Everything Works In XP Mode?

Box · 20 Dec 2009

Hello, I own Windows 7 Home Edition, but I'm wondering how well does XP mode perform? Does it take a lot of your CPU? Will every XP application work on it?

richc46 · 20 Dec 2009

Box said:

Hello, I own Windows 7 Home Edition, but I'm wondering how well does XP mode perform? Does it take a lot of your CPU? Will every XP application work on it?

No it does not take an extrodinary amout of your CPU.

For the second question, the words every or none are very powerful and I do not think many would say that every appl in xp mode works with Win 7. But for all intents and purposes xp mode applications work with 7.

pparks1 · 20 Dec 2009

XP mode performs alright. Unfortunately, it's a very slow implementation of machine virtualization. You can get FAR better speeds using Sun Virtual Box or VMWare Player 3.0 (which are both free as well).

Just about everything but high end games will run fine in a virtual environment.

Dzomlija · 20 Dec 2009

Box said:

Hello, I own Windows 7 Home Edition, but I'm wondering how well does XP mode perform? Does it take a lot of your CPU? Will every XP application work on it?

Windows XP Mode is also only available with Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions.

seekermeister · 20 Dec 2009

And your hardware has to support it.

Box · 21 Dec 2009

Dzomlija said:

Box said:

Hello, I own Windows 7 Home Edition, but I'm wondering how well does XP mode perform? Does it take a lot of your CPU? Will every XP application work on it?

Windows XP Mode is also only available with Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions.

Yes, I know, I asking because I'm not sure if I want to upgrade to professional.

tony22 · 21 Dec 2009

pparks1 said:

XP mode performs alright. Unfortunately, it's a very slow implementation of machine virtualization. You can get FAR better speeds using Sun Virtual Box or VMWare Player 3.0 (which are both free as well).

Just about everything but high end games will run fine in a virtual environment.

Will the free version of either of these provide the level of USB support needed to handle USB drivers for devices which are incompatible with Win 7 (but worked fine in XP)? Or even SCSI drivers? Unless I missed it, it seems XPM doesn't have that little trick in its box.

pparks1 · 21 Dec 2009

I've not experienced problems with USB devices under Virtual Box or VMWare Player 3.0. Although I will admit that I don't use them heavily. Just a usb key or a portable hard drive...and that is about it.

jimbo45 · 21 Dec 2009

Hi there
I have a whole SLEW of USB stuff that works fine with VMWARE.
Plug the USB in AFTER you've started the Virtual machine - then install the XP driver for the hardware.

If you have any probs it's probably because the virtual machine virtual USB driver isn't active on the host -- leave the USB device plugged in and then "Disconnect it" via the virtual machine's menu.

The USB driver should then load on the HOST machine -- then you will find it works.

Ignore any prompts for the "Real hardware" driver on the HOST machine - in any case some legacy hardware won't have any REAL W7 drivers in any case.

I haven't found any hardware that doesn't work on an XP vitual machine (that's not to say there isn't any however).

Cheers
jimbo

tony22 · 21 Dec 2009

Thanks for the info Jimbo. From what I've read it seems like you have to get the pay version of Virtual Box to get the enhanced USB support.

Are there any tricks to getting USB devices to work in XPM? Maybe I'm not doing something right?