Windows XP Mode - Install and Setup

So, am I getting this right? According to the system requirements posted here, I will not be able to run XP mode on my Windows 7 Home Premium machine?

Im running an Acer Aspire 5334-2598. When I purchased the Notebook Windows 7 Home Premium was installed.

So, to create the ISO I need to have the installation CD? Well, I have an old desktop (or paper weight if you wanna call it that) that has XP on it. Unfortunately, I no longer have the install discs. Is there a way I can lift it (the ISO) from that PC and put it on my notebook (i.e. flash drive, e-mail, or network)?

Hi Shawn,

Not sure how familiar you are with Acronis application, but I wanted to be able to make a back-up Acronis image of the Virtual XP disc. However, Acronis does not list the Virtual XP disc as a separate entity in the disc back-up options.

I already have an Acronis image of the active partition containing Windows 7 with all programs loaded, and it is possible to make a new image of the Windows 7 active partition which contains Virtual XP. However, it becomes quite large and unwieldly in terms of storage space and reload time.

One option in Acronis is to make an image of My Data, in which Virtual XP only is saved. The Acronis selection window pic shown below is from the pathway: C:\Users\Bernard\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC and includes all the sub-folders.

Acronis will restore those folders exactly as shown but I don't know if it also saves the necessary registry entries, etc, that are needed to make Virtual XP run.

As I said earlier, I don't know how familiar you are with Acronis, but my question is: If I reload a fully operational installation of Windows 7 from an Acronis image, and then restore the Windows Virtual PC folder to it's original location from a 2nd Acronis, would that enable Virtual XP to run?

Alternatively, after reloading Windows 7 from the Acronis image, should I first run the Virtual XP installation file, and KB update; and then restore the Virtual XP Acronis image, which will overwrite the existing one.

I realize this is a fairly big ask to expect you to be that familiar with Acronis, but if you can help it would be appreciated. Otherwise I'll just do it by trial and error.

Thanks in anticipation. Bernie

Brink said:

Hello Bernie,

I'm afraid that it's been a long time since I used Acronis. I usually just copy these virtual machines files below into a folder on a separate drive as a backup. I just copy them back to the exact same locations to restore them with Windows Virtual PC already installed first.

Thank you Shawn for that input. That seems like a much simpler and more efficient way to go.

The main reason I want a back up is not so much for the Virtual XP Program itself, but to avoid having to re-load all the 3rd party applications installed in Virtual XP, such as Avast Anti-Virus, Glary Utlities, etc? Would those files you have selected include the 3rd party applications?

Also, if I uninstall an application on Virtual XP which is also loaded in Windows 7, using Revo Uninstaller, which cleans the registry, would this affect the registry for the Windows 7 application of the same program?