Installing Windows XP on computer running Win 7

[antonianus]

Hello,
I need XP for specific older programs I like and are not compatible with 7.
What I am trying to do is to load XP on my back up external drive by USB link and so avoid dual boot which I really do not need. Is this feasible?
I have inserted my original XP installation disc (after booting it up from the DVD drive). XP loads all the drives/files etc, and when it gets to the screen Windows is starting and shows, Enter to continue, Esc to quite etc. my keyboard does not respond to any command and so I have to end the installation by switching it off at the mains. Have tried the same procedure several times but the result is always the same.
Any advise would be most appreciated.

 

[Petey7]

It is nearly impossible to get XP to boot off of a usb external hard drive. I remember finding a site with a tutorial on how to do it a long time ago, but doing so required a lot of changes to the registry, which had to be done with the hard drive removed from its enclosure and plugged directly in to the computer and the person who posted it said that after doing it the first time, he had no intention of ever doing so again, and did it just to try. The reason for this is that during the boot process of Windows, it checks the hard ware by turning a few things off and on repeatly. This includes the usb ports. As soon as the USB ports turn off the first time, Windows freezes and you have to do a hard reboot.

Your best bet is to use VirtualBox. It will allow you to install Windows XP in a virtual machine, which will run from within Windows 7. Also, if you have 7 Pro or Ultimate you can just use XP mode. I'm including a link for VirtualBox and I'll see if I can find a tutorial to help you with the process.

https://www.virtualbox.org/

EDIT: I found a tutorial we have here on SevenForums for installing Linux in Virtual Box. You can do Part 1 of it, replacing any metion of Ubuntu/Linux, with Windows XP. Part 2 just discribes installing Ubuntu. You can ignore that. You already know how to install XP I take it. The process is more or less the same.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ndows-7-virtual-machine-using-virtualbox.html

 

[GamePlanner]

Hope this link will help you
Run xp in 7

 

[Arc]

Hello antonianus
Virtualization is a good option, as Petey7 suggested . BTW, have you followed the Method 2 of the tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html ?

If you please fill up your system specs , using http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html, it would be easier to us to suggest something better ....

 

[antonianus]

Hi,
Thank you for all the information.
I have not done anything about this yet due to lack of time during this busy holiday period but I have been reading all the comments and the installation instructions and I am more or less coming to the conclusion that it all seems rather a lot of bother for what I am trying to get out of this.
As previously quoted, my first choice was to have XP installed on a separate external disc but I can see this is not going to boot up through an USB link and installing it is not straight forward either.
Dual O/S boot up system is not my cup of tea either. I had Vista and XP on a previous computer and although it worked well for a while, in the end I was having so many problems I had to uninstall XP and reinstall Vista again on its own as it was originally. This task I do not want to have to repeat again, ever.
The only reason I have to wanting XP is because I have a portfolio of pictures/photos I created with Windows Picture It (which unfortunately Microsoft decided not to include in any other versions after XP) and I cannot do anything with them with my present Windows versions. This is a great shame because "Picture It" is an excellent piece of software (I have Photoshop and others to choose from for my photo albums but basically, to me, Picture It is unique. I have the two installation discs and I would like to use it.
I also have other projects built with Publisher, and again, all saved files ending in . PUB cannot be altered/opened with my present system/softwares.
I have read various links on running XP on 7, including the one above and I do see more than one criteria on how to go about it like installing XP first and then run 7. I do know how to install the O/S and I also know how much time consuming it is to uninstall and reinstall and I will definitely not be doing that again.
I am hoping to spend more time on this (after the family have gone) and see what option, if any, is best to go for.

I do have two computers though, this one being my main PC on 7 and a Toshiba laptop running "Vista Business" which came preloaded and with an optional "downgrade XP Professional" disc but have never used and, some will say, that could be the answer to all my problems, except I do not want XP to be anything more than the "running engine" for the above programs and I do want to keep Vista. Why couldn't life be less complicated????
I will keep the thread open and will report back in due course.
Thanks and Merry Xmas to you all.

 

[AddRAM]

Did anyone mention installing XP on a Virtual Machine in Windows 7. Works flawlessly.

 

[Petey7]

Did anyone mention installing XP on a Virtual Machine in Windows 7. Works flawlessly.

Only in every single reply.

Antonianus, setting up a Virtual Machine can be tricky work, but once you have everything running it is easy to maintain. Waiting until after the holidays are over might be best before taking on such a task.

 

[gregrocker]

Have you tried installing the desired XP program in Win7 Compatibility Mode which simulates XP?

Publisher works in Win7 if you have Office Pro suite that includes it.