Windows XP Mode (Windows 7)

[kevinsbane]

Hello,

I am currently trying to get Windows XP Mode to run my company's legacy programs. It is now installed, with the programs themselves working just fine in the virtual machine itself. However, I'm trying to get them to launch straight from the Windows 7 start menu; currently, I have to open up the virtual machine before I can access the programs. I've looked online, and all of the resources I could find mentioned that you can launch XP programs straight from Windows 7 after you install the programs (XP Mode automatically links the programs into Windows 7). Unfortunately, nothing is showing up in my W7 start menu! Is there a way to force it, or get it to recognize what I have already installed?

I am currently running Windows 7 Professional.

Kevinsbane

 

[Dahak]

one thing that I seen myself is if the program only install into the user' start menu it might not show up. You can copy the shortcut or when installing make sure it installs for all users.

if you need to copy it to the all users star menu, just right click on the start button and select explore all users.

This is all done inside the xp mode vm

 

[Steltek]

What you want to do is run your application in "seamless mode". I did this for a while but found that launching applications in Virtual XP mode took forever. I also had problems with XP Mode crashing, so I eventually changed over to vmWare and much prefer it to XP Mode.

Here is a Microsoft PDF guide to XP mode - the section you want discusses applications running in "seamless mode".

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...4029-A39E-1B00903AFC88/WXPMode_HowToguide.pdf

 

[Narmer]

What you want to do is run your application in "seamless mode". I did this for a while but found that launching applications in Virtual XP mode took forever. I also had problems with XP Mode crashing, so I eventually changed over to vmWare and much prefer it to XP Mode.

Here is a Microsoft PDF guide to XP mode - the section you want discusses applications running in "seamless mode".

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...4029-A39E-1B00903AFC88/WXPMode_HowToguide.pdf

Which VMware software are you using?

 

[NP Complete]

Hi Kevinsbane,

Perhaps I can help with out - I'm working with XP mode quite a bit at my job currently.

1. You shouldn't have to start the VM. Launching the shortcut from the start menu should take care of launching the application, including starting/resuming the VM if it's off or hibernated.

2. Only programs in the VM's All Users Start Menu (generally C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu)) are "published" to the Windows 7 start menu. All applications that are "published" should be visibile in windows 7 start menu under "Windows Virtual PC->XP Mode Applications" (note that if you want to use different XP VM, the folder would be named <vm name> Applications). Only shortcuts will be published (*.lnk files).

3. Ensure Auto Publish is enabled for the VM (open "Windows Virtual PC->Windows Virtual PC", right click on the VMX file, click "Settings" which is toward the top, and verify Auto Publish is enabled).

4. You need to ensure integration components are enabled in VM. Launch the VM in full screen mode (double click the vmcx file), launch, and in the "tools" menu, select "Enable Integration Features".

Hope that helps.

To answer Steltek:

The reason XP Mode takes a while to load is that after you close all the virtual application windows, the machine hibernates after a brief period of time (like 30 seconds, or so). Launching a new applicaiton requires resuming the machine before running the application. If the slow start times are a concern, you can always keep an XP Mode application open, which will allow other applications to launch faster.

I agree that vmWare is generally nicer, but you can't beat the XPMode price (if you already have Pro or Ultimate) - free + free windows xp license. Unless I was using the vm ware features heavily (snapshotting, etc), I find the price (free) makes up for the lack of polish/features (I'd say XP Mode offers approximately 90&#37; the experience vmware does).

 

[Chiefcrowe]

yes, if xp mode isn't working for you, you should check out VMWare Server which is a free download. i don't think that one does seamless mode, maybe Workstation can do that.

 

[RebateMonger]

I wasn't aware of "seamless mode" until this thread, although MS obviously has a couple of ways to "publish" aplications these days. I tried it with MS Frontpage 2003 that I'd installed in XP mode and it worked fine and loaded more than fast enough (but I'm running a Q9550, too).

 

[kevinsbane]

Ok, found the issue. There were two places in my start menu that were labelled "Windows Virtual PC"; one was what showed up when i hit the start menu, and the other when i clicked "all programs". The first one didn't have any links; it just had a link to the Windows XP Mode program, and when i clicked on it, took me straight to the installed VM folder.

The second Windows Virtual PC was an actual folder, buried into my start menu. That one had my programs, and allowed me to open them up in seamless mode.

Thanks!

Kevinsbane

 

[Chiropteran]

I agree that vmWare is generally nicer, but you can't beat the XPMode price (if you already have Pro or Ultimate) - free + free windows xp license. Unless I was using the vm ware features heavily (snapshotting, etc), I find the price (free) makes up for the lack of polish/features (I'd say XP Mode offers approximately 90% the experience vmware does).

VMWare Player is free! You might be required to register, I don't remember, but it's all entirely free and requires at most 5 minutes to fill out before you can download. Don't let the name fool you, you can use it to create VMs as well as run them. It also includes basic 3D virtualization support, which is enough to run Aero if you have a Windows 7 or Vista VM, and some primitive games.

Best of all, it has a built in function to build a vmware virtual machine out of Windows XP Mode, which you can then use with the performance and functionality advantages inherent in vmware.

 

[Steltek]

Which VMware software are you using?

I'm using VMware Workstation v7 - I'd purchased a license late last year using a 50% off coupon I was given as a gift. Of course, VMware then turned around and added the ability to create virtual machines to the free VMware Player (and I have one machine running Player as well). That being said, even if I hadn't already purchased Workstation, I still probably would have eventually bought the Workstation license anyway - the snapshot and undo features alone are well worth the purchase cost (at least to me).

One nice thing about using a VMWare (Workstation or Player) or Virtualbox solution is that you can run virtual machines under versions of Windows 7 that Microsoft doesn't allow with XP Mode.

VMWare Player is free! You might be required to register, I don't remember, but it's all entirely free and requires at most 5 minutes to fill out before you can download. Don't let the name fool you, you can use it to create VMs as well as run them. It also includes basic 3D virtualization support, which is enough to run Aero if you have a Windows 7 or Vista VM, and some primitive games.

Best of all, it has a built in function to build a vmware virtual machine out of Windows XP Mode, which you can then use with the performance and functionality advantages inherent in vmware.

The only issue you run into is licensing, unless you happen to have an extra retail copy of XP laying around. Technically, Microsoft licenses XP Mode only for the supported versions of Windows only - you can't legally use the XP Mode license key provided by Microsoft in a VM running under VMware, Virtualbox, or any other visualization solution. Obviously, it will work, but it isn't license compliant. However, if you have your own separate XP keycode, Microsoft can't complain and you are good to go.