Windows XP Network Protocol - Can it work in XP Mode?

Diehard · 16 Aug 2010

Hi, so the problem is, we have a printer that uses VideoNet Network Protocol.
It has its own network card (which Win7 has drivers for), but uses its own protocol to talk with the printer.
Apparently the protocol only works on WinXP, and not Vista or Win7.

Is it possible to install and use drivers/protocols from Windows Xp, in XP-Mode for Win7 64Bit Professional.

or to put it in another way,

Can I install and use a piece of hardware thats meant for Windows XP, in XP-Mode. Or is XP-Mode only software?

Night Hawk · 17 Aug 2010

Hello Diehard

In most circumstances you won't be able to automatically or manually install device drivers in the XP Mode there. You may be able to manually configure the network options however in order to be able to use the printer once it is detected there.

The "NAT"(Network Address Translation) item in the choices for network adapters might see that work as one possible consideration. You would likely need to see a new home group created to get it working.

**cluberti** · 18 Aug 2010

If that network card must go into the PC running the protocol, the answer is no - you can't direct hardware like a specific network card down into a Virtual PC VM. I did some research, and it does appear that the card needs to be in the computer using VideoNet, and the crossover goes from that card in that PC to the external device (I'm guessing an HP Colorspan). Since (according to HP) this will only run on systems up to Vista, and the card needs to be in the same system as the protocol, then you should consider whether or not the Vista support would be enough to run it natively on Windows 7 (I'm guessing it would be 32bit only, given the software and drivers and how it appears to work, but I could be wrong).

VMWare Workstation may have some options for using that network device directly in a VM, but Virtual PC does not.