I'll check those out.

Quick question for you before I lose your attention...

Now that I can see my XPM files from Windows 7 and vice versa ... I'm curious which of these setups would be more efficient. As I mentioned above, I link to my Medisoft tables through MS Access ODBC drivers. I use this to run detailed reports/queries/etc that I can't do from the program itself.

I have one report in particular that takes a few hours to run. I keep wanting to optimize it but we keep talking about upgrading from Medisoft to something else so I don't really want to take the time.

So...given that the report is pretty slow to run, which is better...

1. Set up Access in Windows 7 and have it a access the Medisoft tables on XPM to run the reports.
2. Set up Access in XPM to run the reports.

I'm unsure if things tend to run faster in Windows 7 which could make up any time delays I experience b/c I'm accessing files on a different machine (virtual).

Did that make sense?

I plan to try both and time it. But it might be difficult since the report takes many hours on my biggest client and I tend to go to bed and let it run overnight.

What do you think?

Jill